The Indie Berlin Music Marketing Playbook — Week 3
Last week we talked about the one-sheet — your single-page snapshot for a quick introduction. This week we go one level deeper: the EPK, or Electronic Press Kit. Think of it as the one-sheet's more thorough older sibling. Where the one-sheet gets you in the room, the EPK closes the deal.
So what exactly is an EPK?
An EPK is your complete digital portfolio as a musician — everything a booker, journalist, festival programmer, or label A&R needs to evaluate you, all in one place. No back-and-forth, no "can you send me some photos?", no hunting around three different links. Just: here I am, here's my music, here's everything you need.
It's a digital portfolio that showcases your music, bio, visuals, and press materials in a single page for easy reference — useful for pitching press, venues, festivals, labels, and booking agents. In other words, almost everyone who matters in your career will want to see one at some point.
The good news: you don't need to hire anyone to build it. You just need to know what goes in it.
EPK vs. One-Sheet: What's the difference?
Quick recap before we dive in. Your one-sheet (Week 2) is a concise, single-page document — usually a PDF — designed for a fast first impression. An EPK is the fuller picture: web-based, richer, and built to let someone go deep on you if they want to. Think of the one-sheet as your pitch and the EPK as your proof.
What goes in an EPK?
Here's everything that should be in there, in rough order of importance.
1. Your music — front and centre
When choosing tracks to include, focus on your most popular songs or the ones that best represent your musicianship. Don't overload it with too many tracks — the recipient may only listen to the first one or two, so make sure they're your strongest. Never require the listener to download an app or leave your EPK page to listen — streamable links are essential. Embed a Spotify player, SoundCloud link, or Bandcamp widget. Keep it frictionless.
2. Your bio — in multiple lengths
Your bio is one of the most important parts of your EPK. Prepare bios of different lengths: an elevator pitch of a couple of lines, a paragraph of around 150 words, and a longer version of two paragraphs. Why? Because different people need different amounts. A festival programme needs two sentences. A music magazine needs the full story. Give them options and they'll use what fits.
3. High-quality photos
Your press kit should include a variety of images in different styles and sizes to meet the needs of different promoters, reviewers, and media outlets. Include a mix of posed shots and a few live shots that capture your performance energy. A horizontal image with some space around the subject (to allow for cropping), and a square portrait image that can easily be cropped for social feeds.
The Berlin angle here: this city has extraordinary photographers who shoot musicians for reasonable rates. A proper shoot is worth every euro — bad press photos are the fastest way to look like you're not taking yourself seriously.
4. Video
For original acts, a live video of you performing is of much more use to any promoter or potential manager than a polished music video. Links to YouTube videos are absolutely fine. It doesn't need to be expensive. A well-shot iPhone clip from a decent gig at Privatclub or Lido will do more for you than a slick promo video nobody believes.
5. Press quotes and reviews
If you've been written about — anywhere — include a pull quote with a link to the source. Positive press quotes can catch the eye of a promoter, but always back them up with links. Even a favourable mention on a small blog counts. Everyone starts somewhere, and showing that someone outside your immediate circle thought you were worth writing about goes a long way.
6. Key stats and achievements
Streaming numbers, social following, notable gigs, support slots, festival appearances, awards — include anything that signals momentum. Social media statistics and streaming numbers showcase audience growth, which is vital for booking agents and promoters. You don't need huge numbers. You need numbers that are moving in the right direction.
7. Contact information
Sounds obvious. You'd be surprised how many EPKs bury this or leave it out entirely. Make it impossible to miss: your name, booking email, and ideally a management or agency contact if you have one. Provide details for booking, management, and press inquiries, and include links to your official website and social media profiles.
Where should you host it?
The best format for an EPK is web-based. In an age where more emails are opened on phones than ever before, a PDF is harder to update, less mobile-friendly, and clunkier to navigate.
Your options, roughly in order of effort:
- Your own website — a dedicated /press or /epk page. Most flexible, most professional. If you're on Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress, this is straightforward.
- Linktree or Beacons — fast, free, mobile-friendly. Good enough when you're starting out.
- Dedicated EPK platforms — Bandzoogle, Sonicbids, and ReelCrafter all offer purpose-built EPK tools with templates that make sure you don't miss anything.
indieBerlin is now offering bands your very own web page on indieBerlin - for free. And it's the perfect place to host your EPK. Hit us up here on our linktree.
As an added bonus, make your EPK available in different formats: hosted online via URL, as a downloadable PDF, and even as a QR code on a business card for networking situations. The last one is underrated — especially at a place like Most Wanted: Music or a Berlin club night where you're handing something to a booker in a noisy corridor.
One important thing most musicians forget
Your EPK isn't a one-time thing. Keep it updated with new releases, tour dates, and achievements to make the strongest impression. An EPK with a tour listed from 2022 and a "latest single" from 2021 tells people you've stopped moving. Set a reminder every few months to give it a refresh.
Your action point this week
Pick one hosting option and set up the skeleton of your EPK — even if some sections are placeholder text for now. Get the structure live. An imperfect EPK that exists is infinitely more useful than a perfect one you're still working on.
Next week: Your Bio — Writing About Yourself Without Cringing. Because you need one, and most musicians get it completely wrong.
The Indie Berlin Music Marketing Playbook publishes weekly. If you missed Week 1 (Instagram) or Week 2 (The One-Sheet), you can find the full series [here].
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