How to Create a Press Kit for Musicians

This album cover, and others you may have, can be included in the press kit.

Your guitar playing rocks—but no one knows about it. It’s time to get the word out to local fans and the media is a good place to start. You need something professional, fun and eye-catching enough that editors wading through their piles of mail will give it a second glance. You can create a press kit for musicians that includes it all with the following steps.

Things You'll Need

• Brief bio
• Press release
• Demo CD
• Photos

Instructions

1. Find a jazzy but professional folder that will hold your press kit. Make it appropriate for your music. If it’s rock and roll, get a glittery purple folder. For soft jazz, pick a finely tuned melon.

2. Stock the folder with your business card, a brief bio that lists your past gigs, history of making music and upcoming tours and a press release that explains why you should be in the news now. Perhaps you just released your second CD or you have a show at the local music hall.

3. Include a demo CD that gives a taste of your style, or an entire CD if you are hoping for a review.

4. Put some photos of you with your guitar, your band, you performing or you relaxing on a rowboat strumming away, wherever you make music. Visuals grab the eye.

5. Make sure to include a grabber of what makes you stand out from the millions of other musicians. Perhaps flames shoot out of your guitar or you learned to play guitar with your toes.

Tips & Warnings

• The photos should be professional glossies, not some cheap-o printed little matte things.

• Likewise, your business card, press release and bio should be on professional card stock or paper with your logo. Yes, you should have a logo.

• Always include your phone number and the availability for media interviews.

• Hook up a Web site, MySpace and any other online resource that can include updates on your gigs, CDs and samples of your music. Include those links in the press kit.

• Having a press kit is only half the battle. You still need to send it out to applicable sources and follow up to make sure they got it and hope to do something with it.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish