PUTTING IN WORK: Presskits – the gateway to PR and booking agents
There’s one rule that I always follow – make it as easy as possible for people to learn more about you, listen to your music, and ultimately buy it. I truly believe that if you apply this rule to everything you do when it comes to your career in music, you’ll be successful.
So with that said, let’s talk about press kits.
You might already be using FanBridge, ReverbNation, or a similar service for them. I’m not saying they’re bad services; I’m just saying that there are better options when it comes to press kits. Fanbridge and ReverbNation (if you’ve read some of my comments here on NEPA Scene, you’ll know I’m not a fan of them!) can easily become cluttered and, at times, make it difficult for people to learn about you. Remember, people in the press and other industry people have limited time. Make the most out out the time you do get, if you’re so lucky!
A service that I use quite frequently is Presskit.to. It’s very easy to navigate and looks good on mobile devices. Regardless of which service you use, your press kit should always include these essential elements:
2. Images: If a journalist decides to cover you, they almost certainly need some images. Make sure that your promo photos are high-resolution. You should include a few different band photos with vertical and horizontal options. Be sure to also include the image for your most recent album cover.
3. Music: You’ll need to have your music available to listen to, of course. The industry standard right now is to use SoundCloud since it’s simple and works across all devices. With Presskit.to, you can easily embed your tracks into your press kit. Highlight a few of your best tracks, or if you just released an album, pick the single and make sure it’s towards the top.
4. Video: Video is important for bloggers. Their readers want to watch, as well as listen and read. Do you have any videos for your songs? If you don’t have an official video, you can make a lyric video for a few of your tracks. Add these videos in so that people can easily embed and share them.
5. Press articles/reviews: This one might be a little tough if you’re just starting out. At first, you might not have any press to feature. That’s OK! Ask one of your fans at a show, or on social media, if they would mind writing a quick review about your music and feature it until you have some write-ups. You’d be surprised how willing a fan would be to do it. Offer some free tickets or merch in exchange.
Once you get to the point where you do have some press, highlight the biggest publications so that people can see them. Maybe add in a quote or two from the story.
6. Contact info: This one is forgotten about more than you would think! Add in the contact info for the person that handles most of the booking for your band. If you have a manager, or publicist, add them in there, too. Make sure you have a phone number and e-mail for both.
Remember, make it as easy as possible. Limit the amount of clicks and actions people need to take to listen/read/watch, and it will always increase your chances.
Happy holidays!
I’d love some feedback about what you would like to read about! Do you have any questions? Is there a certain area that you’re struggling with? I want this column to be as helpful as possible, so please get in touch! Hit me up on social media or send me an e-mail at cory[at]e1yk.com.
