When you’re critical about your music profession, it is best to create an Digital Press Equipment. It seems to be skilled. It helps inform your story. And it might probably enable you get gigs and music opinions.
What Is an Digital Press Equipment?
An Digital Press Equipment (EPK) is a digital promotional bundle you’ll be able to ship to venues, festivals, and other people within the press. It’s normally one thing hosted in your web site on a web page not proven within the menu – it’s only for the recipients you ship it to and never your followers.
An EPK is an effective way to offer music business folks a easy overview of who you’re, what your music seems like, your story, and why they need to care about you.
Who Wants an EPK?
The brief reply is, each musician. Particularly in the event you’re unbiased as a result of it might probably assist your “legitimacy” within the eyes of the venues and press folks.
Historically, bodily press kits have been used primarily by performing musicians. They’d mail them out to venue managers, music evaluate publications, festivals, and so on. However these days, EPKs are good for any type of musician, not simply performers.
Right here’s how an EPK advantages musicians based mostly on their profession targets:
- Performing musicians: a brief and easy strategy to share your music, efficiency historical past, performing highlights, and any information the venue/competition requires.
- Recording artists: you’ll be able to create an EPK as a centralized supply for every part a press particular person might need to know concerning the launch, just like the idea, story behind its making, or any fascinating methods it was recorded.
- Artists in sync licensing: an EPK can provide sync licensing brokers and corporations a fast overview of you, any earlier placements you’ve gotten, and what different sync artists your music seems like.
How To Create a Good EPK
Above all, your EPK must be good wanting and simple to navigate. If it’s complicated and appears dangerous, that’s a poor first impression and should flip off some business professionals.
Whilst you ought to make your EPK genuine to you, there are a number of issues that must be in your EPK…
Your artist bio
Your EPK wants an fascinating story of who you’re and the place you got here from.
Begin with a couple of sentences that present who you’re, any fascinating features of your background, the kind of music you make, and your largest accomplishment. That is like your elevator pitch.
Subsequent, you’ll be able to write a bio that goes somewhat deeper, one which’s about 1-2 paragraphs lengthy. Final, create a extra in-depth bio that’s about 3+ paragraphs.
Why have completely different size bios? As a result of completely different venues, festivals, and press folks typically have word-length necessities, so that you need to be prepared.
Right here’s a easy define you’ll be able to observe when writing your artist bio:
Introduction
Briefly introduce your self. Embody your stage title (if relevant) and your actual title. Describe your musical style or type, specializing in the way it makes the listener really feel.
Background
That is the place you inform your story. What about your life and musical profession is fascinating and completely different from different artists? Present who you’re as an individual.
Musical Type
Describe your musical type in a novel manner and point out any influences. This may give folks a greater concept of what they’re about to listen to.
Accomplishments
Spotlight any notable achievements or milestones in your music profession. Embody awards, sync placements, or essential performances.
Present Tasks
Finish your bio by seeking to the long run. Point out what mission you’re presently engaged on, upcoming excursions, or another thrilling developments.
Skilled photographs
Smartphone cameras have gotten actually good, so you will get by with out hiring knowledgeable photographer. However in case you have somewhat little bit of a finances, it’s completely price it.
A photographer can get photographs you wouldn’t be capable to by yourself. They usually may also help carry out the facet of you that matches no matter vibe you need, no matter suits your music. It is best to ask for each horizontal, vertical, and sq. photographs, simply so you’ve gotten choices.
Your Music
Clearly, it’s essential to embrace your music. On the EPK web page of your web site, embed a participant so folks can stream your music whereas testing the remainder of the web page. But additionally embrace a downloadable model of the EPK that has hyperlinks to stream your music. Simply make it simple for the particular person to take heed to your music. That is an important a part of your EPK.
Movies
Embody any music movies or efficiency movies you’ve gotten. Music movies might present you’re critical about your profession, and efficiency movies will present venues and festivals what you supply.
Press and opinions
Press about you and opinions of your music assist present music business professionals that your music is price listening to. When revered music publications – or simply different folks usually – reward your music, it then turns into extra than simply you saying, “You could take heed to this!”
Profession highlights
Listing your profession highlights so folks can rapidly see what you’ve achieved. This could possibly be awards you’ve gained or been nominated for, spectacular streaming numbers, or a notable act you’ve opened for or toured with. Any massive accomplishment you’re pleased with, record it.
Social media and phone data
Together with hyperlinks to your social media profiles offers music business folks an opportunity to get to know you even higher. They’ll see you’re posting commonly and interacting with followers. When you’ve got an engaged viewers, that’s good for them as a result of it means you could possibly get folks to come back to a venue’s present or learn a music weblog’s evaluate of your music.
After which in fact, embrace your contact information. Ideally, knowledgeable electronic mail handle ([email protected]) and your telephone quantity.
Digital Press Equipment Examples
When you want some EPK examples, take a look at my EPK for my 2023 album and in addition this record of EPKs from Bandzoogle. Steal concepts and make them your individual!