Essentials of an Effective Music Press Kit

As a struggling unbiased musician in a extremely aggressive over-crowded promote it needs to be left unsaid that it’s worthwhile to stand out from the gang. There are a lot of methods to do that. There’s music publicity, radio promotion, in depth tour presence, and the almighty music advertising and music promotion. You have to get your message on the market –period.

Getting your original sound design advertising message out there’s one factor however getting the precise message out there’s one other. Your skilled picture as an unbiased artist is of the utmost significance so as to rise above the ocean of competitors. Most unbiased bands and unbiased artists have some form of a music press equipment or music promotion equipment that they use for promotional functions. Typically, musicians will use both a conventional print music media equipment, a digital press equipment (DPK), or a web based EPK (Digital Press Equipment). However simply how skilled and convincing are they?

A often requested query that I get on a regular basis from my unbiased artists and musicians is which kind of press equipment ought to we put collectively? Which form of music press equipment works finest and is most spectacular and efficient? The reply to that query is determined by a couple of issues.

What I imply by that is that I like to recommend creating and sustaining two varieties of press kits — both a print or digital music press equipment, and an digital press equipment. The explanation for that is easy. Sure media retailers, labels, venues, music administration corporations, and so on. choose a print press equipment or digital press equipment together with your full blown CD so it may be listened too on excessive effectivity stereo tools to get the complete impact of your music and its manufacturing qualities. Others choose to not have their workplace congested with piles of press kits, and their most well-liked technique is simply reviewing your music on-line.

For the explanations simply famous, we advocate you do a print or digital press equipment and have one on-line as effectively. There’s actually nothing to creating a web based EPK so why not have it accessible. There are a couple of excellent EPK companies on the market they usually price just some {dollars} per 30 days. However I’m placing an emphasis on the truth that an EPK (Digital press equipment on-line) just isn’t sufficient. You continue to will need to have the normal print or digital press equipment in your music promotion arsenal.

It’s notable to say that your Music press equipment might be your most precious promotional software and it must be taken very severely. Aside from your CD and stay efficiency it’s normally the primary impression of you as an artist that labels, venues, and different music media retailers will obtain. There are a lot of graphic artwork corporations specializing in the preparation of media promotion kits that you could be need to contemplate in case your finances permits. If not, for a couple of {dollars}, slightly creativity, and effort and time, you are able to do it your self. Listed here are the fundamental parts of a print press equipment and Digital press equipment, and the skilled means by which to go about it.

In your conventional print music press equipment model the weather to incorporate are a professionally designed cowl together with your brand or photograph, a canopy letter of introduction, Band or Artist biography, an expert 8- x 10- black and white shiny promotional photograph, media function articles and press releases, album critiques and quote sheet, your full size – prolonged play, or professionally recorded demo CD, an trade CD-one sheet, a enterprise card and professionally labeled envelope. The provides wanted are heavy inventory paper, portfolio cowl, massive envelope, handle labels, enterprise playing cards, and your 8- x 10- shiny photograph. Now this is learn how to go about placing the print press equipment collectively.

COVER AND LETTER OF INTRODUCTION:
Your skilled music press equipment ought to have a powerful cowl. This could embody a photograph of the artist, artist’s title, and artist’s contact info. Form of like the quilt of a e book. You must also embody a canopy letter of introduction. This could introduce you because the artist stating briefly slightly about your self. Do not get too particular on this letter you possibly can depart that for the bio and different media which you’ll embody.

Be sure you handle the letter to at least one particular particular person – – being private is vital. It offers the looks of a non-cookie cutter look and that you simply really feel this media outlet, label, venue, or music agent has significance. Make it possible for both on the prime or the underside of this letter you will have included your full contact info or your artist’s consultant’s contact info. The quilt letter needs to be inserted simply contained in the equipment’s cowl previous to another info. The contact info must also be included on the backside proper on each web page within the music promo equipment.

Artist or Band Biography:
The subsequent web page or what would really be the primary informational web page of the music media equipment could be your artist biography web page. Right here it is best to embody a short historical past of the artist or band, slightly about every member if it is a full band. This needs to be not than one web page and shouldn’t be an extended drawn out historical past of the band however only a temporary synopsis of what you will have achieved and the place you intend to go. Extra importantly, it is best to embody issues like important exhibits or excursions, contests received, radio play, or any achievements that you simply really feel are noteworthy and should increase you above others when it comes to recognition and improvement. Maintain it easy, concise, and significant. If there are not any writers amongst you or your pals than we extremely advocate having your band bio written for you by an expert music copywriter. It is so vital and it have to be skilled.

Media and Press Part:
The next pages in your music promotion equipment needs to be media and press. These are principally important clips of any function articles you could have obtained in music trade magazines, or newspapers. Do not go overboard. Embody solely media clips that basically spotlight you as an artist. Choose the most effective 5 clips you will have and ensure they’re professionally reproduced. Noting irritates an individual receiving these kits extra that sloppy crooked copies of media. Take pleasure within the high quality of the equipment. Plastic see-through partitions needs to be used for every particular person merchandise.

