Sometimes overlooked, your photo is what a lot of promoters use to judge what level you are at in your career. Displaying professionally done photos can show that you are serious about your craft. Hiring a professional is a great way to make sure your band looks their best. However you might have to do some research to make sure their art complements your art, and that they have experience working with bands. It is also a good idea to know what you are looking for when choosing the right photographer.

Here are some tips- (more…)

(This info and more in Kenny Kerner’s book, “Going Pro: Developing a Professional Career in the Music Industry.”

So, you sent your EPK to a promoter. What’s next? Why, I am so glad you asked. Two words will open up a world of opportunity for you: Follow Up.

As you might have guessed, there are some good ways to follow up and there are some bad ways. Kenny Kerner, seasoned artist manager, author, and current Director of the Music Business Program at Musician’s Institute, offers some valuable advice about following up.

Kerner suggests you plan two [2] follow up calls.

The first should be planned five business days after sending your EPK. Kerner explains, “that first call should be to confirm that the promoter received your kit.” Start off the call saying: “Hi, my name is… I’m just calling to make sure you received my information.” If the promoter didn’t receive it, come up with a plan to make sure that s/he receives it. If the promoter did receive your EPK, ask if it would be okay for you to call back in a couple days to talk about it. (more…)

All Supersonic members have the option to upload a video to their EPK. The video has the ability to showcase just how good your act is.

Many artists use their video to show a single song or a clip of a song being played live. This is a good indicator of what a promoter can expect to see if they book you for a live show at their venue. Other artists use a montage of video clips from different performances to get across the notion that they have not only talent, but also consistency. (more…)

It’s all about presentation and conveying who you are as an artist. Choosing a good color combination for your EPK is worth spending some time on: After all, you want people to read it, and the wrong combination of colors can make that painful – sometimes physically. We don’t expect you to go to art school just to learn color theory for your EPK, but be sure to find something that’s easy to look at, while also being distinctive. (more…)

The Set List section of your EPK is the best place to show the versatility and breadth of your work. For performers, speakers and songwriters alike, this area is highly valuable. Have a repertoire of over 350 jazz standards? Talk about it here. You can play every B-side that Journey has ever released? That’s noteworthy. And if you’re a bar band, be sure to let everyone know you can knock out “Freebird” every time it gets shouted out. (more…)

You’ll probably do more typing for your EPK Bio than for any other section, and with good reason: Your bio is incredibly important. It shows promoters, talent buyers, A&R reps, and anyone else viewing your EPK what you’ve accomplished so far, who you are, what you do, and why you do it.

Get started by making a list of accomplishments and a list of goals, and use those as a guideline. Keep in mind that everything in the EPK should be about getting gigs, and the bio is no different. Promoters review many biographies, and they want to see the important information as soon as possible. Think of it as a résumé.

One option is to start by mentioning a project that you are currently working on. For example: (more…)

Rarely will artists get selected for every submission of theirs, but there are some things you can to maximize the effectiveness of the ones you make:

• Start by submitting to appropriate gig listings for yourself. Check out this article for tips on selecting the right gigs to submit to. (more…)