Electronic Press Kit – Make Your EPK Stand Out

Make your Electronic Press Kit stand out from the rest by following this handy guide where we’ll tell you what an Electronic Press Kit is, how to make it your own, and how to make it stand out from the rest of the musicians out there.

It has never been easier AND harder for you to get your music heard because there are just so many platforms available which has listening audiences spread out. You can easily upload your music to Soundcloud or a distribution service like Distrokid, but promoting your music requires more effort.

Part of that effort involves reaching out to blogs, labels, and music venues if you intend to perform or DJ your songs to a live audience.

Aside from your actual music, the Electronic Press Kit is the most valuable tool you will need in your musician’s toolbelt. Continue below as we explain what exactly an Electronic Press Kit is.

What is an Electronic Press Kit?

An Electronic Press Kit, or EPK, is a collection of all the essential information about you as a musician. Consider it one part resume and one part media portfolio. It is where you will describe what makes you unique, show images of yourself to establish a vibe, and display your best music to be heard. You can add tour dates for future or past shows, videos of you performing, music videos, list your achievements, and share your plans for the future.

Anyone looking at your EPK should able to understand who you are, where you have been recently, and where you are going as a musician. It is where you can tell your story to the people who can put you and your music out in the world.

To create a successful EPK you must clearly present your brand, express your musical identity, and demonstrate your artistry. Lucky for you, there are more platforms than ever to build your EPK on.

Where to Make an EPK

Traditionally, Electronic Press Kits were delivered via email in PDF form. Then, the next simplest option is to have all relevant files in an online drive like Dropbox or Google Drive that you can share.

As the internet has grown so entrenched into daily life you now have an abundance of resources. There are services like  SonicBids, Reverb Nation, Adobe Spark, Squarespace, and Wix that offer tailored experiences for designing an EPK.

SonicBids and Reverb Nation are useful services if you don’t feel like building a website, they both provide spaces for uploading media and entering information (bio, shows, etc.).

 

 

Reverb Nation and SonicBids have useful tools for musicians like analytics on your social media and the ability to engage with people listening to your music on their website. Both are similar and they each have other services like band postings and applications for gigs held nationwide.

Don’t know which to choose?

If you utilize a service you may gain benefits like being able to connect to a larger built-in user base, but if you create your own website you will have full control over the look and feel of your EPK.

What to Include

Your EPK needs to include your music AND reasons people should pay attention to what you do. Below is a list of what to include in your EPK, you can follow the order presented but don’t feel like it is written in stone. The way you present this information can be flexible and depends on your personal style and branding.

Music

First and foremost is your music. This is what you are offering to a majority of the world. Not everyone will be able to see you perform in a given city, but anyone across the globe can listen to your music.

Choose your top few songs and make them available to play. If you aren’t sure then check your streams/downloads/sales, anything to give you an idea. Have any fan feedback? Use that. At the end of the day make your best guess. Your music will be the first thing to shape people’s opinion of you.

Biography

Make sure your biography is concise and clear. You can have different lengths for your biography but for your EPK try to keep it under three paragraphs. The exercise here is to be able to explicitly and quickly tell the reader who you are, what you’re about, what you’ve done, and what you plan to do. It probably won’t be easy at first, but time is all we have.

Your biography should feature a brief and relevant history. You don’t need to tell your life story, but it is important to tell them your story. As you grow further into your career and gain more experience you will reach a point where it is better to list your accomplishments and your vision for the future.

Why does this matter? Your biography should give an idea of your work ethic, and represent who you are as an artist. Part of being an artist is telling a story, and your story matters. If your story doesn’t seem that interesting to you then focus on the rest of your EPK expressing your image. First though, ask someone who knows you well what about you may be more interesting than you think.

Your accomplishments may include notable collaborations, bigger artists you’ve opened for or shared the stage with. Maybe you have won some awards or are even Grammy nominated. Remember that this is partly your resume. Your music, performances, and visual media show people how good you are at what you do, your bio tells them.

Everyone in this industry wants their job to be easier, and it is part of your job to make it that way. If someone’s job is booking you for a show or blogging about your music then you want to make that an easy decision for them. You EPK is instrumental in swaying them your way, and your biography is where you can express your vision.

Press and Testimonials

Press and testimonials play a big role in your success. Reviews, reviews, reviews. Blogs reviewing your music or music videos will help spread the word, and people attending your shows will too. Make a space in your EPK to list all the positive things that have been publicly said about you as an artist by the press.

These quotes will build up your reputation. Provide links to online reviews or interviews with you. If your song has been featured on any playlists or mixes this could be a place to share this as well.

Visual Media

Your EPK must include artwork, logos, photos, and/or videos of you. If your bio is where you tell your story, visual media is where you show it. Professional photoshoots, shots from your friends, photos of you performing, or working in the studio are acceptable. Include a gallery on your website or a folder in your online drive.

It must be high quality – the standard is at least 1080 resolution, but most cameras can shoot up to 4k now. If you don’t know what that means read more here.

Some promoters will want images to use in their flyers or posters so if you have a logo make sure to include that. A vector file is necessary so it can be resized while retaining quality. Branding is more important than ever so make sure you are consistent.

Choose a color scheme for your brand. If your music is dark and heavy then blacks and neutral tones may be better than bright colors. Is it spacy and futuristic? Neon tones might fit better tha flat colors.

Music videos are some of the most effective pieces of visual media you can have. They can demonstrate your visual creativity, your brand, make your music more accessible, and are easier to write about. If you have a music video include it in your EPK. If you don’t, think about making one!

External Links

Whether your EPK is a website, hosted on a service, or a collection of files you must include links to any external platforms you can be found on. Links to social media (if your website doesn’t have a gallery), links to your website (if that isn’t already your EPK), and anywhere more info about your brand can be found.

Events and Tour Dates

If you already have experience performing in public then you should list that. Include event flyers or a simple list of the venues you have performed at. If you have upcoming shows make sure to list the venues and dates. This is important because it will show you how in demand you are. It will also show the possible audience you could attract.

Contact Info

This should be something you include in most of your correspondences even before your EPK is being shared. Name, email, and phone number are the most important. If you are directing people to a website then you can have a contact box. If you have a team behind you then include their contact info.

Conclusion

Your Electronic Press Kit needs to communicate your brand and your potential to attract attention. Why should people pay attention to what you do? Tell them and show them in your EPK. There are many ways to do it, and it is very important that you do it in a way that is true to your style. Check out these examples and let us know what you think, do you have an immediate understanding of their kind of vibe? Could you guess what kind of music they make before hearing it?

• Mikey Backpack – Producer and Live Performer
• Damon Steele – Producer and DJ
• Syntax – DJ and Producer (new music coming soon)

[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#d2d2d2″ size=”1″]

Want to make an EPK but don’t have the confidence in your musical skills yet? You can take DJ, Piano, Sound Design, and Music Production classes here at Beat Lab Academy. Click any of the links we just provided or click here for a general overview of what we offer.

[su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#d2d2d2″ size=”1″]