this is an excerpt from the book....
What Is a Press Kit?
by Mike Po
Jul 7, 2003, 14:00
©1999 Mike Po ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
By definition, a press kit is a package of promotional materials that generally accompanies a review copy of an album release or demo tape. Different versions of the press kit include materials suited for different recipients, as in music columnists, promoters, radio programmers, or a&r reps. A typical press kit for a recording artist is composed of several basic components:
* The Artist Biography
* Fact Sheet
* Promotional Photo
* Reprints of Press "Clippings"
In addition, it's not unusual to include a song list, lyric sheet, gig sheet, and reports of radio airplay and chart positions. These elements are almost always accompanied by a cassette or CD "demo," packaged in an outer folder or binder, along with a traditional, personalized cover letter.
The goal of the press kit is twofold: The factual information within is sufficient for journalists to base an article or review upon, while the editorial content of the artist's biography leaves enough room for a certain element of hype--above all else, the end result of the press kit is to generate interest for the artist. The press kit serves as the "mouthpiece," the salesman pitching the performer du jour.
You can consider a press kit, then, to be either of two things: a), a promo package full of existing press, or b), a promo package for the press. For a larger, national act, a press kit contains many reprints of interviews, reviews, and articles; a representation of the overall persona of the performer. In this case, the purpose is more likely to promote a new release, a new tour, or perhaps put a new spin on the artist's public image--maybe even an attempt to completely overhaul an image. For the as-yet-undiscovered act, though, the press kit is a much different animal: rather than compiling review and interview clippings, its mission is to generate some of these write-ups. As well, the press kit for a start-up act is the promotional device used to get the first live bookings, radio play, reviews, and to "shop" for the goal of every hungry artist: that huge record deal.
Is it Hype? Is it Fact?
For the established act, certainly, the press kit is much more a compilation of existing reviews, write-ups, interviews, and such. However, let's just assume that the majority of you out there are still trying to land that crucial first Tuesday night opening slot, and the reviews from the "basement party you rocked last weekend" don't look exactly awe-inspiring on the printed page. How can you possibly hype yourself in the same manner as bigger acts with a backlog of glowing reviews and snappily edited interviews?
First off, just forget that concept of hype for a moment. Yes, like every other aspect of your career, there is plenty of room in your promotional presentation for sheer, unadulterated hype - and, believe me, we'll cover that, soon enough. For the most part, however, you need to bear in mind that at this stage of your professional life, just getting out the raw information is absolutely crucial. I realize that this will be an entirely new way of thinking, compared to the "must be on stage all the time, must be a master showman" mentality, but: It's time to start thinking of yourself as more of a newscaster than a talk-show host.
Consider this: Yes, without question, the general public responds to hype, cheap gimmicks, fads, hucksterism, and relentless hyperbole. For most performers, in fact, these are the key components of a successful rise to stardom (musical talent be damned). Frankly, I'm all for it, bring on the sideshow - rock me! Unfortunately, though, at this level, the general public isn't your target audience - bored, jaded, "seen-it-all" music business professionals are. Not to say that everyone who receives your promo package is entirely immune to hype tactics, but for the most part...you're probably not going to be able to fool them into believing that you are "the next big thing," based on your biographical skills alone.
In addition to the countless packages received from complete unknowns, nearly everyone at every level of the music business is constantly bombarded with press releases, gimmicks, the latest "hottest new act of the year," all crafted by some of the most clever advertising execs in the country. That sort of hype is unstoppable, unbeatable, and frankly, numbing. You can gauge for yourself; just consider how much you find yourself listening to glowing reviews and the like, in magazines, on television, over the internet, you name it. Now, can you put yourself in the position of someone who is immersed in this hype machine for a living, like a local club promoter, a disc jockey, an a&r rep for a big label? Face it, it's extremely difficult to compete with the big-label, big-money promotional machine!
More importantly, you've got to redefine your conception of who your target audience is: music industry professionals are now prospective business partners, not potential new fans. This is, indeed, the music business, and that's exactly how it needs to be approached - you're not trying to sell tickets or t-shirts to your industry contacts, rather, you are asking them to enter into a high-risk financial arrangement with you.
The Cover Letter
The cover letter is, really, the only personalized part of your presentation. It's your chance for an introduction, a forum to state your goals (i.e., "We are currently seeking management," "We are booking our West Coast tour," or "We would like to be offered a large sum of money from your label"), and an opportunity to roll out just a wee bit of hype. Much as with any other business letter, it's best to be brief, courteous, and to the point.
If you're not particularly comfortable with your writing style, and you feel that attempting to write a "pro-sounding" letter might be getting you in over your head, then by all means: Keep it short.
