How to write a musician bio: what to include, how long it should be, and two examples

The short answer

A good artist bio is written in the third person, opens with who you are, your genre, your place and your news, and comes in three lengths. On Spotify the limit is 1,500 characters. A bio also gives people something to quote, and our music marketing adds a press line for it.

What to include, and how long it should be

The Musicians' Union lists what a good bio covers:

• Who is in the band, when you formed and where you are based.
• Releases so far, and whether an independent label put them out.
• Influences, kept brief.
• Stand-out achievements: airplay, press, festival slots, support slots.
• An interesting back-story, if you have one, and good quotes.

Apple Music for Artists says to keep a long and a short version, in the third person. The Musicians Institute puts the short one at 50 to 100 words and the long one at 150 to 250. The Musicians' Union says to aim for about 500 words for a full bio, and WaterBear adds a couple-of-lines pitch.

Two sample bios

Both are written for imaginary artists, not real ones or clients. Replace the brackets with your own facts.

Short, about 50 words

"[Artist name] is an indie-pop songwriter from Manchester. Their debut EP, [Title], was self-released in [year] and played on [radio show]. They have supported [headline act] on tour, and the new single, [Title], is out on [date]."

Medium, about 100 words

"[Band name] are a four-piece alt-rock band from Bristol, formed in [year] by two friends from university. Their sound sets driving guitars against big, singalong choruses. Two EPs, [Title] and [Title], reached [number] streams and led to a slot at [festival]. They have sold out [venue] and toured [region] in [year]. The band is now finishing a debut album with [producer], due in [season]. New single [Title] is out on [date]."

Both open with genre and place, give one or two checkable facts and end on what is happening now. Neither uses an adjective a reader cannot verify. Write the short version first and add detail for the longer ones, rather than trimming a long draft. The Musicians' Union also says to ask someone outside the band to read it for clarity and errors.

Where the bio goes

Spotify for Artists lets admins and editors write up to 1,500 characters, roughly 250 words by our estimate, with @tags that link to artists, albums, playlists and tracks. The bio must follow the Spotify Platform Rules. Spotify's blog suggests sharing your story or the inspiration behind your latest release, and says the first person can speak directly to fans.

Apple Music works differently. Its support page says biographies come from a third-party provider, that you can fill out the Q&A in Artist Page instead, and that publication is not guaranteed. Update every version when you release something new. The Musicians' Union says to link to your bio when you email promoters and bloggers rather than pasting it in, and to put it on your social profiles too.

Who writes it

How the options compare:

Write the bio first with our free EPK template, then contact us if you want a feature to quote. It is sponsored and labelled as such.