What Is an EPK? A Plain-English Guide for Musicians

An EPK, short for electronic press kit, is a single web page that gives a venue, promoter, blogger or radio host everything they need to know about you as an artist: your music, your story, your photos, your videos and how to reach you. Think of it as your résumé and your portfolio on one link.

Who asks for an EPK?

The people who decide whether to book you or write about you are busy. They want to judge your sound and your look in a minute or two, then know who to contact. That is why these people ask for a press kit:

• Venue bookers and promoters choosing acts for a show or a bill.
• Festival and showcase organizers reviewing hundreds of submissions.
• Bloggers, podcasters and radio hosts deciding whether to feature you.
• Playlist curators and event planners looking for artists for a specific mood or event.

Many of them will not dig through your social media. If the first thing they find is a scattered set of links, the next artist in their inbox gets the slot.

What goes in an EPK?

A good EPK is short and complete. At minimum it includes:

1. Music they can play right away, with no login and no download.
2. A short bio of two or three sentences, and a longer one for people who want more.
3. Press photos in high resolution that others can download.
4. Videos, ideally one live clip and one music video if you have them.
5. Press quotes or highlights, such as shows played, releases and any coverage.
6. Links to Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Instagram and wherever else people can follow you.
7. Booking and press contacts with an email address and a phone number.

Our 10-point EPK checklist walks through each part in more detail.

EPK, website or social profile: what is the difference?

A website can hold anything, but it takes work to build and keep current. A social profile is made for fans, so it is built around posts, not around what a booker needs. An EPK is built for one job: helping someone decide quickly. It is also more focused than either, which is why bookers like it. If you also want a short page for fans in your Instagram or TikTok bio, read EPK vs. link-in-bio page.

What makes an EPK good?

• It is a link, not an attachment. Large email attachments get blocked or ignored. A link opens on any phone.
• The music plays on the page. Every extra click costs you listeners.
• It is current. An old show list or a broken link tells a booker you are hard to work with.
• It is easy to scan. Short paragraphs, clear headings and big photos beat a wall of text.
• Contact info is obvious. If a booker cannot find your email in ten seconds, they will move on.

Common EPK mistakes

• Sending a 40 MB PDF or a zip folder by email.
• Putting your best song at the bottom of the page.
• Writing a bio that lists genres but never says what you actually sound like.
• Using photos that are blurry, dark or too small to print.
• Forgetting to say where you are based and where you play.

Do I need an EPK if I only play small shows?

Yes. Small venues book fast, and the artist who replies with one clean link often wins the slot. An EPK also saves you from rewriting the same email for every venue, blog and playlist.

How to get an EPK on Dream Big Artists

Dream Big Artists gives you an EPK page with a built-in music player, your bio and highlights, press photos people can download, videos, links and booking contacts. Visitors can also save the page as a PDF press kit. Setting it up takes about 10 minutes, and our team reviews every page before it goes live so it looks right. Start your page or see how other artists’ pages look.