What is an EPK and how do you create one?

An electronic press kit (EPK) is a must-have for every artist. It helps you get the attention of the media and bloggers and introduce yourself to the industry.

In this article, we’ll cover what an EPK is, why you need one, what you should include, and how to best use it.

What is an electronic press kit?

An electronic press kit (EPK) a digital package where you put all important information about you and your music. Simply put: An EPK is the resume or CV of a musicians.

Your EPK can be a cloud folder in Google Drive, Dropbox, or any other provider, a simple website, or a single document. You can also use ‘link in bio’ tools to make your EPK attractive and easily accessible to your fans.

Music industry professionals review dozens of EPKs every day. So, it's crucial that you create one that stands out from the rest and catches their attention.

Why do you need an EPK?

Your EPK is a professional way of telling your story.

Having all the essential details about you in one place makes it easier for music industry professionals to learn more about you as well as promote you and your music.

You can use it as a general source of information for regular media requests, or to promote yourself or a new release.

What should be included in your EPK?

Several items that should be included in your EPK, such as:

Your artist bio

Your artist bio covers all the essential information about you. It helps people understand who you are and what kind of music you make. Your bio is probably even more important than your music since it’s hard to find a well-written biography about you anywhere else than directly from you. You know your story best. Make it appealing and meaningful. But keep it short and sweet. Journalists often have little time to read.

See how to write a compelling artist bio here.

Music

That’s the most obvious part of your EPK.

Your EPK represents your music.

Include your most popular tracks, as well as your current or upcoming releases.

You can either make your music available for download as an audio file or include a direct link to a streaming service. Streaming being the preferred option since it’s easily accessible. It’s also helpful to add some background information about the song so that journalists already have a starting point for describing your sound.

Photos

Photos help tell your story. They also give an idea of who you are as an artist.

Photos are often the first thing journalists see, so make sure you only add high-quality ones. These can be official press shots, photos from live gigs, in the studio, cover art, etc.

Videos

If you already have a music video or live footage from your gigs, include them in your EPK. Videos give insights into your personality, your sound, and your stage presence, and they attract the attention of bookers.

But keep in mind that videos can easily be re-used and shared online, so make sure they are of good quality.

Press quotes and reviews

Your EPK should have a section dedicated to articles and quotes from the media, bloggers, or promoters. The more the merrier.

They are a good way to describe your music. And they show that others are already talking about you, which gives you some credibility as an artist, especially when they're coming from well-known music reviewers or magazines.

Whenever reviews or other articles about you are published, save them so you can add them to your EPK later.

Tour dates

If you're going on tour, list all your current and upcoming shows in your EPK so that music industry professionals can go to your gig, promote it, or book you for a gig around their area.

Contact details and social media links

In addition to management contact details and press enquiries, you should also include links to your homepage and social media channels in your EPK. However, only choose the channels on which you are most active. A profile that is hardly used attracts no attention. You should also include links to your profiles on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, etc.

Highlights

You can include some highlights of your career, or achievements you're most proud of.

Have you been support band for a well-known band? Was your song played on a big radio station? Have you made it to important playlists or played a big festival?

Artwork

Music is art. Many artists value appealing design or exceptional artwork for their releases. Make the designs of your album or single cover directly available so that journalists can use them. If there is a story to go with the design, include it.

Credits

This is something often missing in EPKs, but it's a crucial point. Make sure to credit those who have worked with you. Such as the photographer who shot your promo photos, the designer of your album's artwork, the recording studio, the music video director, etc.

This will make it easier for journalists to find out who you worked with and also to add this information to their articles. But the most important point is: it highlights the people who have worked with you and for you.

You can either put all the info in one separate section of your EPK, or add it to the relevant section.

Don’t forget about design

When creating your EPK, use a design that speaks to you and represents your style and image as an artist. Not only your written content should be appealing, but also your visual design.

Keep your EPK up to date

It goes without saying: Always keep your EPK up to date.

When you release new music or go on tour, add this information to your EPK.

Clarify the legal side

Add a note that the material in your EPK may be used. For example:

"All images, texts, and videos contained in this Electronic Press Kit may be used free of charge by the press and by the artist's contractual partners in the context of reporting and promotion."

Also, check with anyone you have worked with if they agree to the use of their material, e.g. the photographer of your press photos or the designer of your album cover.

Sharing your EPK

Once you’ve gathered the information for your EPK, there are different formats for publishing it.

File hosting services

Instead of file formats such as PDF, which are static and not suitable for your EPK, file hosting services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or other providers are a good way to go to share your EPK. You can upload all the contents of your EPK to one folder, such as documents, press releases, photos, videos, etc., and share the link. But make sure to adjust the access settings, so anyone with the link can access the folder.

Website

As an alternative to the cloud, you can create a simple website that serves as your EPK. The advantage is that you can easily update the information at any time. Share the URL with everyone you want to send your EPK, and that's it.

You can also add the link to your EPK site with a call-to-action on your homepage to direct your fans and website visitors directly to your EPK page.

Link in bio

‘Link in bio’ is hard to get around these days. It’s likely, you already use it.

A ‘link in bio’ tool aggregates multiple links and features and is placed as a URL in your social bio.

This tool allows you to make your latest releases, new blog posts, all your social channels, your merch, campaigns, and more available on a single page.

But it also offers a new, smart format for an EPK. Your ‘link in bio’ can serve as a pitching package for press, labels, agents, and promoters.

In addition to having your own website for your EPK, the ‘link in bio’ page can be a great way to present your music in an easily accessible and appealing way. All the essentials that should be included in your EPK can be embedded as a link on this page. The customisable design makes it an eye-catcher, and it's a breeze to add as a link anywhere you want.

With these things in mind, you're all set to create your electronic press kit. If you don't want to create your EPK yourself, some companies offer templates or programmes you can use to create your EPK online. Such as Sonicbids, Bandzoogle, Wix and EPK Builder. There are also many freelancers who can help you create your EPK.

I’m happy to help you create an appealing EPK that fits your artist’s style.

Reach out to me and let's have a chat!