A press kit is easy to define - it is your brand, your image, it is you in a package. With that said, it's an integeral part of a band or artist and it needs to represent you in the best way possible as it will be the key to selling your "brand" to venues, A&R representatives and many more.

Anyone can make a press kit, sure, but it's the ones that are that much more remarkable than the rest that always breaks through. A press kit is your sales pitch. A press kit also needs to provide as much factual information to be able to base an article or review on. Here are some tips:

BIOGRAPHY
A biography is the first place where you can get creative. Everybody loves a great story. This can be an integeral thing that helps bridge a relationship with the reader - something that helps them relate to the band or artist. So, if you have an interesting back story, ensure you include it... it's extremely marketable!

Your biography should be kept short and sweet. Ideally it should be one A4 page, two at absolute maximum. No one wants to read five pages of your history. If you have nothing special to say, get the bio over as quickly as possible.

YOUR MUSIC
You should always include your most recent forms of music, or a track or tracks that are recognizable or have become a fan favourite. It MUST be of HIGH quality... no home made demo's. Remember that you may only attract 60 seconds (if that!) to state your case to the listener so if they don't hear what they are looking for in your music then they will pass.

PHOTOS
Always include a high resolution 300dpi photo of the artist or band. It's important for it to be of high quality so that it can be reproduced in magazines, newspapers, blogs etc. Remember that no matter what you wear when you are in ‘artist’ mode, whether it’s for a photo shoot or on stage, you are making a statement.

TOUR DATES
This is the part of the kit that will always vary. Whenever you have got tour dates, it's always a must to include these in your press kit. Obviously, the more dates you have, the better it looks. By showing that others find you marketable, and are willing to book you, you will become instantly more appealing to the reps of bigger and better venues- to these people ticket and bar sales are everything.

GIG-OGRAPHY
As well as your current dates, it's always a good idea to include a gig-ography listing your past shows you've played. Do yourself a favor, and leave this off the list if all you can say is "I played a backyard BBQ for my friends".

This is a good place to show off previous shows of importance, whether it be venues with a large capacity or sold out gigs.

PRESS REVIEWS/INTERVIEWS
The more high-profile reviews and/or interviews you can include in your press kit, the better off you will be. This is physical proof to booking agents and A&R reps that your brand is worth something, and there is more money to be made by marketing it on a larger scale.

CONTACT INFO
This is one of the most important parts of the press kit. Make sure you have multiple ways to be reached by those who are looking to get in touch with you. Give what ever info you would like, but make sure you leave the phone number, address and email address of the one person who represents the band, even if it is a band member. Also, to show that you are serious, create an email that is professional (i.e. my.band@gmail.com).

Whether you use a physical press kit or an electronic press kit, the information used should remain fairly similar. However, an electronic press kit does give you some additional options such as videos and website links that may be difficult (though not impossible) to include in a physical press kit.

Here is the basic info that is typically seen within an EPK:
* Biography
* Music clips (with accompanying lyrics)
* High resolution press photos
* Tour dates
* Promotional videos
* Website or website links
* Press reviews and interviews, etc.
* “RIYL” or “Recommended If You Like” list: a listing of artists of similar styles or genres
* High resolution photos or images of the band logo, products, etc.
* Contact information


TIPS
Shrinkwrap: Take off the shrink wrap from the CD. Although this may seem only a small thing, it is the small things that make the big difference! Look at it through the eyes of those who do look at press kit after press kit. By removing the shrink wrap, you are saving all of those looking at the press kit the headache of having to remove it themselves, keeping them in a good mindset as they listen to the first few seconds of your CD. Do you really think you will stand a chance if the person puts the disk into the player after struggling with the shrink wrapping? No… you wont.

Cover Letter: Just as you would when sending a resume, ensure that you include a professional cover letter. A cover letter is a formal and personal introduction to the band and the music and MUST be kept to one page minimum. Click here if you don’t know how to create a cover letter.

Put Your Contact Info On Anything and Everything: Just remember, your press kit will most likely be one of many in a pile. Just as school teachers give constant reminders to put your name on all of your work, make sure you put your contact info on everything you can. Pictures get separated, CDs get removed and misplaced from their cases, cover letters get separated from the rest of the press kit, etc.

Presentation of Press Kit: All of the contents of your press kit needs to be put together into one clean and professional package, as it not only reflects how serious you are about the opportunity at hand, but is a sign of respect to those receiving it. A manila folder is most likely the best option, but no matter what kind of folder you do use, make sure you get the band name printed on to it, not drawn, but printed.

Also, make sure that everything stays nicely inside the folder- your press kit will be in a pile with others, if something important from your press kit falls out, such as your demo CD, you can kiss that opportunity good-bye.

Just keep in mind that you represent a brand, and an overall image, and you are attempting to convince a professional that your music is marketable and WILL be profitable if given the opportunity.

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