How To Build An Effective Electronic Press Kit for Musicians

An electronic press kit is a digital portfolio that contains information about a musician or band, including their biography, music, press photos, videos, and contact details. Its purpose is to provide journalists, music industry professionals, and potential collaborators with an overview of an artist’s brand and work, ideally helping them secure press coverage, industry opportunities, or gigs.

But how does one set up an effective electronic press kit for musicians? Let’s break it down step by step!

A press kit can be created with different design and writing tools, but for it to be visually appealing, structured, and professional, some stand out as more suitable than others.

For instance, Adobe InDesign is ideal for designing a press kit as it offers full control over layout and design, making it a standard for creating professional documents. If you're looking for a more beginner-friendly and affordable option, Canva is a great alternative that offers customizable templates specifically for EPKs.

For simpler press kits, Apple’s Pages or Microsoft Word can also work. Both tools are less advanced in terms of design features, however, Pages offers more options than Word, making it the slightly better choice.

Those who do not have the time or skills to create their press kit on their own can hire an experienced graphic designer specializing in layout design. This approach guarantees that the EPK is visually appealing and that it appears professional. That said, ‘professional’ doesn’t necessarily mean minimalistic and plain. It is rather about following design principles and making sure all relevant elements are included.

A press kit should always reflect the branding of an artist or brand, whether it’s through the choice of colors, fonts, or imagery. For those who are especially crafty, eccentric, or maximalist in style and dabble in physical art forms: why not create a mixed media press kit? Combining scanned-in, collage-style physical pages with digital design could surprise and impress whoever opens it, making the EPK especially memorable.

An electronic press kit is typically formatted as a (downloadable) PDF or hosted on a website. An typical EPK contains the following 10 key sections:

1. Cover page

2. Table of Contents

3. One-sheet summary

4. Biography

5. Music samples

6. Press photos & other visual assets

7. Relevant achievements & career highlights

8. Press & media coverage

9. Fan engagement & other numbers

10. Contact & booking detail

Let’s take a closer look at each individual section.

An EKP’s cover page is incredibly important, as it is the first thing people see when opening or downloading your press kit. To make a strong first impression, it should be designed in a way that is visually appealing and include the artist name, logo, a high-quality image, and any design elements that align with a musician's branding.

An effective EPK should contain a table of contents that provides an overview of all sections and subsections. The page numbers should be clickable, allowing readers to jump directly to the right section. This makes it easier for them to find the information they’re looking for.

The one-sheet summary is usually created at the very end, once all the other sections are set up. Its purpose is to condense the most important information about an artist or band and their music, so that readers quickly understand who they are and what they do. This section usually includes a shortened version of the biography, over view of genre(s) they operate in, an image, key achievements, notable press quotes or highlights, and links to the artist’s socials and music.

What other points it contains depends on the intent behind the EPK. If your goal is to secure press coverage, it makes sense to add media features or statistics that demonstrate your relevance. If the focus is on booking gigs or brand collaborations, emphasizing your social media and streaming reach would be more effective.

The purpose of a biography is to give readers a deeper understanding of an artist or band. It’s also the place where they can tell their story, which is why the bio should include interesting and engaging details that spark curiosity.

Solo musicians can start with the basics, such as their artist name, full name, birthdate, and hometown. They can then talk about what inspired them to get into music and why they decided to pursue a career in it. Once the essentials are covered, they can share more personal details, such as niche interests, hobbies, or even a surprising story that connects to their music.

A band can start by outlining when and where it was formed, who its members are, and how they met. From there, the bio can address the band’s musical journey, their influences, key milestones, and what makes them stand out. Adding details about their dynamic, memorable performances, or any other interesting backstory can make the bio more compelling and memorable.

The next section revolves around music samples. This is where you showcase the music that defines you as an artist. Ideally, you should feature your two most successful tracks first, as they represent your best work from the perspective of your listeners. After these, you can include a selection of other notable tracks or albums that demonstrate your range and musical evolution. If you already have a discography, you can provide a concise list or a link to a streaming platform, so readers can easily explore more of your work.

Any time media professionals want to use images for their reports, articles, or social media posts, they need to make sure that they have the legal right to do so without violating copyright laws. This is why providing the press with high-quality photos and other visual assets, such as logos or icons, is crucial.

The emphasis here is on high quality: images should be in JPEG or PNG format, with 300 dpi resolution for print-quality images, and 72 dpi resolution for web use. Make sure the images are available in a variety of sizes that suit different platforms and purposes, whether it's for social media posts, press articles, or promotional material.

This section aims to provide readers with additional reasons to take an artist seriously and showcase further proof that they are (or have the potential to become) relevant. It can include any awards, festival performances, public appearances, collaborations with well-known artists, milestone releases, or significant chart placements. Anything that showcases your credibility and achievements in the music industry and beyond will help make a press kit stand out.

The press & media coverage section can be a separate one or be integrated into the previous one, as both aim to prove your relevance in the industry. This section should feature the most significant media coverage, such as mentions or interviews. It should start with the most prestigious coverage in well-known outlets (e.g. Billboard) that are difficult to secure. Unless you are just starting out, be sure to leave out coverage from irrelevant or low-quality outlets, as these won’t add much value to your press kit.

This section also aims to highlight achievements, but this time in the form of numbers. If an artist or band can show notable music statistics on their social media or streaming platforms, they should definitely include them in their press kit. As always, the section should begin with the most impressive and relevant figures. Visually, it's helpful to use icons and keep the section clean and organized to make the information easier to digest.

The final section includes contact and booking information, along with all relevant social media and streaming links. Depending on the individual situation, the contact details can be directed either to the artist or band (if independent), or to their manager/label.

The general rule of thumb is to include only the sections that make sense and add value. For example, if you're a relatively new artist who’s only been featured once in a small local magazine, a separate press section might unintentionally make the press kit appear less convincing. In this case, it would be better to incorporate it within the achievements section. Similarly, if your streaming numbers are still far from convincing, it would be better to leave them out until they’re more convincing.