How to Write a Band Press Pack

A one-sheet, also called a band promo pack or a band press pack, is your elevator pitch when launching a new album. When you contact the music press, radio stations, record labels, agents, or club bookers during launching an new album, you will often get asked for a band press pack and your album. Band press packs are simple pages that give an overview of what your band is all about. While writing the press pack make sure you get to the point quickly and only give information that's necessary. Leave the detailed information for your website or blog. Promoters, Radio DJs & music agents will usually skim read your bands promo pack so be concise. The one-sheet should engage all who read it and make them want to know more about you and your band.

So, how do you create a band promo pack?

The most convenient way of creating band press packs is taking a template and putting the information you want. There are many templates to choose from over the Internet, usually free of charge. You could also create one from scratch. All the major Word Processing programs such as Microsoft Office, Openoffice.org, and Pages for Mac allow you to do this.

If you want to promote your album via the Internet & email, you could turn your band press pack to PDF for ease of distribution, and to prevent editing, and attach it to the recipient’s email with a link to your MP3s. You could upload the file to your website for the press, club bookers, and other interested parties to download it from there – it all depends on your promotion strategy.

There are several components that should not miss from your band promo pack if it is to be effective. The promo pack should include the name of the band, a recent band photo (preferably in black & white for purposes of newspaper printing), the names of the band members, your contact information (including Web addresses), and album art and a cd of your release. Don't just write a few MP3s make sure the CD will play when used in a standard CD player. The band press pack should also include a brief description about the band such as information on the style of music, discography, a list of original tracks and cover songs that you think are worthy for people to listen to, equipment list (when sending the band press pack to a live music venue), and publicity information.

There are several factors that contribute to an effective band press pack. When distributing the band press kit as a .pdf email, compress it since large email files are rarely downloaded. You could do this using such settings as ‘PDF X-1a:2001’ settings in Acrobat. This reduces the size without compromising the quality. You should print your band press pack on photo paper for that glossy, professional look. If you do not have a manager or a publicist, you could always invent an alias if you fear that lacking either could create prejudice against you.

You should choose the music you include in the band promo pack carefully. The choice should be based on the person you are targeting (an agent, a label, a club booker, a radio station, or the press). Do not forget that personal touch, stand out from the crowd!

Leave a comment if we've missed anything from the press pack or if you have any ideas for promotion you thhink people will find useful... Oh, and don't forget to bookmark this page using the Facebook or Twitter icons below.

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