Guide
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Electronic press kits have been called the most important thing a band needs to get booked. They've also been called completely pointless. Here's the honest answer , and what one should actually contain.
You've written the songs. You've played the shows. Now you want more of them: better ones, at better venues, in front of bigger crowds. Someone tells you that you need an EPK. Someone else tells you EPKs are outdated and nobody reads them anymore.
Both of those people are partly right. Which is probably not the answer you were hoping for.
The truth is that an EPK is not a magic door-opener. Sending one doesn't guarantee you get booked. But not having one, or having a bad one, quietly closes doors before you even know they were open. Venue bookers and promoters are busy. They receive dozens of band pitches a week. When they open yours, they want to understand quickly who you are, what you sound like, and whether you're going to be professional to work with. An EPK is what lets them do that in about ninety seconds.
This guide will tell you exactly what an EPK is, whether you actually need one right now, what to put in it, and, just as importantly, what to leave out.
EPK stands for Electronic Press Kit. It's a digital version of the promotional pack that bands once physically posted to record labels and music press , a folder full of photos, bios, demo CDs, and magazine clippings. The digital version is the same idea, minus the postage costs and the bin it usually ended up in.
In practice, your EPK is a single place: a webpage, a PDF, or a shareable link , where anyone interested in booking or writing about your band can find everything they need: who you are, what you sound like, what you look like, and how to get in touch. That's it. It doesn't need to be complicated, and it doesn't need to be expensive.
Most bands in the UK keep their EPK as a dedicated page on their website, a well-designed PDF they can attach to emails, or increasingly, a purpose-built link using tools like Linktree, Bandzoogle, or ReverbNation. All three approaches work. The format matters less than the content , and whether the content is actually up to date.
Most articles about EPKs skip straight to "here's what to put in it" , which is useful, but it sidesteps the question most bands actually have: do I need to bother with this right now, or is it another thing I'll spend hours on that nobody looks at?
The honest answer depends on where you are.
If you're just starting out
A basic EPK is better than nothing, and you can build one in an afternoon. At this stage it doesn't need to be polished , it just needs to exist. A short bio, two or three tracks, a live photo, and a contact email is enough to look like you've got your act together. That alone puts you ahead of the bands who send a promoter a one-line message with a Spotify link.
If you're actively pitching venues and promoters
Yes, you need one , and it needs to be good. When you're cold-emailing venues or responding to booking enquiries, your EPK is doing the same job your music does: it either makes them more interested, or less. A well-put-together EPK signals professionalism. It tells the venue that you'll have your rider ready, you'll show up on time, and you won't create headaches on the day. A bad EPK , or a good band with no EPK , suggests the opposite.
If you're applying for festivals or support slots
Non-negotiable. Festival bookers and support slot coordinators are comparing your submission against dozens or hundreds of others. They need to be able to assess your band without emailing back and forth asking for basic information. If your materials aren't ready and easily accessible, you're not getting shortlisted.
Every EPK is slightly different, but the same core elements come up every time a venue or promoter describes what they actually want to see. Here they are , in the order they get read.
1. Your band bio: short and long versions
You need two versions: a short bio of around 50–75 words for people who just want the quick picture, and a longer version of 200–300 words for press, festival programmes, and venue websites that might want to write something up. Both should be written in third person ("The band formed in...", not "We formed in...") because the person reading it may copy and paste it directly into a listing.
The most common mistake bands make with bios is spending too many words on their origin story and not enough on what they actually sound like and why a venue should book them. Lead with the interesting bit: your sound, a notable show you've played, a comparison that helps people place you quickly. A promoter doesn't need to know how you all met , they need to know whether you'll fit their crowd.
2. Music: streaming links only
Link to your Spotify, Apple Music, SoundCloud, or Bandcamp. Do not attach audio files to your email , most bookers have a blanket rule about not opening email attachments from bands they don't know, and even if they don't, a large audio file creates friction. A link is instant. Make it instant.
Lead with your strongest track, not your newest one. The person listening may only hear the first ten seconds before they decide whether to keep going. Put your best foot forward, even if you recorded it a couple of years ago.
3. Live video
A live video is worth more to a promoter than a studio recording. What they're buying when they book you is a live performance , they want to see whether you can hold a crowd, whether you look like you belong on a stage, and whether the show will be worth putting on. A well-shot phone video from a good gig is fine. It doesn't need to be professionally filmed. It does need to show you playing to actual people, not an empty room.
If you don't have live video yet, a priority for your next few shows should be getting someone to film a set or even just two or three songs from a spot with decent audio. A YouTube link is all you need.
4. Professional photos
'Professional' in this context doesn't necessarily mean hired photographer , it means photos that look intentional and represent your band well. Good natural light, something interesting in the background, all members present and looking like they're in the same band. Blurry iPhone shots in a car park do not meet the bar.
Include at least one landscape (horizontal) shot and one portrait shot, since different publications and websites crop images differently, and giving people options means they're more likely to use them. Live shots of your band performing are useful alongside standard promo shots.
5. Gig history
List notable venues you've played, any support slots worth mentioning, festivals you've performed at, and , if you have them, rough audience numbers for your best shows. This is your track record. It tells a venue that other venues have trusted you, and it gives them a sense of the level you're operating at.
If you're early in your career, don't leave this section empty , be honest about where you are. "We've played X, Y, and Z venues in [city] and have built a regular local following" is a perfectly credible entry point. What you're trying to communicate is that you show up and deliver.
6. Your tech rider and stage plot
This is the section most EPKs are missing , and it's the one that makes the biggest practical difference once you're in conversation with a venue.
