As an indie musician today, you have to be a master of music but a jack of all trades as well.
That means that aside from being a musician, you have to be an accountant, an event organizer, a social media guru, and a master promoter too. Whew! Don’t you wish you could go back in time when all a musician needs to do is make music?
Wait. That never happened any time in history ever because if you want a CAREER in music, you have to sell yourself. That’s what the Beatles and everyone else did. That’s what you have to do now and forever.
One of the requirements of promoting your music is the press kit. What is a press kit? It’s like a brochure that you hand out to the movers and shakers (that means the A&R, the press, the organizers, the bloggers).
It contains your Demo reel, your bio, website address and other necessary information so they can write about you or gauge whether they want you to include in their line up.
A good band press kit should be direct-to-the-point, complete with all necessary items. Overloading it with fluffy stuff (not too important info) will guarantee instant turn-off. It will also guarantee that it will be in the trash bin in an instant.
Here are some of the most basic but lovely band press kits for inspiration:
Table of Contents
DJ FOX PRESS KIT
LAURA CLAIRE PRESS KIT
JASON MITCHELL
LI LIBRES PRESS KIT
BURGUNDY ROAD
CHARLIE SMARTS PRESS KIT
Notice what they all have in common? They’re easy on the eyes and not filled with sheets of paper.
They’re also easy to hold, open, and keep. These are the kind of press kits that A&R people won’t mind having.
If you’re planning to make a press kit, don’t hesitate to contact us. Tell us what you want and we will help you every step of the way.
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.