On the other hand, there's absolutely nothing wrong with writing a formal business letter, especially if you are sending out a "blind" mailing to recipients you've never met before. Granted, a formal business letter is probably overkill for the promoter at a local rock club, but the music director of a commercial radio station would appreciate the professional touch. Look, even though I realize that you cringe at the thought of having to compose a dry, boring letter - don't, for one second, think that having a professional business approach in any way detracts from your image as "your town's most outrageous party band." Consider some of your favorite big-name acts, controversial ones, outrageous ones: After you're seen them tear up the stage, spray the audience with fire hoses, etc., you've probably also them in mainstream magazines, television tabloid shows, and such - you don't really believe that they get that kind of mainstream exposure by having their "totally outrageous" PR rep mailing out "wicked-looking" press kits, do you? No, more than likely, behind every hotel-trashing rock band, is a fairly conservative business approach to public relations.
This is not to say that publicists who have a good working relationship with their contacts don't send out anything fun, outrageous, or totally informal - in fact, they do, and some of the most successful PR people get fantastic results with some of the most un-businesslike approaches. In the PR world, however, most of the most successful and powerful people get to be so successful because of their good working relationships and personal contacts. Their relationships have been built up over years of near-daily contact, and it should be obvious that these are not the traditional business associations.
In the case of an unknown artist sending out entirely unsolicited materials, however, the totally informal approach is really not the correct one.To be perfectly blunt, asking anyone to consider your unsolicited demo is an imposition, to begin with. Essentially, you are asking for the recipient to gamble his or her valuable time away, on the million-to-one chance that they will find you to be exactly the act they have been searching for! Given the circumstances, I'm saying, you have been granted a favor by the person reviewing your materials - the least you can do is be polite, concise, and to the point.
It's a common misconception that a promo package, particularly of the unsigned--artist variety, needs to stand out from the rest by being the biggest, brightest, most unusual, the one that screams "look at me!"--In practice, though, in a stack of shrieking, fluorescent demos, the one that really stands out is the one that says "Excuse me, I realize that you're busy, and to get right to the point: Here's who we are, and what we have to offer. Thank you for your time."
Or, in other words: Spray the audience with the firehose, and not the a&r rep.
Fact Sheet
Just what the name implies, a fact sheet contains no hyperbole, no salesmanship, and no filler: it's a concise overview of the factual information of who and what is involved. For a band or group project, it's the place to list individual members' names, instruments played, and musical backgrounds (i.e., "Matt's previous band spent two months opening up for Lisa Loeb on her North American tour last year," etc.). For solo artists, maybe the focus will be on the specifics of a recent release or recording session. There are no hard and fast rules on what exactly should be in a fact sheet, but in general, it should at least be:
Hometown of the artist
Member's names and instruments played
Album release information
Touring, recent dates, upcoming shows of note
Contact information for Management
Contact information for Record Label
Producer and recording studios involved
The fact sheet can contain just about any relevant information you would like, as long as it is, indeed, fact: "We totally rocked every audience we played for last year" may or may not be entirely factual, however, "The band recently completed a 22-date Midwest college tour, supporting..." is much more like it. In many cases, the facts might actually be more impressive than any hyperbole you can come up with, because you don't really risk losing any credibility by sticking with hard fact (your lead singer's entirely implausible retelling of your last tour's glorious conquests, however, isn't fooling anyone)..
Again, the fact sheet is not the place to write a story, rather, it's the place for others to double check your background when they are writing your story. I'm sure you've read reviews and articles about your favorite performers that contained no interviews with the artist themselves, yet contained plenty of background info: "From <insert artist here>'s earliest days as a steelworker, to the first coffeehouse tour across America that brought him/her to the attention of Atlantic Records, etc., etc...." --You get the point; the fact sheet is a tool to help music critics look like they have a clue what they're talking about! The fact sheet, in brief form, tells the true story. It's an equally important tool for promoters, potential management, and everyone else, as well: They need to know where you've been, what you've done, what kinds of audiences you've played to, what media exposure you've had... The fact sheet is the place to outline the highlights of your career, or, at the very least, to introduce your fake stage names to the world (no-one needs to know that your guitarist, Axel Bolan, hometown Los Angeles, was born Bill Goldblatt from Dayton, Ohio, do they?).
thought Id throw it up..go buy the book?
What Is a Press Kit?
by Mike Po
Jul 7, 2003, 14:00
©1999 Mike Po ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
By definition, a press kit is a package of promotional materials that generally accompanies a review copy of an album release or demo tape. Different versions of the press kit include materials suited for different recipients, as in music columnists, promoters, radio programmers, or a&r reps. A typical press kit for a recording artist is composed of several basic components:
* The Artist Biography
* Fact Sheet
* Promotional Photo
* Reprints of Press "Clippings"
In addition, it's not unusual to include a song list, lyric sheet, gig sheet, and reports of radio airplay and chart positions. These elements are almost always accompanied by a cassette or CD "demo," packaged in an outer folder or binder, along with a traditional, personalized cover letter.
