It’s not always about the music. An artist or band has a story to tell. A story about how they got from A to B. How they had a vision of what they wanted to say and how they wanted to say it. With a band or an artist biography, you’ve got to convince the reader in a few lines why they should listen to your music, buy your music, and come to your shows. Easy right?
So you’ve written a bunch of songs, played a few shows, and started to get a name for yourself. So what next? Time to write your artist biography, because after all, people want to know your story. And sometimes you have to convince them in a few lines why your music is important to them. So how do you do that? How do you write an effective artist biography and improve your musical status so that you’ll convince people you’re the next big thing? Read on my friend.
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Are you looking to promote your music? ⬇️
1. How to write a Good Artist Biography?
We’ll break this section up into easy parts so you know what to put into your artist or band biography. You don’t have to be an expert writer either. Getting it right is like following a cake recipe. With all the right ingredients, in the right order, you’ll have a top-class biography.
This will change as you progress. It’ll get smoother and easier to write as you live your story. Following these steps will help you write your artist biography.
You’ll have to Write at least Three Biographies
Don’t panic, you’re not going to write three different stories. One story only. In various lengths.
- Start with the hardest. The big one. The full-length biography. Depending on your story this can be anything from around 750 to 1000 words. Perfect for your website or in your record sleeve.
- The second should be a medium-length biography. Shorten your main one to around 500+ words with the relevant points. Perfect for promoters, emails, press releases, labels, etc
- The last one should be around 100 to around 200 words which are the one for social media. Your best points in one or two paragraphs.
Write a Paragraph for Each Section
For each section of your artist biography, write a paragraph for each. This will make it easier for your reader to get what you’re about and learn about you as a band or artist.
2. Biography Structure
2.1 Intro Paragraph
This is the killer line. The definitive opener that hooks your reader into your band or artist biography. You need a well-written engaging introduction to hook your reader in. If you’re starting out, take a couple of bands or artists that you sound like or admire and put them together. Fleet Foxes meets the Black Keys at a hotel and parties. Or Self Esteem and Freddie Mercury’s adopted child take the musical reigns. Instantly, with this brief description, you’ll know how the music sounds. Try it yourself.
Once you’re further into your musical career, you might have a quote from a music journalist or another artist that makes you sound amazing. Use that as an opener.
| Also read: How to contact music media outlets, blogs, journalists with Groover
2.2 Give them some Background
How did it start? Was it a bunch of mates at the pub wanting to change the world? Perhaps you had the vision to turn music into art.
Follow your opening paragraph and write about the history of how you started out. With a background on how you got to where you are now. Also, make it interesting.
‘We got together over a few pints is a little boring. ‘After one crazy night of drinking and indulgence, we decided to change the world with our music’ sounds better.
2.3 Make sure you Mention your Achievements
Anything that you or your band achieves make sure you sing it out loud. Whether to highlight a favorable album review, a sold-out show at a popular venue, or a warming interview. Gently insert your accomplishments into your biography. People love to hear their favorite band or artist doing well.
2.4 Quotes and Testimonials
Hopefully, as a musical performer, you should be sparking the interest of your peers. Bloggers that love your album or a local radio DJ that keeps playing your songs. See if you can get a few quotes or a testimonial from their blog posts or radio mouths. And drop it into your bio. In the beginning, it might only be a local music blogger. As you progress through your career, you should collect more quotes and testimonials from the music-industry folk. Any influencers, radio DJs, promoters, and anyone that’s in the music industry wanting to praise your musical venture.
2.5 Keep your Information Up-to-date
The great thing about bios, especially if they’re online or a regular slot on your socials. Is that they can be frequently updated. In the last paragraph of your biography, you should talk about new shows, records, and events. You should climb the nearest hill and shout about any new gig or radio interview. Include anything significant. From local radio play to a blog that sings your praises.
| Also read: How to get your songs successfully on the air
3. Artist Biography Example Layout
To break it all down, you should set your biography like this. Into five easy paragraphs.
- Intro Paragraph
- Background and History
- Mention your Achievements
- Quotes and Testimonials
- Up-to-date Information
4. Best Artist Biographies Examples
Looking at popular band biographies there are a few that stand out. Take 90’s grunge phenomenon Nirvana. They have bullet points of the band’s history and timeline. Simple yet effective. Highlighting the band’s career highlights for all to see.
Electronic music pioneer ‘The Funk Hunters’ is a great example of a clean band biography. Intro hook, with history, achievements, and notable shows. A bit like my layout.
Hip Hop and 90’s Rave enthusiastic brothers, ‘Everyone You Know‘ has a nice little FAQ after a short bio. The FAQ leads you on a path to their music and videos. Nice.
The main thing about creating an artist bio is that you make it interesting. No vanilla content. Make it snappy and readable. If you’re not a pioneer of words and don’t want to learn how to write effective hooky words then hire a copywriter to give it some pizazz. They can revise your bio if you’ve tackled the writing process. Even just getting someone to proofread your bio can make a difference. Experiment and don’t be constrictive. Bend the truth but don’t lie. And you’ll form the perfect biography.
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