The 8 things that should be in every band's electronic press kit
By Julia Kater of Bandzoogle Blog
People with many different roles will visit your music website. Your fans might visit to read your latest news or learn about your new music. Event bookers might check out your performance history posted on your website, and watch videos of you playing. Media professionals might use your website to compile promotional material about your career.
No matter who is visiting, you’ll want to be sure they can easily find what they’re looking for. Creating a digital press kit, or a Onesheet EPK, directly on your website is a surefire way to provide everything venue bookers and media outlets need.
What is an electronic press kit?
An EPK, or electronic press kit, is a digital version of the promotional packages that musicians once mail out to venues, festivals, or talent buyers. Musicians can use their EPKs to book shows, generate buzz for upcoming album releases, and share their music with bloggers and journalists. A press kit can expand and grow as your career progresses, or can be updated or adjusted with each new music release.
What should be in an EPK?
You’ll want to tailor your press kit to your purpose, and include materials that best showcase your music career. Overall, an effective Onesheet EPK should include everything the press needs to highlight your new music or project.
Let’s take a closer look at the material you need to put in your press kit. These suggestions apply whether you're creating a new EPK from scratch, or updating an existing press kit:
1. Artist bio
Start your press kit with a strong musician bio. Placing your bio at the top of the page is an effective way to introduce yourself to promoters or venues when they open your music EPK.
Write a few sentences that explain who you are, your genre of music, and a recent accomplishment. Think of this as your elevator pitch, the quick way you would introduce yourself in person. Keep in mind that bookers and festivals often have different word limits for bios. If you’re booking or advancing a lot of shows, it's smart to include bios of various lengths:
- Elevator pitch (1-2 sentences)
- Short bio (1 paragraph)
- Medium bio (2+ paragraphs)
- Long bio (3+ paragraphs)
To keep your EPK clean and organized, you can add these versions of your musician bio as downloadable files. Alternatively, include a medium-length musician bio directly on your EPK page, with the first paragraph crafted as a standalone pitch, knowing that someone may copy and paste only part of it.
2. Promotional photos
The next essential element in your musician EPK is high-quality photos. Your press kit should include a variety of images in different styles and sizes to meet the needs of different promoters, reviewers, and media outlets.
Include a mix of posed band photos and a few live shots that capture your performance energy and style. If you’re promoting a new album, add photos that match the visual aesthetic of that release, along with the album artwork.
For sizing, it’s smart to include:
- Vertical and horizontal images
- At least one black and white option
- A horizontal image with some space around the subject (to allow for cropping on social media or media websites)
- A square or easily cropped portrait image that can easily be cropped (great for stories or social feeds)
Build an electronic press kit you're proud to share with the music industry by starting with a clean and easy-to-navigate template, then customize your layout using tools designed for musicians.
These photo options will cover most industry needs, whether someone wants to learn about you, promote your music, or advertise an upcoming show. To save space in your EPK, display thumbnails and link them to high-resolution downloads.
+Read more: "How to Build a Fan Base: the Science-Backed Strategy Most Artists Overlook"
3. Music
Since your EPK represents your musical identity, select your strongest and most popular tracks to include. A promoter or music supervisor may be hearing your music for the first time, and they might only listen to the first track or two, so make sure to lead with songs that best showcase your sound and talent.
Your digital press kit should include a music player that allows full-track playback, with a simple, one-click option to start listening. Also, add a short description of your music to give context. This could highlight an upcoming album, a standout single, or the vibe of your overall sound if you’re featuring multiple tracks.
By doing this, you're giving journalists or reviewers a starting point to describe your sound, in your terms. You can write this yourself or include a quote from a reviewer, DJ, or fan that captures your style well.
You can also create a dedicated EPK specifically for promoting a new album or single release. This focused version is perfect for building buzz and grabbing attention around a specific project.
4. Video
Media sites often embed artist videos to make articles more engaging, and venues and festivals like to feature video content to promote artists they’ve booked.
Include a few of your best music-related videos in your digital press kit to make it easy for promoters and journalists to find and share your high-quality content. Regularly update your EPK by adding new videos and removing outdated ones to ensure you’re showcasing your most recent, or most relevant, work.
If you’re using your EPK to book shows, include live performance videos so talent buyers and promoters can see and hear you in action. If you’re creating an EPK to promote a new album, adding a lyric video or official music video for a lead single from the album is a great way to generate interest and excitement around your release.
5. Press and reviews
While sharing good press on social media is great, your EPK should have a dedicated section for showcasing reviews and media coverage. This shows that there's already a story around your music, and gives music programmers, journalists, and presenters a convenient place to see it all in one spot: on your EPK.
Positive reviews add credibility and create incentive for people to listen. Articles that highlight your live performance can also help you land even bigger and better gigs.
Remember: the goal of your EPK is to give a clear sense of who you are without overwhelming the reader. Pull the best quote from each review and include the source along with a link to the full article beneath it. This keeps your press section impactful, scannable, and easy to explore further.
+Read more: "11 Music Distributors Beyond the Usual Suspects"
6. Highlights and musical achievements
One of the goals of a music press kit is to present yourself professionally, like a musical resume. So it should include key highlights from your career so far. This helps frame your music or live show in a positive context and gives anyone visiting your EPK a clearer picture of who you are and what you've accomplished.
Examples of musical achievements might include awards or nominations, radio airplay, success on streaming platforms, or significant YouTube views. If you’ve supported a major act on tour or played notable festivals, be sure to include that information in this section of your music EPK.
The purpose of this section is to generate buzz, whether it’s around you as a performer or your latest release. Focus on your biggest and most relevant accomplishments, and remember to update this section regularly as your career evolves.
7. Social and streaming links
While your EPK is a key tool for telling your story, your social media presence helps to paint a fuller picture. Be sure to include links to your most active online platforms in your press kit, especially the ones that best represent you and your music right now.
If your goal is to highlight streaming success or promote a new release, you can focus on streaming links alone. Or, if you have a strong presence on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, include these as well to give playlist curators a sense of your engagement and audience.
+Read more: "We Stopped Waiting to Be Chosen and Mailed 100,000 CDs Instead"
8. Contact information
Clear contact information is a crucial part of any EPK. Make it easy for media, bookers, and talent buyers to reach you by keeping all contact details in one accessible place. You can use a contact form or simply include an email address, just be sure it’s easy to find.
If you have a team, you can list individual contact details for your booking agent, manager, or publicist. If you're handling everything yourself, include your main email or preferred contact info for press and booking inquiries.
As a professional artist, it's important that you make a music website that includes all of your songs, merch for sale, and information about you. An EPK for your music should be a central part of that. Think of it as a snapshot of your latest music or project, all summed up on one page.
Building a band EPK with the right elements can help you book more gigs and make it easier for media and music journalists to promote your music. Be sure to update your press kit regularly as your sound and performances evolve, and this will go a long way in supporting your career growth.
Additional resources
Now that you know what to include in a band press kit, you can build one quickly and easily with Bandzoogle, or add an EPK page to your full musician website.
- Creating an EPK. A step-by-step guide to help you get started
- How to create an EPK using a template. Find a template and easily add your content
- How to create an EPK for your music (with examples!). Perfect if you're pitching to radio, reviewers, or playlist curators
- Website design inspiration: best electronic press kits. Explore real artist examples to inspire your EPK design
