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Press Essentials for Country Artists: What You Should Include in Your Electronic Press Kit (EPK)
If you’re set to release new music, it may be time to put together and/or update your electronic press kit (EPK). If you’re unfamiliar with what an EPK is, it’s a collection of promotional materials you’d send along with your press release when pitching your latest release to media outlets. Usually, this would be a folder in a cloud-based sharing platform such as Dropbox or Google Drive that you’d include a link to in your press release/pitch. There’s also a version of your EPK that you’d feature on your website, however, this article’s focus is on the former.
As someone who has helped country artists put together EPKs for their upcoming releases in the past, here are the essentials you need to include.
Press Release
The first thing you’ll want to include is a PDF copy of the press release you sent by email. While media professionals may have already read it in your initial email pitch, it’s always good to have everything in one place for easy access.
Short & Full Artist Bios
You’ll also want to include both a short and full artist bio in your EPK. A short artist bio is great for skimming at a glance or to include as the basis of an article introduction and/or at the end of an article/media feature. A full artist bio can be helpful for interviewers or writers when they are coming up with questions to ask you or sharing your story. Which one they use is outlet-specific, so it’s best to provide them with options.
One Sheet
Next is your one-sheet — which is an essential document that artists include in their press kits and use when booking opportunities. More specifically, it’s a condensed PDF version of an artist’s electronic press kit (EPK) that includes key information about them, their music and their latest release.
If you’re unsure about what a one-sheet is or want to know what to include on one, you can read my article detailing it HERE.
Potential Talking Points
If you’re pitching media outlets, it’s always a great idea to include a list of potential talking points. These questions can…