Album Critiques and Quote sheets:
You might need to contemplate together with good critiques of your CD and quotes you will have obtained relating to the CD or your efficiency. This web page needs to be professionally laid out with categorized headings. One needs to be -Album Critiques and the opposite needs to be Quotes. Do not forget to place citation marks earlier than and after every overview and quote.

CD: Both a Full Size Album, EP, or Professionally Recorded Demo:
There are a couple of alternative ways to connect your CD to your music press equipment. In case your portfolio has a sleeve within the rear you possibly can simply slip it in there. One other technique is to make use of Velcro strips positioned on the rear of the CD and connected someplace on the within of the again cowl. This nonetheless just isn’t the advisable technique. Particularly if the rear cowl of your CD has vital info printed on it. In case you are enclosing a full size report or EP (Prolonged Play) the hope could be that you’ve taken the time to launch an expert recording so its professionalism is as much as snuff. Nonetheless in case you are solely utilizing a demo CD this can be very vital to notice the next:

– Ensure it’s {of professional} recording high quality (No basement stuff)
– Ensure the manufacturing high quality is as skilled as doable
– Embody not more than 3 songs, possibly 4 of your best
– Place them in a sequence of finest
– Do some semblance {of professional} cowl artwork and labeling
– Ensure your contact info is displayed on the demo
– If you happen to actually need to be sure that, have it evaluated by an expert

CD- Music Trade One-Sheet:
In case you are enclosing a CD of a professionally recorded and commercially launched full size album or EP than it is a good suggestion to connect a music trade one sheet. One-Sheets are usually used through the music distribution course of however by enclosing one it offers the recipient of your press equipment extra perception in your precise report. A one sheet normally features a photograph of the album cowl, album title, artist’s title, temporary description of the report, observe listings, UPC code, worth level and some different issues. Notes within the one sheet ought to embody touring info, radio play, some quotes, and some different issues. The one sheet needs to be professionally written and produced as it’s an merchandise that usually can get into the palms of essential individuals.

Enterprise Card and Skilled Envelope and Labeling:
If you happen to or your consultant has a enterprise card that must also be connected to the folder someplace. As soon as the package deal is absolutely assembled it needs to be positioned in an expert envelope with printed handle and return handle labeling. This may increasingly appear very time consuming and you might assume, why cannot I simply write out the recipient’s handle. Nicely, that appears sloppy and unprofessional and keep in mind what we stated about sloppy. Lots of people will not even open a package deal if it seems to be unprofessional on the surface. Some could name us anal-retentive, however we get outcomes by using these skilled strategies.

Some vital notes that will help you profit from your print music press equipment.
One factor it’s worthwhile to keep in mind is that issues are consistently altering with you as an artist. New function articles, new nationwide tour, new extra up to date picture/pictures, and so on. Subsequently when you get the primary model of your music press equipment completed, you might be by no means completed. Maintain updating it with new supplies and new pictures for future mailings. Keep in mind in the case of your music press equipment, you might be by no means achieved. It is a work in progress.

After getting despatched your press equipment to somebody it doesn’t finish there. FOLLOW UP a pair weeks or so later with a cellphone name, e mail, or correspondence. Labels, media, and venues obtain lots of of press kits weekly. Do not let yours get misplaced within the shuffle. Ensure to deliver it to their consideration and to the forefront of the barrage of music press kits they obtain.

The Digital Music Press Equipment (DPK):
The Digital Press Equipment usually accommodates the identical info as the normal print music press equipment, though it has the power to will let you really add extra with out being overcrowded. Mainly all of your info, your bio, media articles, music, quotes, and so on. are housed on a CD Rom as recordsdata. The DPK, due to sure experience concerned in programming, graphic arts, and so on., ought to nonetheless most likely be professionally achieved. Until after all you, one other band member, or somebody you realize, is proficient in doing this. The advantages of a DPK are fairly clearly. They take no paper, no portfolios, no paper pictures, or any print media. The whole lot is digital. The DPK is normally housed in a DVD Case which has skilled art work. So there’s nonetheless the aspect of graphic art work concerned on the quilt and CD stamp. General, the DPK is an efficient different to the print music press equipment.

Digital Press Equipment (EPK):
The Digital Press Equipment, higher often called the EPK is principally a web based model of your promotional supplies — form of like a web site however not fairly. It is much like the DPK solely in that each one the recordsdata and graphics are digital. You principally create an EPK such as you would create a web site. Nonetheless there are a couple of good companies on the market that present template primarily based WYSIWYG editors that principally provide the alternative to easily add your recordsdata. There’s normally a piece to your biography, your pictures, your press, your music, your movies, and your backline necessities. The EPK is one thing that it is best to use along with your print or digital music press equipment.
Whichever form of press equipment you determine to make use of, please keep in mind it have to be professionally reproduced and ready. That is your first impression so you will need to make it one.