Your tech rider tells the venue's sound engineer exactly what your band needs to perform: how many channels, what inputs, any monitoring requirements, and any specific equipment you're bringing or expecting to be provided. Your stage plot shows the physical layout of your setup on stage , who stands where, where the drums go, where the monitors need to be.
Venues use these documents to prepare for your show. If a venue has a house engineer, they'll look at your rider before you arrive. If they're running a multi-band night, they need your stage plot to plan changeovers. A band that arrives at a venue with a clear, accurate tech rider and stage plot is immediately easier to work with than a band that turns up and describes everything verbally in the twenty minutes before doors open.
The problem most bands have is that these documents either don't exist (they're just in someone's head), live as an outdated PDF nobody can find, or get sent once by email and never updated. A far better approach is to have a live, shareable link that always reflects your current setup , so when a venue asks for your rider six weeks before the show, you send a link, not a file, and the information is accurate when they open it the night before load-in.
7. Contact details
An email address for booking enquiries , not just a social media handle. If you have a manager or booker, their contact details. If your band has a website, link to it. This sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many EPKs end without telling the reader how to actually reach you.
One email address for bookings. That's all. Don't list four different ways to contact different band members . It creates confusion about who is in charge and who will actually respond
It's worth knowing what happens on the other side of the inbox, because it changes how you build your EPK.
Most bookers are not sitting down to read your EPK cover to cover. They're looking at a lot of bands, often quickly, and they're making a first-cut decision: does this band look and sound like they're worth pursuing? That decision happens within the first thirty to sixty seconds.
What gets checked first: the band name (do I recognise it?), the photo (do they look the part?), and then one of the music links, usually just the first few seconds. If those three things land, they'll read the bio. If the bio is interesting, they'll look at the gig history. If the gig history suggests the band can pull a crowd, they'll check the tech rider.
The tech rider check is the one that catches most bands off guard. By the time a venue is looking at your rider, they're already interested. What they're doing now is making sure you're not going to create a technical nightmare. A clear, complete rider at this stage moves the conversation from 'maybe' to 'yes'.
It's the tech rider. Every time.
Ask a venue booker what percentage of bands send a complete, accurate tech rider with their EPK and they'll laugh. The number is low. Many bands don't have one at all. Some have one that was put together for a specific show two years ago and hasn't been touched since. Some include one in their EPK, but when the venue follows up three months later, the band can't find it.
This matters for two reasons. First, it's a professionalism signal. A band that has their technical requirements documented and ready tells a venue that they take shows seriously, that they've done this before, and that the practical side of working with them is going to be smooth. A band that doesn't have this signals the opposite , even if their music is excellent.
Second, it matters on the actual day. When your rider is clear and accurate, the sound engineer can prepare properly. When it's vague or missing, they're improvising based on what the band tells them at load-in , which is stressful for everyone and often results in a worse sound.
An EPK you never send is just a document you made. Here's when and how to get it in front of the right people.
When pitching a venue cold
Don't attach your EPK to the first email , include a link. A short, well-written email with a link to your EPK performs better than a long email with an attachment, because it's easier to open, easier to share internally, and doesn't trigger spam filters. Your first email should be two or three sentences: who you are, why you're a good fit for their venue, and a link to find out more.
When responding to a booking enquiry
Send your full EPK in the reply, including your tech rider. You've been asked , make it easy for them to get everything they need in one go. This is also the moment to make sure your rider is current, because the venue will actually look at it.
When applying for a festival
Read the application requirements carefully and follow them exactly. Most festivals have a specific format they want submissions in. Send what they ask for, in the format they ask for it. If they ask for a PDF, send a PDF. If they want a link, send a link. Include your EPK link at the end of the application regardless , it's extra context they can choose to look at.
When approaching music press or blogs
Your EPK for press purposes needs slightly different emphasis than your EPK for booking. Press want a quote-ready bio, downloadable high-resolution photos, and context about your current release or project. Venue bookers want live video and tech specs. If you're pitching both, either tailor your EPK for each audience or make sure your general EPK has enough in it to serve both.
You don't need to spend money to have a solid EPK. Here are the most common options, including the one tool that covers the part most bands overlook:
The best option if you have one. Create a dedicated EPK page, keep it updated, and link to it from your email signature. Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress all make this straightforward.
A free stopgap if you need something immediately. Not a proper EPK, but a single link with all your important links collected in one place. Upgrade to a real EPK as soon as you can.
Canva has free EPK templates that look clean and professional. Download as a PDF, host it on Google Drive or Dropbox, and share the link. Works well for festival applications that specifically request a file.
The only tool here built specifically for live music. Inside Stage Portal, you can build your tech rider, input list, and stage plot and share them as one live link directly from your EPK. Venues see your current requirements the moment they click it. When your setup changes, you update it once and every link you have already shared reflects that automatically. Grab a Free 30-day trial here
Stage Portal is the only tool in this list that handles the bit most EPK builders ignore: your technical documents. Inside Stage Portal, you can build your tech rider, input list, and stage plot, then share everything as a single live link. That link sits inside your EPK. When a venue clicks it, they see your current setup, not a PDF from two years ago. When anything changes, you update it once in Stage Portal and every link you have already shared updates automatically. No attachments, no chasing, no out-of-date files. Start your free 30-day trial
Before you send your EPK anywhere, run through this list:
An EPK isn't a guarantee of getting booked. But not having one, or having a bad one, quietly filters you out of consideration before you've had a chance to make an impression. It's not about impressing anyone. It's about making it easy for the right people to say yes.
Get the basics in place, keep it updated, and make sure your technical documents are sorted. That combination puts you ahead of most bands pitching at the same level.
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Build your tech rider, input list, and stage plot in Stage Portal and share them as one live link from your EPK.
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