As owner of an independent record label, I am often asked how to put together a great press kit. I have found that young musicians understand their music, but are often intimidated by the marketing end of the year. In this article I will help you figure out how to position, whether it is a Latin singer build up their base, or an upstart garage band just looking for a break to be.
What is a press kit:
Firstly, there is nothing magical about the concept"Press". Everything we are talking a little background on you / your band, some basic facts, good quotes about the music, a few good pictures, and a sample of your music. You will use this to newspapers, lawyers, radio stations, sending A & R reps, promoters and everyone else who is willing to spend five minutes to review your material. In addition, the Internet, you will hear about an electronic press or EPS. An EPS is exactly the same as a conventional press kit,unless there is an electronic file instead of a hard-copy form, which will be posted for download.
The main purpose of the press kit is to generate interest of artists and their music.
What to include:
Include a limited amount of background information about yourself. It's nice to say where you are coming, but nobody really wants to hear about any power you like to sing during the primary school. Sometimes less is more.
Talk about your music. Who do you soundhow, and who have the music as a reminder of das The reader must be able to have a good idea of what your music sounds like just from your description. Be nice and feel to be free, here (a little weird, but stay professional). Something to say how your band sounds like a cross between "Maroon 5 and Green Day after 20 cups of coffee" helps the reader to understand. Remember, if you do not generate enough interest in the first minute, they will never listen to your demo.
Talkabout what you are good at. What makes your special bond and is different from others? What skills and experience you bring to the table? Remember, if you are looking for a record deal, you must prove to your readers that you have to spend all the right ingredients for them to have hundreds of thousands of dollars in marketing. Introduction of a new artist is risky, so you need to help the record exec understand why you are a sound investment.
Add Quotes to produce and / or newspaper clippings, as youthem. A good offer from a reputable source (not your brother-in-law) can be a lot of credibility to your press kit. It lets the reader know that you have already been reviewed and your material is worth hearing. Ninety percent of press kits unfortunately end up in the trash can do some good deals and an overview of the positive dynamic that needed to hear, and who knows - maybe even become famous.
You can) with a side of a bio (biography, and a separate page dedicatedfocused on quotes about the music, or you can combine the two, what some people call a "one pager". My personal preference is to cook everything on a close a pager. My desk is cluttered with papers and get separated. If you are cited you separate from your bio, there is a possibility that I could move one way or another. With the advent of digital photography and high-quality color printer, it is even possible to include a small image on a pager toto be completed.
Make sure all the language and tone of the press kit with your picture is consistent. If you have someone help you write your bio, make sure you listen to music and know what you all about the hand before they have something that sound great power, but not about the real you.
Add a few different 8x10 pictures that show different features about you and your band. Include photographs, be suitable to be in a news itemit also shows your most important resources from a visual perspective. Your press kit should look professional, but your pictures should reflect your style and your music so that your pictures is much more crazy and creative. Be sure to clearly label the picture with your name and contact information.
If you do not have good pictures of your band, one of the best ways to find common ground, it is going to a modeling agency and ask for a referral to a good local photographer. The photographers are oftenready to do some great work for around $ 300 for the entire package. Make sure that you have an agreement in advance that you are the copyrights after the shot and get the high resolution digital images on CD own (with a copyright release you can) these photos at any major retailer pressure. A photographer who works with models is a very different place from one photographer, the pictures of the family. They have a much better idea of what you want, they will encourage your creativity, and they are much morewilling to give you the copyrights.
A current gig sheet can also be useful showing where you have recently played and where you are playing in the near future. This can demonstrate that the music is current and has a following in the community.
And of course, your music. Send a high quality CD demo, preferably mastered if you budget permits. Avoid burning your own CD on your home computer with a stick on label – it looks cheap. There are many new CD duplication services on the Internet, the CD will make you a printed color insert, and disc printing technology, even if you only have a few copies (CD replication is for batches over 1,000 but CD duplication for batch sizes as small as 1). Expect to provide approximately $ 5 a retail disc for 1-5 CDs to pay, with prices dropping for larger batches. Be sure to clear name for the CD and the case with you name and contact information. The worst thing in the world, what could happen to them on the music, but lovethey already have the rest of the press kit and do not remember the name of the band.
What Not to Include:
Have you not too expensive. To say that you love the greatest band that ever lived will be correct, but it is not probable. Be positive and promote themselves, but focus on statements that are credible. The people in the music business hear hype all the time, and for the most part they are deaf. Hype is good to use with the general public about things such as posters (theyoften believe it), but your press kit reader is demanding and it will be seen as cheap theatrics too.
Including too much of your personal history, you can act like an amateur with a fleshy tell anything. Your readers want to understand your music today, only your psychologist needs to know about every little detail of your childhood.
Include anything that makes it even desperate. You want to join as a quality professional artists. Remember,They make good music. If your band is called Chicken Heads, then it could include a cute rubber chicken in the box, but otherwise I would stick to the basics - bio, quotes, gig sheet, pictures and music.
How to Package It:
Add a professional looking, personalized cover letter to the person you send the press kit targeted. Your message should it be different if you send it to an A & R manager, send to a label in search of a record deal, compared toto your local newspaper for a review in their music section. Be brief and to the point. Also be clear and specify exactly what you want from them.
All together in an organized package. As you probably mailing your press kits, make sure that the CD does not turn the photos and that your kit will arrive looking as you want. You may even want to test a press kit (you send it across the country to the wrong address, and then it will come again to returnTo evaluate address) your packaging.
Their music is art, but in your press kit business:
Remember to be professional. The person you are sending this to the press will probably be hundreds of them, most of them are garbage (and that's where they end too). Their music is his wild and crazy, but your press kit must be more companies like. You ask someone to spend their valuable time to review your material. You can also ask to enter more expensive with a high risk financial relationship with you. The person you are dealing with is in the music business, they need to earn a living. The only way they can do that with a lot of talent, a lot is. By presenting a professional package that you give them the confidence that you are dedicated to making great music, and not just messing around.
A word of unsolicited press kits:
Do not waste your time and money sending a press kit to someone whom you do not already spoken to. Call anytime,> Contact us first start to ask who you are and what their process, to be transmitted. May, if possible, have someone who the person is as a mediator and make the initial introduction (this worked wonders white). The music is all about creating contacts and use your network. After sending your press kit, please call in a few weeks and make follow-up, that it has received, and has a chance to review it.
Example:
To see an example of a press kit,visit the website at http://www.legendvega.com Legend Vega.
