Also called a “backgrounder,” the bio grabs a reader’s attention and communicates the musician’s style or genre. Unlike a traditional resume designed to attract an employer, the bio is a narrative peek into a band’s artistry and gives readers a taste of the group’s influences and sound. A separate discography section features a list of available recordings.

EPKs naturally include samples of music. Sometimes they showcase a variety of reels with snippets or complete tracks to appeal to different audiences including fans, clients, promoters, and presenters.

Building an audience is critical to every artist, and a list of gigs and performances is a critical component of every press kit. The calendar should be revised and updated often.

For musicians playing at venues, festivals, or shows featuring more than one act, the stage plot gives the stage crew and sound engineer critical setup information about mics and inputs. Giving a venue access to these details prior to a gig can help a show run smoothly and avoid hassles the day of the performance.

Pictures also help to tell a musician’s story in addition to the music. EPK photos may include headshots, band and promotional shots, CD cover art, and liner graphics.

Promotional videos give fans and prospective fans the opportunity to watch a live performance. They also provide reporters and other media outlets with shareable material to post.

An EPK also shows off press coverage including reviews and interviews along with endorsements from radio and television outlets.

An EPK’s one-sheet summarizes and distills its essential information into a single page; it’s often used to promote the release of an album like a press release.

A band dropped out of the Grammy’s and Clive Davis is calling to ask you to perform tomorrow. Contact information that’s front and center is an EPK essential.