How to Create an EPK for Music Artists (+Templates)
Learn how to make an electronic press kit to impress bookers. Discover top tools to make a press kit for musicians and bands and get artist EPK templates.
Set as Preferred Source
The music scene has gone digital, and it’s changed how artists get noticed. No more mailing demos on tapes or CDs, hoping someone in a record label stumbles upon your talent.
But just because your music is online, doesn’t mean it’s getting the attention it deserves.
With a solid Electronic Press Kit (EPK), you can make sure the right people see the best of what you do, opening doors to amazing gigs and big-time exposure.
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how to create an electronic press kit that opens doors.
Let’s dive in!
What to include in an EPK?
- Biography: Briefly introduce yourself or your band, highlighting your musical style and significant achievements.
- Music samples: Include your best or most recent tracks to showcase your musical talent.
- High-quality photos: Provide professional images that can be used for promotions and articles.
- Videos: Add clips of live performances or music videos to display your stage presence and artistic style.
- Press coverage: Feature any notable mentions, reviews, or interviews to boost your credibility.
- Upcoming gigs: List any future performances or tours to show you are active and bookable.
- Contact information: Ensure it’s easy for media, bookers, or fans to reach out to you or your management.
- Social media links: Include links to your active social media profiles to increase your online presence.
- Press quotes: Highlight standout quotes from the media to emphasize public and critical reception.
- Technical rider: For performance bookings, detail your stage and technical needs.
- Next steps: Provide clear directions on how interested parties can proceed, whether it’s booking you, interviewing you, or collaborating on a project.
Here’s a great video on what you need to include in your EPK:
Where to find EPK templates that make you stand out
Building an EPK that really catches the eye of bookers and talent agents can eat up a ton of your time.
This means gathering all your materials in one spot, organizing them carefully, and making sure everything looks sharp and works smoothly.
Plus, if you’re using Google Drive to share your stuff, you’ve got to nail down those access permissions too, so the right people can see your work without any hiccups.
Whew, I got tired just typing it all out.
Interactive EPK templates save you time by removing all the guesswork. They’re built to include everything you might possibly need and optimized for engagement based on 100K+ presentation sessions.
Just grab one.
How to create an electronic press kit in 10 easy steps
When building your band media kit, there’s a real art to choosing what to include so you grab attention without overwhelming anyone—or worse, packing in all the right stuff but laying it out in a way that’s totally unreadable.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to craft an EPK that not only pops but gets you noticed and booked.
1) Spin a captivating bio that hooks readers
Everyone can listen to your tracks on Spotify or watch your videos on YouTube, but your EPK bio lets you frame your narrative your way.
Dive into the details that make your music journey unique—your inspirations, challenges, and what drives your creativity. It’s not just about what you create, but why and how you create it.
Remember, many journalists and media professionals will use your band press pack as a primary source for information about you. What they read here could shape how they talk about you in interviews, articles, and reviews.
So, seize this opportunity to set the tone and encourage listeners to connect with your story on a deeper level.
Great example of a bio slide:
2) Set the stage with password protection
Your artist EPK is your exclusive backstage pass to your career, meant for the eyes of promoters, journalists, and industry insiders—not for casual browsing.
Josiah Garrett, a seasoned musician and producer, suggests making it an “invisible” page on your website—accessible only via a direct URL and not visible through normal navigation.
Another option is setting up password protection. This way, you safeguard your high-quality content from piracy and create a buzz of exclusivity.
3) Include high-resolution images
Include a mix of high-resolution photos that show you in action—on stage, in the studio, and behind the scenes. These images should tell a story of their own, showcasing your personality and the energy of your performances.
Ensure they are pre-cropped for different media uses, making it effortless for promoters to feature you.
4) Select your soundtrack thoughtfully
You need to think about what the goal of your EPK is. Do you want to get more gigs? Choose tracks that get the crowd hyped. Trying to promote an album? Pick songs that best represent your new work.
When you’re sending your EPK as an email, you’ve got to be mindful about not overloading it with too many files—it could end up crashing someone’s computer or filling up their inbox.
The beauty of interactive formats is that you can embed a sleek, user-friendly music player directly in your EPK.
Plus, by including downloadable links, you make it super easy for media folks to use what they need, showing that you respect their time and work.
To make your EPK stand out, consider adding an interactive element like an online visualizer. While integrated into your EPK, it can provide a dynamic representation of your music, which allows viewers to see your tracks in a visually engaging format, which can be more memorable than just audio alone.
