A press kit — sometimes called an EPK (electronic press kit) — is the professional package that represents you as an artist. It's what labels review when they're considering signing you, what promoters look at when deciding whether to book you, and what journalists reference when writing about your music. If your demo is your audition, your press kit is your resume.
Most artists either don't have a press kit or have one that actively hurts their chances. We see press kits every day at Red Star Media, and the difference between a good one and a bad one is immediately obvious. This guide covers exactly what to include, how to present it, and the mistakes that make labels click away.
What a Press Kit Is and Why It Matters
A press kit is a curated collection of everything someone needs to understand who you are as an artist and evaluate whether to work with you. It exists to answer questions before they're asked: What do you sound like? What have you accomplished? What do you look like? Where can people find your music?
Why it matters:
- •Labels receive hundreds of submissions. A professional press kit signals that you take your career seriously.
- •Promoters booking events don't have time to research you. The press kit does the work for them.
- •Journalists writing features need ready-to-use assets — bios, photos, and music links — in one place.
- •It forces you to think about your brand and presentation, which is valuable in itself.
If you don't have a press kit, you're asking every industry contact to do extra work to learn about you. Most of them won't.
Essential Elements of an Effective Press Kit
Artist Bio
Your bio is the most-read element of your press kit. It needs to accomplish three things: establish who you are, communicate your sound, and highlight your most notable achievements.
Structure:
- •Opening paragraph — Your name, where you're based, what genre you produce, and one sentence that captures what makes you distinctive.
- •Middle section — Notable achievements: releases, playlist placements, streams, gigs, collaborations, or press coverage. Be specific. "Featured on Spotify's Mint playlist" is better than "supported by major playlists."
- •Closing — What you're working on now or what's coming next. This gives the reader a reason to pay attention.
Bio tips:
- •Write in third person ("Alex produces melodic house" not "I produce melodic house")
- •Keep it to 150-250 words. Nobody reads a 500-word bio in a press kit.
- •Update it with every major release or milestone
- •Have two versions: a full bio and a short bio (2-3 sentences) for situations that need brevity
Press Photos
You need at least 2-3 high-quality press photos. This is not optional.
Requirements:
- •Minimum resolution of 2000x2000 pixels
- •At least one landscape and one portrait orientation
- •Professional quality — this doesn't necessarily mean expensive. A friend with a good camera and natural lighting can produce usable results.
- •Consistent with your brand aesthetic
- •Recent — photos should look like you currently look
Common photo mistakes:
- •Dark, blurry club photos where you can barely see the subject
- •Heavily filtered images that look unprofessional
- •Group photos where it's unclear which person is the artist
- •Photos that are years old
Music Links
Include direct links to your best and most recent work. Not your entire discography — a curated selection.
- •3-5 of your strongest tracks with direct streaming links (Spotify, SoundCloud, or both)
- •Your latest release prominently featured
- •A DJ mix if you play live — this gives promoters and labels a sense of your range and taste
- •Links to streaming profiles (Spotify artist page, Apple Music, SoundCloud, Beatport)
Social Media and Streaming Stats
Include current numbers, but only if they're meaningful. There's no minimum threshold — honesty is better than inflated numbers.
- •Spotify monthly listeners and follower count
- •SoundCloud followers and total plays
- •Instagram and TikTok follower counts
- •YouTube subscribers if applicable
- •Notable playlist placements with listener counts
Important: Don't fabricate or inflate numbers. Labels check. If your Spotify shows 500 monthly listeners, own it and let your music speak for itself. We've signed artists with tiny followings because the music was exceptional.
Achievements and Milestones
List anything noteworthy, presented concisely:
- •Label releases and the labels involved
- •Playlist placements (editorial and independent, with approximate listener counts)
- •Press coverage or reviews (with links)
- •Notable gigs or festival appearances
- •Remix credits
- •Collaboration credits
- •Awards or competition placements
Notable Press and Reviews
If you've received any press coverage, include it. Link directly to the articles. Even a small blog feature or a mention in a playlist roundup is worth including — it shows that someone outside your circle has validated your work.
