Welcome! So you're here to pick up some helpful tips for getting your gig. Maybe you want to find out what to write in your bio — or you might be looking for some advice on where you should be sending your EPK. Read on: it's all in here!
Got questions about sending your EPK?
How to Send My EPK
Specific Tips for Sending My EPK
Tips for a Successful Submission
Choose the Right Opportunties for You
Got questions about making your EPK the best it can be?
Your Songs — What It's All About!
Biography — Tell Me Something Good
Elevator Pitch — Honing It Down
Instrumentation, Discography, and Links — The Middle Children of Your EPK Front Page
The Ever-Important Photo
Press — Your Band in Print
Set List — 1, 2, 3… um, What's Next?
Skins — Customize Your EPK with Color
Video — Live, Music Video, or Both? Hm...
Your Calendar — Show Your Shows
Performance Requirements — Put Some Thought into Them!
Send Your EPK
Now that you have fully completed your EPK — and you look fantastic, by the way — there's more than one way to send it. Take a look at these options in your account and try them out!
- Promoter Drop Box
Use this section of your account to submit directly to promoters for all types of specific opportunities. To participate in Sonicbids' Get a Gig Guaranteed, you must submit to at least 3 opportunities over 6 months. (Remember, there's no minimum submission fee! If you want to submit to 3 opportunities at $2 each, that's fine with us!
- Email My EPK Out Now
Send your EPK no additional cost to promoters, bookers, venues, A&R reps, and other artists who have yet to join the Sonicbids community! Include a personal message and send a dynamic HTML version of your EPK to up to 25 recipients at once, saving you money over physical press kit costs. Try sending it to yourself first to see how it looks.
To participate in Sonicbids'Get a Gig Guaranteed, send your EPK at least 5 times per month to the aforementioned professional contacts. (We recommend getting in the habit of sending your EPK 5 times a day!)
- Community
The Community link on the home page will take you to the Sonicbids Community Forums. Include a link to your EPK in all of your posts. It's a great place to get feedback on your EPK and gig swap with other bands!
Managers, Labels, and Agencies: You can email out your entire roster of EPKs (or a portion of it) by using your Email Roster tool! Include your company logo and contact info, and save yourself some time and money.
Sending Your EPK — A Few Tips for Artists
Keep in mind that promoters can get inundated with press kits (online and otherwise) from artists who have no idea who they're sending to. Make it easy for promoters to distinguish you from the others by proving you've done your research on them!
Does the venue or promoter have a website? Is there a specific person you should send it to? What types of music are they looking for? What is their press kit or submissions policy, and do you fit the bill?
Once you've done your research, use the Email My EPK Out Now tool in your account, where you can include a personalized introduction to your EPK. Let them know what you found out about them. Example: "I was looking through your website and other events, and thought I'd be a great fit." Remind them of the last time you played at their venue or in their area, if you have, what you enjoy about playing there, and what kind of crowd you expect to get when you play. Be specific about what you're looking for: "I've played Tuesday nights and brought in 200 people. I think I'm ready to play a Friday."
Give them an interesting story about you or your band. Ask questions about what their review process is like, and let them know you'll reach them again to follow up in a couple weeks. A sincere phone call a week or two later shouldn't scare off any potential promoters as long as you remain straightforward about what it is you're looking for. This holds true for artists at any level of their career.
Happy gigging!
Tips for a Successful Submission
Rarely will artists get selected for every submission of theirs, but there are some things you can to maximize the effectiveness of the ones you make:
- Many opportunities on this site have custom questions that the promoter has requested artists to answer when submitting. The answers you write are seen by them directly, so remember to include proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation!
Answer the questions thoroughly, and provide as much info as you can. There’s a reason why the promoter is asking!
- Keep your EPK up-to-date with all appropriate bio and performer info, your MP3s, performance requirements, photos. Especially if a promoter isn't familiar with your music in advance, the content of your EPK is really what they're going to consider when they make their selections. Many submissions are not selected because artists neglect to update the calendars in their EPKs. Promoters depend on artists to update their EPKs to make sure they have the most up-to-date information about them when they make their decision. It can also give your submission an extra edge if you keep your EPK current with contact information.
Choose the Right Opportunties for You
Your submission is not a lottery ticket, and you don't need to treat it like one! We have a lot of opportunities on Sonicbids, from clubs, to conferences, to publishing, to song contests, etc. With so many choices, how do you connect with the ones which are right for you? The last thing anybody wants is to have an acoustic singer-songwriter performing up at a Battle-of-the-Mosh-Pit-Starters (it can get ugly).
