An electronic press kit is the working document of an artist’s career. It is opened by people who are deciding, quickly, whether your work is worth their attention. Most of them are doing it on a phone, between other tasks, with no obligation to be patient.
What an EPK is not
It is not a scrapbook. It is not a place for every review you have ever received, every photograph from every era, or a biography that begins with a childhood memory. It is a professional summary, designed to let someone write about you, programme you, or invite you onto a stage without a follow-up email.
The core elements
A short biography and a longer one
The short version — roughly fifty to eighty words — is what most people will actually read. It should state who the artist is, what the music sounds like, where they are based, and anything genuinely notable. The longer version, around three hundred words, can carry the history and context.
Both should be written in plain, factual language. Sentences like “a transcendent force redefining the boundaries of modern blues” tell a reader nothing. “A four-piece blues band from Hamilton, Ontario, playing original material built on Chicago-style electric blues” tells them everything they need to start.
Photography that matches the music
Include two or three current, high-resolution photographs, properly credited, with a clear note that they are cleared for editorial use. Landscape and portrait options help. Photographs that are dark, low-resolution or visibly outdated undermine an otherwise strong kit.
A short and accurate achievement list
Releases, notable live appearances, festival slots, chart positions where verifiable, radio features, and press quotes with attribution. Keep it honest and current. Inflated claims are noticed, and they damage trust permanently.
Music and video links
Direct links to the strongest material — not a link to a profile where the reader must then choose. If a track is suggested as the entry point, say so. Embed a video if it is professionally captured; skip it if it is not.
Live information
A brief description of the live show, current or upcoming dates, and technical requirements where relevant. Promoters and festival programmers look for this specifically.
Contact details
A named contact, a working email address, and a phone number where appropriate. Not a contact form as the only route. Journalists work to deadlines and need a person.
Format matters as much as content
A single PDF, under a few megabytes, that opens cleanly on a phone, plus a web page with the same information. The PDF should be named clearly, for example Artist-Name-EPK-2026.pdf. Photographs should be available separately at full resolution, not only embedded in the document.
Links should be tested before the kit is sent. Nothing erodes credibility faster than a press kit whose music links are broken.
The quiet advantage
A good EPK does more than provide information. It signals that the artist is organised, that the work has been considered, and that featuring them will not create extra work. Writers, programmers and promoters are busy; being easy to work with is a genuine professional advantage.
It also protects the artist. When the materials are ready, the conversation stays about the music instead of logistics, and the artist is not asked to justify their own seriousness in a hurried email thread.
Keep it alive
An EPK should be reviewed with every release. Old links, expired domains, missing dates and stale biographies quietly tell a reader that nothing has happened lately. Fifteen minutes of maintenance before each campaign is worth more than a redesign.