Format and Presentation
Digital press kit (recommended)
The most effective format is a single, clean webpage. Options include:
- •A dedicated page on your artist website (e.g., yourname.com/press)
- •A Notion page or similar shareable document
- •Services like EPK.fm, Bandzoogle, or Sonicbids
Advantages: Always up to date, easy to share via link, embeddable media players, no file size issues.
PDF press kit
Some situations still call for a PDF — particularly formal submissions or when a specific contact requests one.
- •Keep it to 1-2 pages maximum
- •Use clean, professional design
- •Include QR codes or shortened links for music and social profiles
- •Ensure all images are high resolution but the file size stays under 10MB
What a press kit should look like
- •Clean, uncluttered layout with plenty of white space
- •Consistent fonts and color scheme that match your brand
- •Easy to scan — someone should be able to get the key information in 30 seconds
- •Mobile-friendly if it's a webpage
Common Press Kit Mistakes
We see these constantly, and they all make a bad impression:
- Too long — A press kit is not your autobiography. Keep it focused and concise. If it takes more than 2 minutes to review, it's too long.
- Outdated information — Stats from last year, old photos, or listing releases from three years ago as "new." Update your press kit with every release.
- Bad photos — We cannot overstate how much this matters. Low-quality photos signal low-quality professionalism.
- Broken links — Test every link in your press kit. Broken SoundCloud links, expired Google Drive shares, and dead website links are shockingly common.
- No clear genre identity — "I make everything from ambient to hardstyle" doesn't help anyone understand where you fit. Be specific about your sound.
- Exaggerating achievements — Claiming "hundreds of thousands of streams" when your Spotify shows 2,000 monthly listeners. We will check, and dishonesty is an instant disqualification.
- Missing contact information — Always include an email address and your primary social media links.
- Wall of text with no visual hierarchy — Use headings, bullet points, and clear sections. Make it scannable.
How Labels Use Press Kits
Understanding how we actually use your press kit helps you build a better one. Here's what happens at Red Star Media when we receive a submission with a press kit:
- Quick scan (30 seconds) — We look at the bio, check the photo quality, and note the streaming stats. This gives us an immediate sense of professionalism.
- Music listen — We listen to the linked tracks. This is always the most important factor. No press kit saves bad music, and a great track can overcome a weak press kit.
- Context check — We look at achievements, press coverage, and social media presence to understand where the artist is in their development.
- Brand assessment — Does this artist have a coherent identity? Does their visual presentation match their sound? Would they fit our roster aesthetically and sonically?
- Decision — All of this informs whether we move forward with the demo or pass.
A strong press kit doesn't guarantee a signing, but a weak one (or no press kit at all) makes it harder for us to champion your music internally.
Your Press Kit Checklist
Before you send your press kit anywhere, verify:
- •[ ] Artist bio: 150-250 words, third person, current
- •[ ] Short bio: 2-3 sentences for quick reference
- •[ ] 2-3 high-quality press photos (landscape and portrait)
- •[ ] 3-5 streaming links to your best tracks
- •[ ] Current social media and streaming stats
- •[ ] Achievements and milestones listed concisely
- •[ ] Contact email clearly visible
- •[ ] All links tested and working
- •[ ] Format is clean, scannable, and mobile-friendly
- •[ ] Updated within the last 3 months
How Red Star Media Can Help
Building a professional press kit is part of the artist development work we do with our roster. If you're preparing to submit demos to labels — including ours — a strong press kit significantly improves your chances of being taken seriously.
Get in touch with us to learn about our artist development services, or check out our guide on how we A&R a release to understand what happens after your press kit and demo get our attention.
For more on building your career as an independent EDM artist, explore our Artist Development & Marketing hub.