- "Is this right for me?" Often we see artists making submissions for opportunities because they see other artists trying to be a part of those events. And while a lot of those opportunities really are fun and productive to be a part of, you should first ask yourself why it is that you'd like to be included. Is this opportunity right for my music? Will this event help me meet my particular list of goals? What are the ways I can make my submission stand out for a promoter? Am I what they're looking for?
- Do what we call Due Diligence, which is basic research into each opportunity. Read all the details on the Drop Box opportunity page and review the promoter's website. The opportunity information that promoters list on Sonicbids contains a lot of useful information, but sometimes you may have other questions about things like compensation, backline, or what type of crowd the promoter is looking for.
- Contact a promoter before making your submission to address any concerns or questions you have. Let them know you're interested, but are wondering how long they've managed this opportunity, what other projects they've worked on, and even to ask for references of other performers they've worked with. They'll ask for yours, too!
With a little sleuthing, you can usually find contact information on their company website. Your question may even already be addressed in their site's FAQ. Pick up the phone, or use your account's Email My EPK Out Now tool to send your EPK along with your inquiry, making sure to note that you are interested in some information prior to making a submission. That's how you can make it clear to the promoter that your message isn't unsolicited (always a challenge for the independent musician).
Make your messages and submissions personal. Impress the promoter by doing some research into things they've done professionally. If you're sincerely interested in their projects, it makes sense to let that interest apparent in your correspondence with them.
- Search Tools: Want to see all of the opportunities in South Carolina that have submission fees under $10? How about all of the Boston-based opportunities? The Advanced Search can make it happen. It even lets you save up to 5 searches so you can pull them up quickly next time you log in.To access the Advanced Search log into your account, go to the Promoter Drop Box and click the Advanced Search link.
- Talk amongst yourselves! Many smart promoters will start topics in the Sonicbids Community Forum to discuss their opportunities and account tools. Check out this thread that one of our Promoter members posted about the Status Manager tool. You can always post your own messages to see what the Sonicbids community thinks about a particular opportunity and get feedback on your music.
Your Songs — What It's All About!
How to upload audio to your EPK
When dropping your files to MP3s, use a decent bitrate. Going under 112 kbps will start to bring in a wavy sound to the songs, because of the severe compression of the audio file size. We find that 5 MB is usually more than enough for an average song that's less than 5 minutes in length. If your song is only 3 minutes, try re-ripping the track at a lower bitrate (preferably 128 kbps) to keep the file size down.
- You should also make sure you have Cookies, Java, and Javascript enabled on your browser. Blocking any one of those will interfere with your ability to use the site.
- If you are using a dial-up Internet connection, try uploading from a different computer and connection if you have access to one. That may help to speed up the process.
Learn how to make mp3 files.
If you have any trouble downloading iTunes, you can also check out http://www.zamzar.com for free online file conversion, meaning you do not need to download any software to convert your audio files.
There's also a thread about this on our forum. Read it if you'd like, and feel free to add your own thoughts or questions about this topic.
- All audio tracks that are uploaded into an EPK are downloadable by default. If you'd like to turn off downloads on your EPK, you can do so in the Edit My EPK section by unchecking the box that says "Allow users to download my audio files."
What do I put on my EPK's audio section?
A question many people ask is whether to put the full song or just a clip on the EPK. Either is fine, really, but keep in mind that a lot of people decide whether or not they like a song in the first 30 seconds. Putting a clip of a song allows you to show the meat and potatoes of the tune without having to worry about the listener losing interest with a long intro, interlude, etc.
On the flip side, clips may not show all the dynamic changes of a song or showcase all of your songwriting talents. Some song intros are just so good (think about Europe and "The Final Countdown")! You may wish to include the entire track.
The pros and cons are equal, and it really depends on you and your preference. It's your craft, and you know how best to present it.
The best quality recording is most preferred. Studio time can get costly, so it's not always necessary to have professionally recorded and mastered material. Demo recordings made in a project studio work fine for submitting to clubs and coffeehouses. However, this may hinder your chances for being selected for high-profile gigs where having a professional album is an unstated requirement. Compilation CDs, radio opportunities, licensing opportunities, and songwriting competitions very often require high quality recordings as well.
Avoid using cassette tapes, and songs recorded with a laptop mic while you play in your basement. The recording quality can get so bad that it becomes distracting to the listener. Digital audio has made so many leaps and bounds in the past few years that it's quite easy and affordable to record on your own for making demos and pre-production on tracks.
Include the lyrics (if any) to songs as well, and make sure they are in the same order as your tunes. Many folks like to read along with the lyrics as they listen to songs, so it's best to include that information for them — unless of course if you're a jazz scat artist (‘skiddle dee bop ta doo bop' doesn't always need to be written out). Songwriting competitions and compilation CDs often review lyrics when making their selections as well.
