Building an Effective EPK: What Venues Actually Want to See
Your Electronic Press Kit is often the first impression a venue has of your band. Here's how to make it count.
Building an Effective EPK: What Venues Actually Want to See
Your Electronic Press Kit (EPK) is often the first impression a venue has of your band. A good one gets you booked. A bad one gets you ignored.
Here's what venues actually look for—and how to build an EPK that gets responses.
What is an EPK?
An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is your band's resume. It's everything a venue needs to decide whether to book you, packaged in one place.
Think of it as answering the venue's unspoken questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you sound like?
- Can you draw a crowd?
- Are you professional?
The Essential Elements
1. Band Bio (Keep It Short)
Venues don't have time to read your life story. Your bio should be 2-3 paragraphs max.
Include:
- Who you are (genre, hometown, formation)
- What makes you interesting (unique angle, notable achievements)
- Recent activity (new releases, tours, press)
Skip:
- Your entire history since middle school
- Inside jokes
- Excessive adjectives ("groundbreaking," "revolutionary," etc.)
Good example:
"The Midnight Signals are a four-piece indie rock band from Austin, TX. Since forming in 2021, they've released two EPs and played 150+ shows across the Southwest, including opening slots for [Notable Band] and [Another Notable Band]. Their latest single 'City Lights' has over 500K streams on Spotify."
2. Music (Quality Over Quantity)
Link to your best 3-5 songs. Not your entire discography.
Best platforms:
- Spotify (most venues check here first)
- Bandcamp (shows you're serious about your craft)
- YouTube (for live performance videos)
- SoundCloud (acceptable but less professional)
Pro tip: Lead with your most accessible song, not necessarily your favorite. Venues are listening for "will this work in our room?" not "is this artistically groundbreaking?"
3. Photos (Professional, Please)
You need at least:
- One high-quality band photo (horizontal, good lighting)
- One live performance shot
- Individual headshots (optional but helpful)
Don't use:
- Blurry phone photos
- Photos where you can't see faces
- Overly edited/filtered images
- Photos from 5 years ago
If you can't afford a photographer, find a friend with a decent camera and good natural lighting. It doesn't have to be expensive, but it has to look intentional.
4. Live Video
This is often the deciding factor. Venues want to see that you can actually perform.
Ideal:
- 2-3 songs from a real show
- Decent audio quality (doesn't have to be perfect)
- Shows crowd engagement
Acceptable:
- Well-produced live session video
- Rehearsal footage (if it looks professional)
Avoid:
- Heavily edited music videos (they want to see you live)
- Poor audio that makes it hard to evaluate your sound
5. Draw Information
Be honest. This is where most artists mess up.
Include:
- Your typical draw in your home market
- Draw in markets you've played before
- Social media following (with engagement context)
- Streaming numbers (if notable)
Example:
"Home market (Austin): 75-100 average draw. Dallas: 40-50. Houston: 30-40. First time in [your city]—estimating 20-30 based on social following and streaming data from the area."
Venues respect honesty. They do not respect artists who claim 200 and bring 20.
6. Contact Information
Make it easy to book you:
- Booking email
- Phone number (optional)
- Social media links
- Website
If you have a booking agent, include their info instead.
Optional But Helpful
Press Quotes
If you have them, include 2-3 short quotes from legitimate publications. Blog reviews count if they're real outlets.
Notable Shows
List 5-10 of your best shows:
- Venue name and city
- Date
- Capacity/draw (if impressive)
Technical Requirements
Some venues want to know upfront:
- How many inputs you need
- Backline requirements
- Set length flexibility
Where to Host Your EPK
Options:
-
Your website — Most professional. Create a dedicated /epk or /booking page.
-
Venue Pulse profile — Your artist profile serves as an EPK when you submit booking requests.
-
Google Drive/Dropbox — Acceptable but less professional than a website.
-
EPK platforms (Sonicbids, ReverbNation) — Dated but still used by some festivals.
Common EPK Mistakes
1. Too Long
If your EPK takes more than 2 minutes to review, it's too long. Venues are busy.
2. Broken Links
Test every link before sending. Nothing says "unprofessional" like a 404 error.
3. Outdated Information
Update your EPK regularly. If your latest release is from 2019, venues notice.
4. No Live Content
Studio recordings are great, but venues book live acts. Show them you can perform.
5. Overpromising Draw
The fastest way to never get booked again is to overpromise and underdeliver.
EPK Checklist
Before sending your EPK, verify:
- Bio is under 3 paragraphs
- 3-5 best songs linked (working links)
- At least one professional photo
- Live video included
- Honest draw estimates
- Contact info is current
- All links work
- Information is up to date
Getting Your EPK in Front of Venues
Having a great EPK is step one. Getting venues to see it is step two.
Options:
-
Venue Pulse — Submit booking requests directly to venues with your profile attached. Create your free artist account.
-
Direct outreach — Email venues with a personalized pitch and EPK link.
-
Booking agents — If you have representation, they handle this.
-
Networking — Meet venue bookers at shows, industry events, etc.
For more on the booking process, read How to Book Your First Tour.