As an independent or emerging artist, you've heard terms EPK and One Sheet being thrown around a bunch. But, do you know what the purpose of each of them is, and what you should include? Let's dive in.
As an independent artist, you'll need to have your brand established. Your visual identity, your voice, your values, and your story. If you haven't yet figured out your brand or have a bio written, that's step number one. More on brand building here, and more on why you need a bio here and what to include in one here!
OKAY! So we know our brand, we have our professional biography written, it's authentic and it's unique to us. Now you're ready for the next step.
Do I need an EPK or One Sheet?
Y E S. Everyone will ask you for them from managers, booking agents, venues, promoters, playlist curators, journalists, and so many more! An EPK or One Sheet is like your resume as a band or musician. It's your place to show off who you are and what your music sounds like! This will allow other industry professionals to understand what kind of musician you are, what the press has said about you, and what kind of draw you can bring. A professional EPK is important. If a booking agent looks at your EPK and it looks like you threw it together and you don't care, they won't care. If your EPK is refined, has high-quality images, and includes everything they need to know about you, they'll know you're serious about your music and will take you seriously.
But how do you know which is best?
Short Answer: They're both great to have, for different things. But our general rule of thumb-
One Sheet:
If you're a newer artist just starting out, and maybe you don't have a lot of, or any, press yet, this is a good option. If you don't have any videos, music videos, or interview clips, to add, this is a good option. An artist-centered one sheet is exactly what it sounds like. It's one sheet of paper, usually digitally, that gives you all the artist's highlights.
It's a highlight reel.
short bio
high resolution press image/s
achievements, important highlights, or strong statistics. Something to brag about! (if you have low numbers, maybe not include these here)
links to your socials!
links to hear your music!
link to a website
Artist-centered One Sheet
EPK:
If you're more of a seasoned artist, or have a lot more content to add that can't fit, or shouldn't be squeezed onto one page, you need an EPK! This will include everything from the one sheet but more. And don't forget to show off your brand! These documents should include your fonts, keep the same aesthetic in your images, and have the same color scheme as your brand kit. Things to include:
2-3 high-quality images
links or samples (mp3 & .wav) of your music
music videos
short or long bio
links to press articles features, reviews etc.
stats! Streaming numbers, playlists adds, follower counts
links to your socials!
website link
contact information (manager, artist, press contact etc.)
Other things you can include:
artist quotes
tour dates
link to a press release
extended song information or liner notes
lyrics
FFO (for fans of...) to give a frame of reference of your genre, other artists you sound like, and influences!
Example of one page from an EPK
TIP: Typically EPKs are downloadable PDF files, but it's also great to have a live link of your EPK. This link can be added to your website, and even better, you can make it a hidden page and password-protected so you can control who has access to it!
EPK Website Example
Project Specific One Sheet?
If you've already released a single, EP, or album, and you're continuing to push the release, having a project-specific one sheet could be a good idea. This best works with an album, since there's more music and content to push. It's also good to use in tandem with the waterfall method if you've already released a few singles, and are promoting the album release. This is similar to an artist-centered one sheet, but tailored to your release. After you already have some buzz, but you're looking to continue to get more interest and placements, you can create this to send out. Things to include:
album art
info about the record
track listing if it's more than one song
music credits (producer, engineer, band members, featured players)
link to lyrics
links to stream the project
link to music video/s
stats: steaming numbers, playlist adds, etc.
links to socials
website link
Project-specific One Sheet
Long Story Short: Having a professional document whether that be a One Sheet or EPK will show you're serious and will have industry professionals taking you seriously. It'll help you book more gigs, and get more press.
Need help creating a One Sheet or EPK? Don't have a bio yet?
We can help. Email stef@themicmg.com.
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