EPK for musicians: what goes in an electronic press kit, and who reads it
An EPK is one link that tells a journalist, promoter, curator or label who you are, what you sound like and how to reach you. Most of the work is deciding what to leave out.
Want this done for you? See our YouTube music video promotion service, or start with our free EPK template. Related reading: How much does music PR cost? · Choosing a music marketing agency · YouTube music promotion. Or browse all music guides.
Key takeaways
- A musician's EPK needs a short and a long bio, one to three press photos, three to five tracks as streaming links, a video, any press or achievements, release details and a named contact.
- Different readers look for different things first: a journalist wants the story and the release date, a promoter wants live video and contact details, a label wants evidence that people are listening.
- Send links, not attachments, and never put your music behind a password.
- If your press section is empty, fill it honestly: local listings, reviews and radio first, and if you use a paid feature, list it as a feature, never as a review.
The short answer
An electronic press kit (EPK) is a single web page or document that gives industry people everything they need to judge and represent you. Apple Music for Artists lists the people who use one: managers, booking agents, venues, promoters and journalists. PRS for Music adds press officers, pluggers, labels and publishers.
Every guide agrees on the core: a bio, press photos, your best music, video, any press or achievements, and contact details. Where they differ is on the numbers, so the checklist below reconciles them. Once it is built, our music marketing gives it something to point people to.
What goes in it: the checklist
| Item | What the guides recommend | Practical target |
|---|---|---|
| Short bio | 50–100 words (Musicians Institute); 250–300 words (Disc Makers); PRS for Music's panel: "every band needs 100 words of great text" | About 100 words, third person |
| Long bio | 150–250 words (Musicians Institute); 600–750 words (Disc Makers); half a page (PRS for Music); one page (Musicians' Union) | 150–250 words |
| Press photos | At least one horizontal shot, three at most (PRS for Music); portrait and landscape, hi-res and lo-res versions (Disc Makers) | One landscape, one portrait, high resolution, with a download link |
| Music | 3–5 tracks (Musicians Institute) | Three to five streaming links, strongest first |
| Video | 2–3 links (Musicians Institute); "the single best tool you can have" (PRS for Music) | One live and one official video if you have them |
| Press release | For new music; 300–500 words (Ari Herstand) | Only when there is a release to announce |
| Press and achievements | Quotes with attribution, notable shows, awards, numbers (Musicians Institute, Apple) | Two or three of your strongest, with sources |
| Release and show dates | Upcoming release details (Apple); keep the kit "fresh and up to date" (Apple) | Only dates you will keep up to date |
| Contact | Email, phone number and social and streaming links (Musicians Institute, Apple) | One named person for each job: press, booking, management |
The Musicians Institute suggests reviewing the whole kit every three months. Apple's advice is the same in five words: keep it "fresh and up to date".
Who reads it, and what each looks for first
One EPK serves several readers, and each opens it for a different reason. Put the thing your most important reader needs at the top, and send a short, tailored note with the link.
| Reader | What they need first | What to lead with |
|---|---|---|
| Journalist or blogger | A story and a date: what is new, why now, when it comes out | The press release or a two-line pitch, then the music |
| Promoter, booker or venue | Evidence you can perform and draw a crowd, and who to book | Live video, recent and upcoming shows, booking contact |
| Playlist curator or radio | The track itself, and where it fits | One streaming link to the focus track, genre in plain words |
| Label or manager | Signs that people are listening and that you are ready to work | Your best tracks, audience numbers you can back up, your team |
This is our guidance, built from what the sources above say each reader uses the kit for. It is not a rule: if a booker asks for something specific, give them that.
A web page, a PDF or a shared document?
- A page on your website or an EPK service is what most of the guides above point to. The Musicians Institute suggests a dedicated page on your artist website, an EPK platform or a Google Drive folder.
- A shared document (for example a public Google Doc) works, and Ari Herstand suggests it as one of two acceptable options.
- A PDF is fine as a backup. PRS for Music's panel suggested exporting one from Google Drive, but put everything behind one clear link either way.
Whichever you choose, the link has to work without a login. Lead with streaming links. The Musicians Institute also suggests offering downloadable files, and PRS for Music's panel called a separate download link a bonus, but don't assume anyone has the time to download.
Mistakes that get an EPK closed
- Password-protected music. PRS for Music's panel and Ari Herstand both warn against it. If a track isn't public yet, use a private or unlisted link.
- A list of genres. Say plainly where your music comes from instead.
- "Sounds like" comparisons. One PR agency founder on the PRS for Music panel said it can put them off listening further. Non-musical references work better.
- Hype and typos. Keep the text tight, and ask a friend to read it before you send it.