Biography — Tell Me Something Good
The EPK Bio is probably the most typing you will ever do for your EPK in a single section. Your bio is incredibly important! It shows promoters, talent buyers, A&R reps, and anyone else viewing your EPK what you have accomplished so far, who you are, what you do and why you do it.
Some tips to get you started:
- Have a list of accomplishments ready as well as a list of goals, and use those as a guideline. Keep in mind that you are not writing this bio for your fans, but for getting gigs. Promoters review many biographies, and they want to see the important information as soon as possible. Think of it as a resume.
- Remember, it's important to be honest. Making up accomplishments or giving out false data is something that can permanently hurt your career. Promoters, bookers and others who view your EPK can see through insincerity and exaggeration.
- You may want to include a brief background of some of the players, or the interesting history as to how the group was formed, or how you got started. Save the detailed history of each member of your band for the fans on your website. Promoters may not want to know that your drummer whittles his own drumsticks by hand.
- You don't need to include everything in your bio, just the stuff that makes you different from everyone else. Make sure it's interesting to read!
- Some alternatives to merely writing, "I was born and joined a band," include:
- a tale from the road that altered the way you play your music
- trials and tribulations that led to your album title
- whatever happened to your "lost tapes"
- the guy in the audience who always requests the same song
- recent accolades or high-profile booked gigs (point viewers to your EPK calendar for full details)
The bio should waste few words. Reread and rewrite until it's perfect: magazines writing articles on you will thank you for it! Get a friend or a fan to look it over if you're stuck.
It's not a bad idea to write another version of your bio to send to magazines that are doing in-depth interviews, and want to focus more on the human aspect of your band.
Remember, there never really is a wrong way to write a bio, so long as you include the key points. Make sure readers know what you've done, what you're doing, and how well you do it.
Lastly, keep it up to date!
Check out a funky, well-written biography.
Elevator Pitch — Honing It Down
What is an Elevator Pitch? If you were riding in an elevator with a stranger, and you had 30 seconds to sell your band to that person, what would you say? There's a reason this section is limited to 300 characters! We want you to choose your words carefully, as this is the first impression a promoter will get of you and your band.
Many artists write it as a recipe: "If you mix a cup of Lenny Kravitz with a spoonful of David Bowie..." We like short ones that are all about the music, e.g. "Heavy, dirty synth mixed with Shirley Manson-style vocals."
Including your influences is a great way to describe your music. Avoid the trite:
- My band has the most unique sound you've ever heard!
- My singing defies genre and comparisons. I don't sound like anyone but me!
- People should watch out because we're going to be the biggest thing this year!
This not only sounds a bit arrogant but it doesn't say anything about your music or your performances. So no matter how good your songs are, they might be passed over based on your pitch.
Here's an example of a good Elevator Pitch:
"A guitar full of Lenny Kravitz mixed in with electronic drum & bass back beats that's guaranteed to get any crowd moving with an intense live show. They're a nonstop rock-and-groove fest with an unlimited amount of energy, guaranteed for every performance."
Another approach is to include quotes from reviews, or major accomplishments. "Toured with Bon Jovi 1999-2000, opened for Aerosmith 2002, and currently headlining the Vans Warped Tour" will give any promoter an idea of where this artist is in their career.
Keep in mind that the overall point of the Elevator Pitch is to generate some interest from a talent buyer's point of view. So make sure you sound professional and come across as serious about what you do — but you can have fun as well. Remember, what you might not have room to write in this section can go anywhere in your biography!
Instrumentation, Discography, and Links — The Middle Children of Your EPK Front Page
The instrumentation section is the place to list the members of your band and what they play. This can vary greatly from artist to artist. Basically, you want to make it as neat and as readable as possible.
John Smith — Guitar, Vocals, and Harmonica
Alex Reed — Organ, Kazoo, Theremin, and Dulcimer
You don't always have to list names of your band members if they change frequently. You can get around this by inserting a simple note, like "Full band available upon request." Then list the instrumentation of that backing band. If you don't have or need a full band, then just put your name and the instruments you play live.
The Discography section is a detailed list of places where your music appears. Add any CDs you've released, radio stations you're playing on, compilation CDs, and any other place of release here.
Include dates, as well as any notes regarding the release — for example, "35,000 copies sold," or "#1 hit on Radio-Canada Alberta."
