A music press kit — or EPK (Electronic Press Kit) — is the first thing a booking agent, label A&R, journalist, or sync supervisor asks for when they're interested in your music. It's your resume, your pitch deck, and your brand presentation in one document. Most indie artists don't have one. Of those who do, most have one that's out of date, incomplete, or poorly formatted. Here's exactly how to build a press kit that gets you taken seriously in 2026.
What a press kit actually needs (and doesn't need)
A press kit needs: your artist bio (150 words and 300 words versions), 3–5 high-resolution press photos, your best 3 tracks with streaming links, your key metrics (monthly Spotify listeners, TikTok views, social following), and contact information. That's it for a minimum viable EPK.
What your press kit doesn't need: 10 tracks, a full album discography, a 2-page bio, or a design portfolio. Simplicity signals confidence. A press kit that tries to include everything usually means the artist doesn't know what their strongest material is.
The artist bio — what to write and how long
Write two versions: a 150-word bio for one-paragraph slots (festival programs, playlist descriptions) and a 300-word bio for feature articles and press releases. Start with your most impressive factual claim, not 'I've been making music since I was 7.' Write in third person ('Lucas creates...') not first person.
What makes a bio actually good: one specific, concrete impressive fact in the first sentence. 'Lucas's debut single has 2.3M TikTok views and 400K Spotify streams' beats 'Lucas is a passionate musician from Brooklyn.' Genre description, influences (max 2–3), and a current activity sentence to close.
Press photos — specs and what to get
Minimum 3 photos, minimum 300 DPI, at least 2000px on the short side. You need: one clean white/neutral background headshot, one lifestyle/environment photo that communicates your genre, and one live or action photo. All three should have consistent color grading — they should look like they belong together.
Budget photographers work fine for EPK photos — $150–300 for a session. What you can't do: iPhone photos, blurry shots, heavy filters that remove professionalism. Press outlets often can't use iPhone portrait mode photos because they're too compressed.
Metrics — which numbers to include
In 2026, the metrics that impress people are: Spotify monthly listeners (minimum 1,000 to include, ideally 10K+), TikTok views total or per-clip best performance, Instagram follower count if over 5K, and notable press coverage or sync placements. Don't include metrics that make you look small.
If your numbers are small, focus on growth rate instead of absolute numbers: '10x growth in 60 days' is more impressive than '2,000 monthly listeners' even if the underlying number is the same. You need some numbers — a press kit with no stats looks amateur.
Where to host your EPK
The standard in 2026: a private Notion page, a dedicated EPK link from your website (artist.com/press), or a Google Drive folder shared via link. DO NOT email attachments — large PDF attachments go to spam. Send a clean link.
For design: Canva has free EPK templates that look professional. A simple PDF is fine. A well-designed one-page Notion EPK is better than a 5-page poorly designed PDF. Simpler always wins.
Your EPK URL matters: artist.com/press is more professional than a random Notion link. If you don't have a website, use a free link-in-bio page (Linktree, Beacons) dedicated entirely to your EPK. The easier it is to access, the more likely people are to actually open it.
How to pitch your EPK — the actual email
Sending an EPK without a pitch email is like sending a resume with no cover letter. The pitch email needs to do three things in under 150 words: establish why you're contacting this specific person, make a concrete ask, and give them a reason to open the link.
A good pitch email structure: Subject line — keep it specific ('Booking inquiry — indie artist, 45K monthly Spotify listeners'). Opening sentence — who you are and one concrete impressive fact. Second paragraph — what you're asking for specifically (booking inquiry, interview, review, sync consideration). Link to your EPK. Your name and contact. No 'I hope this email finds you well.' No long artist history. Just the relevant facts and the ask.
Follow up once after 7 days if no response. After that, move on. Journalists and bookers receive hundreds of pitches — a second follow-up is appropriate, a third is spam. Keep the follow-up short: 'Just circling back on this — EPK link is still live at [URL] if you have a chance to look.'
What to include beyond the basics — the EPK sections that set you apart
The minimum EPK (bio, photos, tracks, metrics) is what everyone has. What separates a good EPK from a great one: a press quotes section, a 'live performance' section with video or rider, and a 'current projects' section that makes you feel active and momentum-forward.
Press quotes: even a quote from a small independent blog carries weight if presented well. 'Incredibly raw and authentic — Local Music Blog' reads professionally. One good quote from a legitimate source is more valuable than no quotes at all. Start building your press coverage deliberately — even small outlets count.
The live performance section is critical for booking inquiries: include a technical rider (what equipment you need), a set length range ('available for 30–60 minute sets'), and links to 2–3 live performance videos. The easier you make it for a booker to say yes, the more yeses you get.
EPK common mistakes — what to fix before you send
Outdated information: if your EPK says '5,000 monthly listeners' and you now have 50,000, it's actively hurting you. Update your metrics every 90 days at minimum. An outdated EPK makes you look like you haven't paid attention to your own career.
Dead links: test every link in your EPK before sending. Streaming links change when tracks get re-uploaded. Photos get deleted from shared drives. Google Drive links with 'view only for specific people' that the recipient doesn't have access to. Test your EPK as if you were a new recipient receiving it for the first time.
Typos in your own artist name, track titles, or social handles. This sounds obvious but it happens frequently in EPKs assembled under time pressure. Have someone else proofread before you send any important pitch.
How to grow your EPK metrics fast
The single fastest way to improve your EPK's most important metric (monthly Spotify listeners) is consistent daily TikTok promotion. Each viral TikTok clip drives Shazam searches → Spotify streams → monthly listener count. A 10K-view TikTok clip can move your Spotify count by 200–800 listeners in a week.
For press coverage: pitch SubmitHub ($15–20 per campaign) to independent music bloggers. Even a review on a 5,000-reader blog gives you a quote for the press section. Build the press section incrementally — one review at a time.
For live performance footage: film your next show on a smartphone, stabilized and with decent audio (a portable recorder like Zoom H1n significantly improves audio quality). Upload to YouTube, embed in your EPK. You don't need professional video production — you need something that shows you can perform live with energy.
Build your audience before your EPK
Press kits are most effective when you already have numbers to show. Autohype builds your Spotify listener count and TikTok views daily — the metrics that make your EPK impossible to ignore.
Start your free trial →Frequently asked questions
Do I need a press kit before I'm 'big enough'?
You need an EPK as soon as you're pitching anyone — a booking agent for a local show, a festival submission, a sync opportunity. If you're waiting until you're big enough, you're waiting too long. Build it now with what you have and update as you grow.
What if I have no press coverage or notable achievements yet?
Build the EPK with what you have: bio, photos, tracks, streaming links. Leave the press section empty or label it 'coming soon.' Every artist starts from zero. A well-made EPK with no press is better than no EPK at all.
Should I include social media links?
Yes, but selectively. Include links only to platforms where your presence is active and looks professional. A dead Instagram with 150 posts from 2021 and no activity is worse than no Instagram link.
How long should a music press kit be?
One to two pages in PDF format, or a clean single-scroll Notion page. Three pages maximum. A press kit longer than two pages signals that you don't know what your most important information is. Editors and bookers give EPKs 30–60 seconds of attention — every element needs to earn its place.
What's the difference between an EPK and a one-sheet?
A one-sheet is a condensed single-page version of your EPK — one photo, one paragraph bio, key metrics, and contact info. It's used for physical distribution at conferences and festivals. Your full EPK is the digital version with multiple photos, streaming links, and more detail. Have both prepared.