Example of a deck with embedded playlists:
5) Show your stage presence with videos
Videos are your chance to bring your stage presence to life right from the screen. They capture the excitement and connection you create on stage—something that words and photos just can’t match.
Include clips that highlight how you vibe with the crowd, the energy of your performances, and any unique show elements that make you stand out.
Music videos are especially great for showing off your professionalism and the creative vision behind your work. A well-produced video can really up your game in the industry’s eyes and help you make a memorable impression.
Example of a deck with an embedded video:
6) Showcase your Unique Selling Points
In the competitive music industry, simply blending in doesn’t cut it. Promoters and venue owners look for artists who can draw large crowds and generate excitement. What makes you unique?
Take Taylor Swift, for example. She might look like your typical singer-songwriter, but her real magic lies in how she tells a story that hits home for so many people. That’s why she fills arenas.
What’s your unique element? Is it your genre-blending sound, your narrative-driven tracks, or the unforgettable energy of your live performances?
Make sure to spotlight these unique bits in your artist electronic press kit. These are the things that make your music uniquely yours, and they’re exactly why someone should bet on you.
7) Highlight press mentions and achievements
Now’s your chance to show off a bit—think of this as the highlight reel of your music journey.
Got a track that’s hit over 100,000 streams? Awesome, mention it! Managed to get a rave review from a well-known music blog? Make sure that’s front and center.
This section of your EPK goes beyond just ticking off your accomplishments; it’s about showcasing your growing impact and credibility in the music industry.
Also, keep in mind the music industry is quite tight-knit and word travels fast.
Ralph James, a veteran booking agent and a name in the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, puts it sharply:
8) Update regularly with fresh content
An effective press kit for musicians is a living document. Regularly refresh your content to reflect new releases, recent gigs, and current press features.
This not only keeps your EPK relevant but also encourages return visits, offering your audience something new with each click.
9) Link to your extended universe
Provide links to your social media, music streaming platforms, and any other online presence. This allows interested parties to dive deeper into your work, following your updates and becoming part of your community.
10) Make connections easy and invite action
Clearly display contact information for yourself and your team. Whether it’s for booking, collaborations, or press inquiries, make reaching out as simple as possible.
After all, a good story compels its readers to engage, and your EPK should do the same.
You can also end your EPK on a high note by including a smart Call to Action (CTA), like embedding a calendar directly into the deck. This means that people can book a meeting with you straight away without ever leaving your EPK.
Example of a next steps slide:
EPKs are typically sent to venues, promoters, booking agents, and talent scouts who focus on your music genre. Make sure to personalize it depending on who you’re sending it to—highlight your strengths and fit their specific needs for live acts or new talent.
EPKs are usually sent via email. If you’re using a static PDF format, ideally keep the file size under 10MB to ensure it’s easy to open and doesn’t clog up people’s inboxes. For an interactive EPK, just share a direct link to an online version.
- Bandzoogle: Tailor-made for musicians, this platform lets you easily integrate your music, photos, and gig info right into your EPK. It’s handy for keeping everything in one spot and even selling your music and merch directly from your site.
- Sonicbids: This one is great for getting your EPK right into the hands of music promoters and booking agents. It’s got tools like a gig calendar and a connection to a huge network of music events, which can be super helpful.
- ReverbNation: Besides helping you build your EPK, ReverbNation lets you distribute your music and connect with both fans and industry folks. It also gives you useful analytics to see who’s checking out your EPK.
- Storydoc: Our builder steps up your EPK game by turning it into an interactive slideshow that really engages viewers. It’s a neat way to make your EPK stand out with sleek, scrollable content that tells your musical story in a dynamic way.
- Canva: Known for its flexibility, Canva is not just for businesses but can be a brilliant tool for musicians too. It allows you to create eye-catching EPKs with ease, even if you’re not a design pro, but it’s rather lacking in terms of interactivity.
- Wix Music: Perfect for integrating an EPK with your personal music website, Wix Music offers beautiful templates and the functionality to add music, videos, and even sell merch directly from your site.
The honest answer is that making a press kit for musicians can cost as much or as little as you want to.
To paraphrase Hugh McIntyre, a professional music journalist who has over a decade of experience writing for publications like Forbes and Billboard, the cost of creating a press kit has changed dramatically over the years.
Back in the day, you might have ended up spending anywhere between $500 and $2,000 to get a professional EPK ready—that’s no small change, especially back in 2008!
Luckily, things have changed for the better. These days, there are plenty of options that are much easier on the wallet. You can get started with Storydoc for free and then pay as little as $30 a month.
This shift is huge because it means you can now invest more in your music and less in just presenting it.