Remember to keep it short, simple, and to the point. For example:
(2005)
Self-Titled Debut Album release
#10 on Philadelphia Bossa Nova charts, 8 weeks running
Hit single "I Am Awesome," #23 on Radio-Canada Alberta
(2006)
Second Album release
Single "I Am Still Awesome" on XYZ Compilation CD
The Links section is for you to put up a link to your homepage, MySpace page, sponsors/endorsements, or maybe a link to a video that shows you melting faces with your awesome tunes.
• Standard subscribers can add one link, and we suggest making it your own website — or MySpace page, if you don't have a website.
• Supersonic Subscribers can add up to 5 links.
The Ever-Important Photo
People like to see what you and your band look like — it's that simple. With an EPK, you have two main ways to impress people's senses: sound and sight. You've got to make sure they're both awesome! To get started, go to Edit My EPK and select the Media Files tab.
Make the most of your gallery:
- The maximum height/width for the Main Photo is 170 pixels. Have a long photo that you want to use as your Main Photo? Try adding a decorative edge to make it stand out. Example: EJ Labb & the Free Association
- You can also consider cropping large photos so promoters can get a closer look. Example: The Dents - their Main Photo is a cropped version of a full-sized photo (photo number 6 in the gallery).
- Be sure to title images in your photo gallery so promoters know what they're looking at! This may seem like a simple thing but we see lots of images with generic titles like "band_12.jpg."
- If you have a Supersonic EPK, position your high resolution photo first so that promoters and press don't have to dig to find it. Simply use the up and down arrows to change the order. The title will automatically be appended with "Click here for print quality (high-res) version."
Your photo is what a lot of promoters use to judge at what level you are at in your career. Displaying a professionally taken promotional shot shows that you are serious about your craft. If you are working with a professional photographer, do some research to make sure their art complements your art, and that they have experience working with bands.
Here is a good example: http://www.sonicbids.com/GabyMoreno
An alternative to having a shot of your band as your main photo is to upload your band's logo. Check out http://www.sonicbids.com/doubletakeband for an example.
Remember that your EPK is designed to get bookers, festivals, A&R reps, and other promoters excited about your music and performances. You've got 10 slots for pics. Make them count by selecting the ones that clearly show you at your best. Choose a few from in-action live performances. It's great if the pictures show you in a way that isn't fully expected.
The high-resolution photos on your EPK make it easy for print editors to feature your promo shot(s) on their glossy front pages (or anywhere at all). If you want your photo to accompany a review or any announcement about your music or shows, you're going to want to have some good quality shots to choose from. Standard subscribers get 1 High resolution Photo, and Supersonic get 5.
Press — Your Band in Print
You can upload up to 10 Press Reviews to your EPK. Promoters want to see what other folks have said about your music and performances, so be sure to build up that section as best you can.
Sections of the press review in your EPK builder:
Heading:
The title of the article written about you
Publisher:
Magazine/newspaper/blog the article was published in
Text:
Text of the article
Here are some smart things to keep in mind when posting press reviews:
- Grab 'em quick! Keep your reviews short and catchy! Choose the best quotes from the best articles and include those. Promoters are often sifting through many EPKs, so build up to longer reviews by putting them lower on the list so as not to overshadow the others.
- Good press can come from anywhere! Your press area doesn't have to be reserved solely for print reviews. Choose quotes from broadcast reviews or conversations, as long as you've got permission. And remember — sometimes the best thing to show promoters is what your fans have to say about you!
- Keep it recent! Show promoters that the press is paying attention to you now! They don't want to miss out on what's hot.
- Don't have any press reviews yet? Check out the Review/PR area of your Promoter Drop Box and use the Email My EPK Out Now tool in your account to get in touch with magazines and newspapers that can review your music!
Set List — 1, 2, 3… um, What's Next?
The Set List section of your EPK is the best place to show how much you can do. If you are a performing act or songwriter, this spot is essential. If you have a repertoire of over 350 jazz standards or if you can play every B-side that Journey has ever released, then these are things that you should make note of. You may not be a bar band, but if you are, make sure the booker knows you can play "Free Bird" when that guy on his 10th pint yells it out!
Original music needs the Set List section just as much. If you are shopping for a label, manager, or publisher, there is a difference between the artist with 7 songs and the artist with 77 songs. A promoter likes to know that you have a lot of potentially good material. If you are a songwriter, you can use the Set List section to list every song and style of song you ever wrote since you were 5 (remember that ballad you wrote for your stuffed animal?).
Set up your Set List creatively. Remember, it's not just a list of songs you can play, but it can also be a description of the types of shows you can play. You may have a large band with a 6-piece horn section, washtub player, a gong-ringer and four lion tamers (with or without lions), but that doesn't mean you can't do a 2-piece or solo acoustic session for your coffeehouse shows and private parties, each with its own set of songs, covers, and price. Show how your act can fit in multiple places. Of course, if you're trying to cause the next music revolution, then you may not want to change your act for anything — even for Free Bird guy.
