A press kit, also known as electronic press kit or music EPK, is a great way to share your music and identity with music industry professionals.
Is your track, EP, or album ready or already released? A good press kit is your ally! With compelling music and a unique story for your project, you can increase your chances at getting meaningful exposure. In this article, we’ll show you how creating a press kit can both push you to know more about your own project, and make your project even more attractive to media outlets.
1. What is a press kit?
Press kits (“Media kits”) have been integral to artists’ marketing strategies for decades. A press kit, or electronic press kit (EPK) if it’s digital, is a strategic promotional tool you can use to make a good first impression with media contacts, journalists, bloggers, and others in the music industry. It allows you to showcase your project as part of a holistic marketing strategy. It is a critical tool for promoting an EP release, album, etc., especially for independent artists.
What is your story and how are you going to tell it? A press kit helps you do this, starting with storytelling, or narrative communication. Your project is your story (or the one you choose to make your own), and people love stories because they are timeless. Your story will follow you everywhere, changing and evolving as you do. It’s the common thread the holds together the fabric of your musical projects.
The first words in your press kit are almost as important as the first musical notes in your songs. You must immediately hook your readers to keep reading. Your media kit should starts with a title, a font, colors and a photo — that’s how you can quickly stand out. Put your strong points forward, but keep a little bit of mystery to keep media outlets wanting more. Though creating media kits may seem like a daunting task for some artists, if you view it as a creative outlet for self-expression, it can be an enjoyable way of presenting who you are. The idea is to create a whole universe around your music. Your press kit readers won’t just be listening to your music; they’ll be listening to you.
Keep in mind that this tool is not for your fans, but for pitching to the music industry. Therefore, it must have all the information that a media, label, publisher, radio, touring company, music influencer, etc. would need to know.
It’s also essential that you personalize the EPK for who you send it to. Be strategic: who is your audience and what do you expect from each person? We encourage you to first write down who your target audience is and what your goals are. This will help guide you in creating both your media strategy, and the press releases you send. If you’re ever not sure of whether to include something in your media pack, look back at your target audience and goals, and ask yourself whether what you’re including is in service of your goals as a musician. Once your press kit is ready, review it thoroughly before sending it to all your contacts. Remember that you are addressing individuals who have different sensibilities, tastes, and professions, so the better you can cater to each person, the better-received your press-release will be.
Magon – Press Kit
| Read also: Find an Audience for Your Music: 7 Tips for Musicians to Boost Your Visibility
2. What should you put in a press kit?
A question we often receive is how to create the most impactful press kit. Make sure your layout is easily readable and the content is enjoyable to consume. Your press kit should contain your biography, professional photos of you in the context of your project, your music (be careful which media player you use, ideally a SoundCloud or YouTube link is best so that everyone can listen), clips/live videos (high quality), your most notable pieces of press coverage, important concert dates (upcoming or past shows), prizes won, contact information, and any other relevant information. Write about all the people who worked on the project, from those who helped with the production, to those who supported the work in other capacities.
To have the most effective messaging, prioritize information in your EPK in order of importance. This means putting your best press coverage and opportunities at the top.
Videos: If you have a videos recorded of live sessions or interviews you’ve done, it’s important to showcase them. Make sure you establish the difference between live recordings and live sessions (prepared for a media outlet → sofar, kexp, etc.). If the files of your videos are too heavy, use Dropbox or YouTube links to keep the visual and audio contents of the video high quality.
Press coverage: You should also add the press coverage (digital-media & on-paper) that paints you in the best light! Don’t forget to include screenshots, photocopies or scans of the best coverage you’ve received as evidence. Mention any radios you’ve been featured on, and save blog articles for last.
Concerts: List your upcoming and past concerts, limiting to professional live shows (if possible).
Contact information: Make sure to including the following…
- Links to your social networks
- Links to your streaming platforms
- Your email address
- Your telephone number
For online resources to make an electronic press kit, we recommend making an account on Canva. Canva is a document design tool that allows you to make a nice-looking press kit easily and for free. You can also check out other options like the tool Indesign (which requires more skill), or you can look into hiring a graphic designer (though this requires more money).
| Read also: A Guide to Internet Monitoring and Media Relations Follow-Up For Your Music
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3. Who should write your biography for your EPK?
There’s no single right answer for this — just because it’s your biography doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be the one to write it. If you have strong writing skills and are excited to write it, go for it! However, if you don’t feel comfortable writing it yourself, it’s perfectly reasonable to ask someone else to help. Just make sure you give them enough information to reflect you in the way you’d like to be seen! When someone else is responsible for telling your story, it’s also a good way to learn about the impressions people get about you and your music.
In terms of pricing for help with news releases, newsletters, etc., it can vary. For a volunteer journalist whose job mainly comprises of blogging on media sites, the price may cost around $100. For a national press journalist, it may cost closer to $1,000.
No matter whether you write it alone or pay someone else to help, you should ultimately make sure your biography…
- Is concise, and doesn’t dwell too much on your personal life
- Conveys the atmosphere and the intentions of your project
- Is proofread by at least one other person, and is checked for spelling and grammatical mistakes
EPK – Who should write your biography for your electronic press kit ?
| Read also: How to write a good biography to promote your music?
4. Are you afraid that you don’t have enough to show off yet in your EPK?
Don’t panic! It’s absolutely fine to start with a one-pager to present the project; after all, concision can be a benefit!
On this page, it’s imperative to have a press photo (a quality photo that provides a visual representing your musical world), your name, your biography, one or more link(s) to your social networks and listening platforms (a Smart Link, for example), and radios and articles, if you have any.
If you already have a team you’re working with (label, publisher, etc.), make sure you mention them at the very top of the page as well.
Remember to be creative, especially in this small format!
5. The final step for the perfect electronic press kit
Never forget that your music is the priority! Build up your project slowly if you have to, but with intention!
Now, what should you do with your press kit to get more media coverage, public-relations success, and credibility in the music industry? You can put it on your website, and use it to contact labels, publishers, bookers, managers. We recommend that you avoid sending your press kit spontaneously to media and radio stations, as it is better to wait until they ask you for it.
You can also use Groover to contact media and radio stations who can give you exposure and write articles about your project, allowing you to expand your press kit and continue to contact increasingly important influencers in the music industry. Whether you’re looking for traditional media outlets, digital-only platforms, radio stations, labels, or other music and media experts, Groover has you covered.
| Read also : Five things you should know before giving an interview
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