Last updated on March 25th, 2022
Let’s say this loud, and say it proud.
Every musician in search of new opportunities needs to have a well-crafted EPK.
What is an EPK? It’s shorthand for Electronic Press Kit. It’s a single document or webpage dedicated to hosting a complete, multifaceted promotional snapshot of your music and all that it represents.
Of course, your audio – that is, the music itself – will have a home on your EPK. However, that is only the beginning; your EPK exists to be a world of multimedia for music industry tastemakers – including members of the media, promoters, and even managers and publicists – to explore, as they consider you for opportunities to further your career.
In this article, we will cover the components that go into a comprehensive EPK, including:
- Developing a strong artist bio.
- Getting your music ready for consumption.
- Including high-quality visuals that are on-brand to you.
- Providing press clippings (reviews, features, interviews, etc.) from digital media outlets.
- Where to host your EPK.
- Sample artist EPKs currently online.
Let’s dig into the specifics, shall we?
Creating Your Story by Developing an Artist Bio
Your EPK is an opportunity to present who you are – not only as a musician, but as a citizen of Earth. However, before you show people what you’re all about, it’s a good idea to put it into words.
And so, you will want to develop your artist biography, in order to describe the essence of what makes you, you. This is the first step that will set you apart from all of the “Singer-songwriters from Anywhere, USA” – or, from anywhere else in the world – attempting to stand out among the masses.
Your bio is an opportunity to connect your authentic story and values to your audience, while bringing your professional achievements and ambitions to light. It’s important to list out the things you’ve accomplished, but don’t stop there: think about the messages you want to put into the world, and how you best connect to the world around you. Then, roll it into a clear, concise story that represents the real you. After all, being real is where the true artist-to-audience connection comes from!
(Once you’ve gotten your story straight, be sure to include it on your Muze profile. And, if you still need a Muze profile, you can get started over here!)
The Music: Your Sonic Business Card
While there is so much that goes into building an artist brand these days, we can’t forget that it’s the music that brought us to the dance in the first place. Therefore, if you’re going to put something out, it is imperative to make that project the best quality that it can be, using the resources currently at your disposal.
Keep your goals in mind during this process. If your goal is to secure groundbreaking opportunities, the quality of your work – and, of your EPK in general – has to be at the level of those who have achieved what you desire. For instance, if you’re a pop artist, you are in direct competition with the Taylor Swifts and Lady Gagas of the world. You’re not up against the cover band down the road, and your work should reflect that.
How can you ensure that it does? Here are a few tips:
- How does it hold up among its contemporaries who already have the market share? Could you imagine hearing it seamlessly next to those contemporaries on a playlist or a radio station?
- Feedback is important, so be open to peer review. Get input from folks within the industry whose opinions you respect. Along with that, be open to change, based on the feedback you receive. Any project is seldom perfect on the first try!
- Speaking of feedback: if you’re looking for more people to provide it, you can find them right here on Muze. Are you signed up?
Once your music is ready to go, you’ll want to make it available on your EPK – even if it isn’t officially released. In fact, it’s wise to have a way for industry tastemakers to preview the tracks before they are available to the public. You can do this by uploading the tracks to SoundCloud, a private YouTube link, or even a Dropbox folder. Just make sure that, when you hit “Send,” you let the recipient know that these unreleased tunes are for their ears only.
Visuals: Photos, Videos, Graphics, and All
Remember the first section, where we talked about storytelling? Well, in the digital age, storytelling takes place beyond words. In many ways, visual storytelling is just as important – if not more so – than the words you choose.
No matter your aesthetic, your visuals should reflect you and your story in a flattering light. That means making sure everything is of the highest possible quality, based on the resources you have available.
If you or a friend can do professional quality work, you’re already ahead of the game. If there are any areas where you or your friends are not skilled, professionals are always available to provide their services. And, if you’re not sure where your visuals stand – or, you would like feedback – why not upload them to your Muze dashboard and get input from your friends and colleagues?
Not sure where to begin altogether? Here are some things to consider when devising the plan of attack for your visual branding.
- Photography: Fits your style, fits your budget, fits your brand.
- Graphics: Is there a distinctive look and feel to everything you do, to where it’s instantly recognizable as “you”?
- Video: Does the content fit the mood/energy of a particular song?
- Social media: How do you use your platforms to deliver an on-brand, cohesive message and build community, while remaining authentic to your vision?
Don’t Forget: Include Some Press Clippings!
An EPK is also a great place to include previous media coverage you have received from blogs, podcasts, radio stations, and more. Including high-quality press coverage from reputable sources will help you boost credibility — especially early on in your musical journey — which will help you land more opportunities to be seen and heard across the industry.
Where Should You Host Your EPK?
You can build and host an EPK on most template-based web hosting services. Bandzoogle is a comprehensive web hosting platform geared toward musicians, featuring various packages, customizable options, and promotional features.
Wix is also highly customizable, with hundreds of freeform options – however, you’ll want to make sure that you know your stuff from a design standpoint. You’ll also want to check your formatting across Wix’s desktop and mobile editors – sometimes, items that appear in one place on the desktop editor will appear out of order (or otherwise out of cohesion) on mobile. It’s best to design each manually.
If all of this sounds intimidating, never fear: there are plenty of professional content creators who can help you craft your EPK and make sure all of the components we detailed above flow seamlessly. They might even be among you in the Muze app. There’s only one way to find out, and that is to sign up!
