Essential Elements of an Effective EPK
by Dave Cool
For music artists actively promoting a new album or looking to book more gigs, you’ll need to have a specific EPK or Press Kit section on your website to centralize information for media and bookers. With an EPK (Electronic Press Kit) page, they can quickly find all the details they need.
So here are the essential elements to include in your EPK:
Bio
Media and venues have different needs for bios, so it’s a good idea to include a few different versions (at least one short and one long) so that they can easily use the bio that works for them.
Photos
Include your official promo photos, with vertical and horizontal options, as well as black & white versions. Make them hi-resolution, and offer a variety of options, from live shots to posed band pictures. You can also include your album cover artwork for music reviewers.
Music
Have your latest music available to listen to, with a few tracks set up for free download. In case a reviewer wants your full album, include clear information on who they can contact to get a copy. You can also include links to Spotify or Apple Music so they can listen on their preferred streaming platform.
Video
Embed a few of your best videos to encourage your EPK readers to watch a high-quality video that best represents your band. Include a video of a live performance as well to give bookers an idea of what your live show is like.
Press/reviews
Of course, you’ll need to add some press to your Press Kit. Post links to your best reviews and interviews alongside the best quote from each review. Include the logos of the media sources next to each quote for a nice visual touch.
Notable achievements
If you’ve won any awards, charted on radio, had your songs placed in movies/TV/ads, had success on streaming platforms, or performed at noteworthy festivals or conferences, include this information in your EPK.
Contact
Include detailed information on how to get in touch with you, your publicist, or booking agent. You can also add your social media links so bookers and media can quickly check out your social profiles. But don’t overdo it, you can just list the social platforms that you’re most active on.
This guest post from Dave Cool is an excerpt from Bandzoogle’s free online guide How to make a website for your music
Dave Cool (yes, his real name) is the Director of Artist & Industry Outreach at music website platform Bandzoogle. A former punk rock drummer, Dave has spoken at dozens of conferences including SXSW, CMW, and SF Music Tech, and has been interviewed by The Economist and the Financial Post about the music industry.
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