10 Things to Include in an EPK That Stands Out

Your Electronic Press Kit (EPK) is your business card, resume, and social media master document. For artists, the EPK is a powerful marketing piece shared with various organizations when seeking press, placement, air time, bookings, and more, so it must be professional, polished, and complete. Today, I share tips on preparing your EPK and 10 things to include for an EPK that stands out.

In a perfect world, your EPK will live on your website. While this is not possible for everyone, depending on where you are in your musical career, there are other options for sharing your kit. You can share the critically important pieces of your EPK via PDF document with clickable links (I love these) or send a well-organized email with the necessary media pieces included in the body. 

10 Things to Include for an EPK That Stands Out

What you send from your press kit may change based on the message intent and what is required by the recipient, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking one size fits all when it comes to your press kit. Be prepared to make different versions or update your current EPK as needed.

Key Elements of a Successful EPK

Typically in an EPK, you can expect a few standard items. Below you will find a list of basic information that I like to receive as a music reviewer and music writer: 

1. Artist Bio: This artist biography should be short and sweet, tailored to the “job” you are trying to score. It should be written in the third person and include the artist’s stage name, where they are from, the genre of music they make, and career highlights relevant to the message/request/inquiry. I recommend a character limit of 1500 characters for this, keeping it in line with most streaming platform biography limits. 

2. Project Description: Keep it short and sweet. What is the project you are highlighting, and why?

3. High-Quality Professional Photographs: Yes, you will want to include a headshot at a minimum with photographer credits (if the photograph gets used in press). Include a photo of you performing or additional professional shots. These photographs should be clear/not blurry, well-lit, not have distracting backgrounds, and showcase you/the artist looking your/their best. The files should be named professionally (your artist name works here) and be part of the EPK or attached.  

4. Album Artwork: If submitting a specific song for review, publication, or discussion, include the artwork for the project with proper art credit (in case the recipient publishes it). 

5. Music Links: Include links to your music and artist profiles on the major platforms. If you submit or share an unreleased track, consider sharing a hidden link to a video or project. Carefully consider the trustworthiness of any recipients when submitting an MP4 file of your work.

6. Pre-Save Campaign Information: By sending out pre-save information with your EPK, you increase your chances of building your pre-save totals before release day. Whenever you have an upcoming release, include this link in your EPK along with a listed release date. 

7. Previous Press: Do you have write-ups about previous work, appearances, or accolades? Include links and descriptions to press and previous features that may be helpful to the recipient. 

8. Videos: Music videos are so much fun and a great way to show the artist’s personality in addition to their sound. If you have visuals for the work in consideration, include those links. 

9. Contact Information: Include the artist’s information or contact information for the necessary parties (social media manager, artist manager, booking agent, etc.). Include email, telephone, or other reliable methods of communication. Remember to be professional here and avoid any wild email addresses.

10. Social Media Information: Show off your massive (or growing) following, offer additional ways to contact the artist, and provide a means of tagging/sharing publicity if your submission is accepted. Include all active social media platform profiles, handles, and active links. 

Reminders:

• When attaching files, share a bulleted list of each inclusion and their file names so the recipient can easily navigate the attachments. 
• Proofread and get a second set of eyes to double-check your EPK before it goes live or you send it out.
• Check that all links work!
• Pair your EPK with a well-written email and a detailed, specific request. Why are you sending this EPK, and what do you hope will happen?
• If you are sending attachments or a single file EPK, remember to attach the PDF.

Examples

Check out some great EPKs from artists that I know and love:

1. Umraan Syed (housed on his website)
2. Mikyla Cara

Get Started!

Now, get started on your EPK or revamp an existing one! You have everything you need to get started or to boost the results of a previous version of your electronic press kit! 

Have you used these tips and inclusions? Share your wins in the comments below! 💋