Creating a Press Kit That Catches Their Eye

I get asked a lot about press kits. How do you do them, what's in them, how should they look, what's the best kind, etc. I have been asked over and over again to write articles on the subject, so here you are, a brief crash course on press kits.

Your press kit is your calling card so to speak. It will introduce you and your band to the people you need to help your career. Make it interesting. Your press kit should include any reviews you have received for shows, information on current venues, and any reviews from your new CD when they are available.

Include a head or group shot (black and white is the least expensive and generally the best looking), a bio (if you don't have a bio, create one, or get someone to create one for you), a cover letter, one CD, and a business card.

The cover letter, while it shouldn't be more than 1 - 2 pages, should be packed full of information, direct, and to the point. Additionally, try not to make your press kit have more than 7 or 8 pieces of information. You don't want to overload them and you want to save some excitement for later! Keep them a little curious. The packet should go in the following order starting on top:

Press Kit for Major Labels

• CD
• Business card
• Cover letter
• Head shot/Group Shot
• Bio
• Reviews (most current on top)
• Any press
• Lyric Sheets (very important to many A&R personnel. If you already have them in your CD jacket
  you can forego this unless they specifically request separate lyric sheets.)

Press Kit for Radio PD/MD's

• CD
• Business card
• Cover letter
• Head shot/Group Shot
• Bio
• Reviews (most current on top)
• Any press
• (Some like lyric sheets, but ask this question before you include it. Save on the weight and the
  cost of the postage if they don't want it.)

Here are some web sites that will help you find contacts in these fields:

Power Chord (This site provides you with record company listings phone numbers, and A&R contacts, and other important information.): www.worldanthem.com/pc/resources/

Music Industry Email Lists on the web:

Music Industry E-Links: www.songnet.com/elinks/

Places to find Radio Station Info:

MIT: wmbr.mit.edu/stations/list.html

BRS: www.radio-directory.com/

Gebbie Press: www.gebbieinc.com/radintro.htm

A word of advice, certain labels will not accept unsolicited material no matter what you do. An entertainment lawyer, manager, or other verifiable industry contact that the major-labels have an established relationship with, must represent you. Warner Brothers is one of those and Geffen is another. Before you send out any press kit, you need to get permission first. If you don't get permission, your product has a very low percentage rate of ever getting to its destination. Call up the person you wish to send the package to, whether it be radio, newspapers, or label personnel, and ask permission. If they grant it to you, ask if they have a special code they need you to put on the outside of the package. This can change from week to week, so if you get permission and a code, send it out immediately. Additionally, the industry is so volatile, you don't know whether that person will be there if you wait. Follow through is very important as well as having a track record.

For those musicians who think that their music is the only thing that will speak for you and it will open the doors to major labels, it won't. That is just the facts. You must have a track record. This is a business. The majors are in business. They want to make money off you. They aren't really interested in what you think is the best music, but what your CD and ticket sales are. So make sure that you do your work, get all the gigs you can, get all the airplay you can, and sell all that you can before you submit to labels. You will have a much better shot at opening the doors. Remember too, that any money you may get from a Major label is just a loan and nothing else. If you are going to submit, save postage if you can on the radio press kits, but on the label press kits do what you can to become noticed. Sending them out via Priority Mail is one way. The cost is currently $3.20. Go to the post office and get a Priority Mail Box and then pack your press kit neatly into an envelope and put it inside the box. The reason behind this? If they have a bunch of regular envelopes, and one big box sitting on their desk, which do you think they are more likely to open? When they get your package, they are more likely to open your box if for nothing else than to get it off of their desk and make room. Additionally, if you have it in two packages, they have to spend more time opening it thus more time remembering who you are.

After you have sent your press kit, make sure to follow up with a call to make sure your press kit has arrived safely. Then follow up every week or so after the 3rd week they have gotten the package. Don't just send the package and expect them to call. Remember, they get hundreds of packages from musicians just like you every single week. Follow up and get noticed!

Below I will put my bio as a template to use if you wish. If you don't feel confident enough to write your own bio, and do not have a friend who can do it for you, you'll have to hire a professional. A professional who writes bio's for a living can cost anywhere from about $150.00 - $3,500.00. A bio should be brief - one 8 1/2 x 11" page in length.

This article is only on what should go into your press kit and the best ways to set them up. If you would like to find out how to promote your music to radio, please go to my web site: www.tonyarae.com and look under the articles section. That will give you additional information. Well I hope this cleared up a bit what should go inside of a press kit. Key to remember, track record and follow up. Good luck in all of your endeavors and always pursue your dreams!