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How to make an EPK for your band
By BandManager · 5 min read ·
The EPK, or electronic press kit, is the page a venue, a festival or a journalist opens to decide whether to book you or write to you. They have one minute. A good EPK does not tell your whole story: it quickly answers the booker’s three questions and gives them a reason to reply.
What the person opening it is asking
Whoever books receives dozens of proposals a week. They do not read: they scan. Every block of your EPK has to answer a specific doubt in a few seconds.
| Question | Where your EPK answers it |
|---|---|
| What do they do and what do they sound like? | A one-line style and an instant listen. |
| Do they fit my room? | The style, the format and a note of where they have played. |
| Do they bring a crowd? | One real proof point of local traction, only one. |
| Are they good live? | A thirty to sixty second video. |
| Are they easy to work with? | A clear rider and visible contact details. |
Anatomy of a one-screen EPK
Think of it for the phone, which is where almost everything gets opened. From top to bottom, what decides goes first and what is checked later goes at the end.
- Name and style in one line, with no superlatives you cannot back up.
- An instant listen: a couple of tracks or a teaser that plays without leaving the page.
- A quality band photo that also looks good small.
- One real proof point of local traction: tickets sold at a specific venue, for example.
- A bio of four or five lines.
- A thirty to sixty second live video.
- The technical rider and contact details, easy to find.
Score your press kit
Tick what yours already has. What you leave unticked is the first thing to fix.
What to write in each block
The difference between an EPK that gets read and one that gets closed is usually in the text. Replace filler with facts that can be checked.
| Block | Better avoided | Better like this |
|---|---|---|
| Style | "Powerful, original rock with no labels" | "Guitar-driven rock with small-room choruses, for fans of [reference 1] or [reference 2]" |
| Bio | "Formed in 2019 by four friends with very varied influences..." | "[Band] are four musicians from [city] who have played live since [year]. They close the set with [song] and have played [venue 1] and [venue 2]." |
| Proof point | "Thousands of followers" | "Sold out [venue] in [month]: [number] people" |
| Contact | A form hidden at the bottom | Name, email and phone in plain view, with the hours you reply |
If you do not have a proof point yet, do not invent one: list where you have played and add a good listen. A false or inflated figure is the first thing a booker checks.
A different EPK depending on who you send it to
The same base press kit works, but what goes first changes. Think about who opens it.
| Recipient | Goes first | What to add |
|---|---|---|
| Small venue | Listen and live video | Free dates and a light rider. |
| Festival | Video and a draw figure | A short set format and quick changeovers. |
| Press and blogs | One concrete story and photos | Press notes, downloadable photos and the story in three lines. |
| Promoter or agency | Proof point and calendar | Format and conditions for touring. |
Photos, video and audio: the practical side
| Material | What works | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Band photo | Good light, everyone recognizable and in landscape, plus a vertical version. | Dark photos, from behind or with filters that hide faces. |
| Live video | Thirty to sixty seconds with good sound and the band in frame. | Full shows or recordings with a clipping mic. |
| Audio | Two tracks that play directly on the page. | Autoplay and links that force people to leave. |
| Logo | Transparent background and a light and dark version. | Small images stretched up. |
Link or PDF
A link to a page always beats an attached PDF: it opens on a phone, updates without resending and does not weigh down the email, which is what most easily lands in spam. A PDF only makes sense as an optional download for whoever needs to print it.
Mistakes that cost you gigs
- Long bios with the whole history of the band and of each member.
- Attaching heavy PDFs and photos in the first email.
- Superlatives you cannot back up: "powerful", "unique", "the best".
- Links to every social network instead of two or three well chosen ones.
- Music that does not play on the first click, with a sign-up or an app in the way.
- Past dates, old albums and photos of another line-up.
Keeping it alive
| When | What you update |
|---|---|
| After every show | A new photo or clip and the list of venues you have played. |
| Every month | The proof point, if it changed, and any broken links. |
| Every release | The instant-listen tracks and the bio. |
| Every line-up change | Photo, bio and rider. |
How to do it in BandManager
- Pick a press kit design template and fill in the blocks: profile and bio, music and live, media kit with PDFs and press.
- Upload the technical rider and the press kit PDF as an optional download inside the kit itself.
- Share a single link, with an email signature and a QR code already prepared.
- If you send it with the tracking link of a proposal, BandManager records interactions such as opening it, playing a track or downloading the PDF.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an EPK and a press kit?
In practice they are the same thing. EPK stands for electronic press kit. What matters is that it is short, listenable and easy to share with a link.
How long should an EPK be?
One phone screen of scrolling, or one to two pages if it is a PDF. Keep the detail for whoever asks for it.
Do I need an EPK if I barely play live yet?
Yes, and that is when it helps most. A tidy EPK makes up for a short track record because it shows you are professional and easy to book.
What do I put if I have no live videos yet?
Record a thirty to sixty second teaser at rehearsal with good light and sound. It beats nothing and takes one afternoon.
How often should I update it?
After every show with a photo or a clip, and every month with a quick check of the figures and links.
Your EPK, with one link
In BandManager you build your band’s press kit and share it with your own URL, rider included.
Keep reading
- How to email a venue to book a gigStructure, tone and mistakes to avoid when emailing a venue for a show. Includes a short template and what to do if they do not reply.
- How to get gigs with your bandA method to book shows without relying on luck: work out how many venues to write to, choose well, follow up and measure. With templates.
- Technical rider templateFill it in, print it or save it as a PDF.
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