Skins — Customize Your EPK with Color
Choosing a good color combination is incredibly important for your EPK: the wrong colors can actually be painful to look at. The last thing you want to do is blind the promoter with severe color choices (especially if they are a fashion or graphic designer)!
You'll want to make sure you have nice smooth complementing colors for your press kit so it's enjoyable to look at. We don't expect you to go to art school just to learn color theory for your EPK, but this site has a helpful tool that you can use.
Using this tool, pick a base color. You'll then be given quite a few complementary and contrasting colors to choose from. If you are not sure what to use as a base color, we suggest trying something that matches with the some of the colors in your main photo. You can always use one of our pre-designed skins too.
With the right color combination in place, your EPK will look great!
Video — Live, Music Video, or Both? Hm…
All Supersonic members have the option to upload a video to their EPK. The video has the ability to showcase just how good your act is.
Many artists use their video to show a single song or a clip of a song being played live. This is a good indicator of what a promoter can expect to see if they book you for a live show at their venue. Other artists use a montage of video clips from different performances to get across the notion that they have not only talent but consistency.
If you decide to upload a live video, make sure it shows you at your best. If you have a video of an off night with a quieter crowd then normal, then you may want to think twice about putting it up, and wait until you get a video worth showing. It's not impressive to see an artist performing his or her heart out on stage while the only person in the audience is the bartender, asleep on the stool.
Another option is to create an actual music video. If you've got an idea, a camera, and a budget, why not? Be forewarned: a video of a live performance will usually do more for your song than a very obviously unprofessional music video. You don't have to hire Spike Jonze, but it'd help to have a nice camera!
The third option, and perhaps the best, is to create a promotional video that mixes in elements of your live show. Show how you perform in front of a crowd; splice in some quick clips of the band interacting off-stage; get brief appearances and quotes from fans, or from venues that have placed you on bills before. Show what you've got that's unique.
Here's an example of a great video: http://www.sonicbids.com/DarkwaterUk
Promoters aren't necessarily looking for star power, but they do want to see that you're comfortable, confident, and honest with your music. Remember, a million-dollar video won't make a bad song any better, so if you've got quality music, grab them with what you've got!
Your Calendar — Show Your Shows
The Calendar is the most popular section of the EPK and the most underused! How can both be true?
Most artists are extremely diligent about keeping their EPK calendars current with the latest updates. Artists with the most verifiable bookings are listed in the Sonicbids charts. But we still consider it underutilized because the importance of adding upcoming performance dates to the EPK is still overlooked by some:
- Listing your upcoming performance dates on your EPK calendar shows promoters, fans, and others viewing your EPK that you are actively performing.
- Without the wheres and whens, no one will know where to go to see you play.
- Promoters, especially those for performance opportunities, will want to know the types of venues you are playing, how often you are performing, and the type of crowd you draw in. They'll look to your EPK calendar for that info.
- Keep it current! Don't get passed up for opportunities or bookings because you haven't updated your calendar.
Not a performing artist? You can still use your EPK calendar to your advantage. Record the dates of TV appearances, participation on panel or industry discussions, and upcoming publications that mention you and your music! Promoters of songwriting competitions may be interested in seeing this information to better understand the type of music you write and how actively you promote it.
Use the
Promote My EPK tool to customize and embed your EPK calendar on your personal website. With this feature, updating your dates has never been easier — you can add upcoming performance dates in your EPK and the changes apply universally!
Performance Requirements — Put Some Thought into Them!
"2 turntables and a microphone" sounds catchy, but you'll need something to plug them into! Don't skimp on the Basic Requirements section of your EPK. Promoters want to see that you've put some thought into a comprehensive list of requirements. They may not be able to supply everything, but they're concerned (just like you) about putting on the best show they can.
Be sincere about what you need, but also include the things you could use to really bring your live show to the next level. Include what you can provide as well. It's okay to say you need different types of equipment for different types of shows. And remember — you can always cut items out from a comprehensive list, but it's difficult and frustrating to add things last-minute if they aren't on the list. Check out http://www.sonicbids.com/foolsandhorses and http://www.sonicbids.com/vicmoraga for examples of how to list different needs for different situations.
If you're a band on tour, you may want to include hospitality and/or lodging requirements. Check out http://www.sonicbids.com/NikkoleEPK for a great example of a very in-depth rider and performance requirements list.
If you have a Supersonic EPK, you can upload a PDF of a stage plot or contract rider into the Basic Requirements section! Upgrade at any time through the Subscription Information section of your account.
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