Importance of an Electronic Press Kit

Think about what you need to do in order to obtain your dream job… Most people feel the need to obtain a degree. Some intern or maybe start out at the bottom of the totem pole… No matter what route you take to land your dream job, there’s always one common thing that everyone needs to have and that is a Resume.

According to Merriam-Webster’sOnline Dictionary, a resume is “a set of accomplishments.” Most resumes come in various formats. For a more corporate type of job, many people create a resume that contains their education, work experience, reference, etc. But when it comes to a career as a music artist, your resume takes a completely different form. The way that most artists are able to summarize what they have done is be developing an electronic press kit (epk).

 A press kit is simply a resume for a music artist. Most of them contain the following: bio of the artist, photos, samples of music, a list of performances, and any accomplishments that they may have. Just as anyone can post a resume online to sites just as Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com, music artists can also have an online presence via an electronic press kit.

Before the big move to technology, most artists would have all of this printed out in a tangible format to present to other music industry professionals and it was just known as a Press Kit. Now that we can practically find anything via the use of anything electronic, many artists provide access to their EPKs via a website, digital file to be sent, cd, along with contact information. Jonathan Ostrow, of Music Think Tank, recommends that artists have a physical press kit along with their electronic press kit.

Examples of some electronic press kits can be seen at the following websites:

-       Power Press Kits

-       Performer Magazine

The benefit of having these available is that you are no longer considered to be out of touch with anyone. If you live in Orlando and are trying to gain immediate attention of a music executive in New York or even California, they no longer have to wait for you to send a tangible item to them to review. You can instantly send them your epk so that they can review your work. A lot of music industry professionals believe that “Time Equals Money” so they want to move quickly when it comes to working with any music artist.

Something that you want to make sure that you do is to have quality items within your press kit. Photos should be high resolution and your music should be professionally recorded. This helps others see that you are worth the financial investment if you are willing to invest your own money.

Ostrow also suggests that you provide a cover letter with your press kit. Just as when applying for a job, your resume would be provide with a cover letter so the same rule applies.

Presentation is key when you are making your first impression on anyone that you come into physical contact with. If you are not able to physically meet someone in-person, your press kit must speak volumes for you and your talent as a musician. No matter what you may or may not have accomplished, all artists should take advantage of their press kit.