In a world where the music industry is more jam-packed than ever with artists, the opportunities to get your tracks out there have never been greater, but on the downside, so have the chances of getting lost in the noise. So, how do you get noticed? Well, here’s where the electronic press kit, or EPK, comes in.
Alongside other marketing strategies, a well-thought-out EPK that reflects who you are as an artist in an engaging, straightforward way can be just the thing to take you that extra mile when it comes to getting the attention of music industry pros.
What is an EPK and why do I need one?
The electronic press kit is your business card, your resume, and your website landing page all in one — this is the document you’ll send to people like journalists, booking agents, promoters, and basically everyone in the professional world you want to get in contact with. It’s the first impression the industry pros will have of you, even before listening to your music, so think of it as a way to hook them into your world.
Can I make my own EPK?
In short, yes! Sure, there are many services out there that will make one for you for something like $5 a month. But if you have some design know-how and do your research as to what an EPK should contain and look like, there’s no reason you wouldn’t be able to make your own with a platform like EPK Builder, for example.
What does an EPK include?
Artist Bio
Written in third-person, a short artist bio should include crucial, honest information about who you are as a person and an artist. Be concise, but be sure to tell people who you are, why you do what you do, and what you stand for; show them your personality and values.
When it comes to your music, write about your style, genre, and inspirations: not just in general, but for this specific album or single. Again, be concise: remember they’ll be listening to your music later, so no need to over-deliver here.
Finally, if you’ve received any awards, grants, or you have a song that went viral with particularly impressive streaming stats — this is where you should let them know. Finish off strong, with a highlight reel of your achievements so far, and leave an impactful first impression.
Photos
You can include both photos of you or your album or single’s artwork; we leave the creative direction up to you. But be sure to sprinkle these throughout the entirety of your EPK, so anyone receiving it remembers who you are and what your brand is.
These should be high-resolution, visually appealing images, not just to showcase your level of professionalism, but because these are the images which will be used for promotional purposes later on, so give these as much thought as you did your artist bio. Make sure to include photos in social-media-ready formatting that are easily downloadable, and think of how to best showcase your music in a visual way.
Videos
Whether these are music videos or Instagram reels, be sure to include what you have that you feel best represents your personality and the music you’re looking to promote. We know everyone is at a different stage in their career, and getting funding for a music video can be tricky, but if you have a great social media presence with compelling videos, this is something a journalist or a promoter would love to see! Embed them into your EPK and off you go.
Music
We’ve shown the industry who you are, now it’s time to back it up with the reason you’re doing all of this in the first place: the music. Embed links to the music you’re promoting, or if you’re working with an EPK builder website, upload your tracks to their own players. When it comes to your past releases, add Spotify links to the higher-streamed ones — yes, even if you prefer the one with the least amount of plays — showcase the tracks that are proven to be connecting with listeners.
Press Release and Mentions
Include a link to the specific press release for the album or single you’re promoting, inviting them into the world of the story you are telling with your music, allowing them to delve deeper into the meaning behind the tracks. When it comes to press mentions, add a few quotes from the most high-profile coverage reviews you may have gotten, and add links to the full articles.
Contact Details
Let them know how to reach you! If you don’t have one already, consider getting a specific email address for your professional ventures, add the contact details for any management or booking agents who might represent you, and of course, all of your social media links.
EPK Best Practices and Examples
- Get to the point and share interesting facts about your journey and music. Journalists and promoters see hundreds of EPKs a month, so ideally you should be able to grab their attention from the very first look at your EPK.
- Make sure your formatting is clean and easily navigable, look at examples like these and pay attention to how they organize their information — everything is clear, readable, and concise, while remaining visually interesting and unique
- Add tour dates if you have them. Add names of venues, a link to where to get tickets, and consider adding links to past tour dates, especially if you’ve opened for bigger artists — this could boost your credibility for future booking opportunities.
- Follow up. If you haven’t gotten a reply after sending out your EPK, don’t be afraid to send a polite email checking in. People are busy, after all, and emails occasionally get buried under the barrage of daily correspondence.
- Update your EPK with every new release: add new press clippings, music videos, and promotional pictures that go along with it.
Here you can find three great examples of how an EPK should look and what it should include, from artists who’ve mastered the art of digital marketing to promote and showcase their music:
How to Share Your EPK
Send a link to your EPK to all relevant music industry professionals in your network, depending on your goals, of course. Do you want to book gigs? Do you want magazines to review your latest single? Have clear objectives, and draw up a plan based on them.
Don’t copy and paste email introductions, but try to find out exactly who you are sending your email to and personalize it. Even better, if you have a contact who knows and can introduce you to this third-party industry professional over email, definitely pursue that avenue and call in those favors! A personal introduction can make all the difference when it comes to breaking the ice of “cold-emailing.”
EPK Frequently Asked Questions
How to format an EPK?
Make it web-based and easily readable: whether you choose to host it on a platform like Sonicbids, Bandzoogle, or EPK Builder, or on your own artist website — check if you can open your EPK on mobile without any issues through a simple link, without having to download anything.
Look at the EPK examples we shared, and if you choose to make it yourself, go on a platform like EPK Builder and play with the design options using the examples as a template for how your EPK should look like. At the end, double check to see if you haven’t forgotten anything, and connect with a music industry professional in your network for feedback.
How to create an EPK for free?
Register for free on a platform like EPK builder and get to work with the tips above, or if you already have an artist website, work on designing a new page without having to create a new account on another platform.
What does a good EPK look like?
A good EPK should be a concise, visual representation of your music, work, and personality as an artist, containing all the information necessary for professionals who may want to promote or book you: from a bio that shares your journey to a few promotional shots that let your reader know exactly who you are before they even play your songs, it should be easy to read through, enticing, and attention grabbing.
Join Xposure Music and gain access to some of the best music industry professionals in the U.S. Top experts from Sony, Columbia, Def Jam, or Universal have already joined our platform, and they’re ready to give invaluable, on-point feedback on your work, which can help you land that dream record deal or publishing deal you’ve been working towards. Sign up now and reap the rewards.
If you’re looking to kickstart your music career but have limited resources, we can help you get funding for your next project while staying in control of your own work and career trajectory. You keep 100% ownership of your masters and get an advance ranging from $1,000 to $3 million to get your career off the ground. Get an estimate now and start turning your dream into reality.
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