- Out-of-date dates. Old shows and past release dates tell the reader nobody is looking after the kit.
- Attachments. Large files clog inboxes. Send one link.
If your press section is empty
Most new artists have nothing to put under "press" yet, and that is normal. Leave the section out rather than padding it. Then start filling it from the ground up:
- Local press and listings. The Musicians' Union recommends starting with local newspapers and magazines, which often welcome stories about artists from their area, and getting your shows into event listings.
- Radio that plays new music. Local and specialist shows, and in the UK, BBC Introducing, which the Musicians' Union points to for unsigned artists.
- Blogs and specialist sites in your genre, pitched with a short note and your EPK link.
- A publicist, if you have the budget and a release worth pitching. Our guide to what music PR costs covers the prices.
You can also pay for coverage: a sponsored article about you on a publication. That can be useful, especially for giving people who search your name something to find, but be honest about what it is. List it as a feature, not as a review, and never suggest an editor chose you when you paid for the space. Your credibility is worth more than one extra line in a kit.
How the options compare:
| Do it yourself | Music publicist | Blue Leopard Media | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Your time | From £1,000 for one UK publicist quoted by the Musicians' Union | A YouTube campaign plus one feature from $249 per release |
| What is guaranteed | Nothing | The pitching, not the coverage | A minimum number of Google Ads views, and a feature live within 24 hours of your approval |
| Time to go live | Print listings need your details about four weeks ahead (Musicians' Union) | Needs lead time before release day | Campaign starts once Google approves your video |
| What you get | Whatever listings and local coverage you win yourself | Pitching from their contacts | A sponsored feature with your digital cover, plus a YouTube campaign |
| Best for | Artists with time and a local or genre audience | Earned coverage by independent writers | A published, labelled story and real YouTube views around a release |
When to send it
Have the EPK finished before you pitch anyone about a release, not after. Print listings usually need your details about four weeks ahead, according to the Musicians' Union, and our music PR cost guide covers what a publicist needs from you before pitching, so a kit that is ready six to eight weeks before release day gives you room to pitch press, curators and promoters in order.
After release, update it: add the new track, any coverage and the next shows, then send the updated link to the people who replied.
Where Blue Leopard Media fits
We don't build EPKs. Our music marketing helps with two things an EPK points people to: a YouTube campaign that runs your video as Google Ads to people who watch similar artists, and an editorial feature about you, with your name in the headline and your own digital cover, published on one of the publications we work with. Together they start at $249.
The feature is sponsored content, as our disclaimer states, so list it in your EPK as a feature. You approve every word, and it goes live within 24 hours (business days) of your approval of the final draft. We don't sell streams, playlist placements or chart positions.
If you are getting a release ready, book the free 15-minute consultation. It is free, and there is no obligation to buy anything.
Send us your release date and video link, and we will plan your campaign and feature around it.
Sources
- Apple Music for Artists: Why an Electronic Press Kit matters
- PRS for Music: How to promote yourself as a new artist: the EPK (19 August 2019)
- Musicians Institute: How to build your first electronic press kit (20 December 2025)
- Disc Makers: Musician's guide to an electronic press kit (updated 19 April 2025)
- Ari Herstand: How to create an EPK (updated 5 October 2021)
- Musicians' Union: Getting press and making the most of your press kit (updated 1 February 2024)
- Musicians' Union: When to hire a music PR company (updated 1 February 2024)
Frequently asked.
What does EPK stand for?
Electronic press kit: a web page or document with your bio, photos, music, video, press and contacts, made for journalists, promoters, venues, curators, labels and managers.
How long should an EPK bio be?
Have two. A short bio of about 50 to 100 words and a longer one of 150 to 250 words covers what the Musicians Institute recommends; PRS for Music's panel suggested half a page at most, while Disc Makers suggests longer versions.
How many songs should go in an EPK?
Three to five, with your strongest first, as streaming links rather than attachments.
Do I need a website for my EPK?
No. A page on an EPK service or a public shared document works, as long as everything is behind one link that opens without a login.
Can I put paid articles in my EPK?
You can, if you are honest about them. List a sponsored article as a feature, never as a review, and don't imply an editor chose to cover you.
Keep reading.
How much does music PR cost? What a publicist charges, and what you get
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Read the guide MusicHow to choose a music marketing agency: the four types, how they charge, and what to check before you pay
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Read the guide MusicYouTube music video promotion: how it works, organic and paid, and what guaranteed views really mean
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Read the guideSomething to point your kit at.
A YouTube campaign with guaranteed Google Ads views plus an editorial feature with your own digital cover, from $249 per release, planned around your release date.