The goal of the press kit is twofold: The factual information within is sufficient for journalists to base an article or review upon, while the editorial content of the artist's biography leaves enough room for a certain element of hype--above all else, the end result of the press kit is to generate interest for the artist. The press kit serves as the "mouthpiece," the salesman pitching the performer du jour.
You can consider a press kit, then, to be either of two things: a), a promo package full of existing press, or b), a promo package for the press. For a larger, national act, a press kit contains many reprints of interviews, reviews, and articles; a representation of the overall persona of the performer. In this case, the purpose is more likely to promote a new release, a new tour, or perhaps put a new spin on the artist's public image--maybe even an attempt to completely overhaul an image. For the as-yet-undiscovered act, though, the press kit is a much different animal: rather than compiling review and interview clippings, its mission is to generate some of these write-ups. As well, the press kit for a start-up act is the promotional device used to get the first live bookings, radio play, reviews, and to "shop" for the goal of every hungry artist: that huge record deal.
Is it Hype? Is it Fact?
For the established act, certainly, the press kit is much more a compilation of existing reviews, write-ups, interviews, and such. However, let's just assume that the majority of you out there are still trying to land that crucial first Tuesday night opening slot, and the reviews from the "basement party you rocked last weekend" don't look exactly awe-inspiring on the printed page. How can you possibly hype yourself in the same manner as bigger acts with a backlog of glowing reviews and snappily edited interviews?
First off, just forget that concept of hype for a moment. Yes, like every other aspect of your career, there is plenty of room in your promotional presentation for sheer, unadulterated hype - and, believe me, we'll cover that, soon enough. For the most part, however, you need to bear in mind that at this stage of your professional life, just getting out the raw information is absolutely crucial. I realize that this will be an entirely new way of thinking, compared to the "must be on stage all the time, must be a master showman" mentality, but: It's time to start thinking of yourself as more of a newscaster than a talk-show host.
Consider this: Yes, without question, the general public responds to hype, cheap gimmicks, fads, hucksterism, and relentless hyperbole. For most performers, in fact, these are the key components of a successful rise to stardom (musical talent be damned). Frankly, I'm all for it, bring on the sideshow - rock me! Unfortunately, though, at this level, the general public isn't your target audience - bored, jaded, "seen-it-all" music business professionals are. Not to say that everyone who receives your promo package is entirely immune to hype tactics, but for the most part...you're probably not going to be able to fool them into believing that you are "the next big thing," based on your biographical skills alone.
In addition to the countless packages received from complete unknowns, nearly everyone at every level of the music business is constantly bombarded with press releases, gimmicks, the latest "hottest new act of the year," all crafted by some of the most clever advertising execs in the country. That sort of hype is unstoppable, unbeatable, and frankly, numbing. You can gauge for yourself; just consider how much you find yourself listening to glowing reviews and the like, in magazines, on television, over the internet, you name it. Now, can you put yourself in the position of someone who is immersed in this hype machine for a living, like a local club promoter, a disc jockey, an a&r rep for a big label? Face it, it's extremely difficult to compete with the big-label, big-money promotional machine!
More importantly, you've got to redefine your conception of who your target audience is: music industry professionals are now prospective business partners, not potential new fans. This is, indeed, the music business, and that's exactly how it needs to be approached - you're not trying to sell tickets or t-shirts to your industry contacts, rather, you are asking them to enter into a high-risk financial arrangement with you.
The Cover Letter
The cover letter is, really, the only personalized part of your presentation. It's your chance for an introduction, a forum to state your goals (i.e., "We are currently seeking management," "We are booking our West Coast tour," or "We would like to be offered a large sum of money from your label"), and an opportunity to roll out just a wee bit of hype. Much as with any other business letter, it's best to be brief, courteous, and to the point.
If you're not particularly comfortable with your writing style, and you feel that attempting to write a "pro-sounding" letter might be getting you in over your head, then by all means: Keep it short.
On the other hand, there's absolutely nothing wrong with writing a formal business letter, especially if you are sending out a "blind" mailing to recipients you've never met before. Granted, a formal business letter is probably overkill for the promoter at a local rock club, but the music director of a commercial radio station would appreciate the professional touch. Look, even though I realize that you cringe at the thought of having to compose a dry, boring letter - don't, for one second, think that having a professional business approach in any way detracts from your image as "your town's most outrageous party band." Consider some of your favorite big-name acts, controversial ones, outrageous ones: After you're seen them tear up the stage, spray the audience with fire hoses, etc., you've probably also them in mainstream magazines, television tabloid shows, and such - you don't really believe that they get that kind of mainstream exposure by having their "totally outrageous" PR rep mailing out "wicked-looking" press kits, do you? No, more than likely, behind every hotel-trashing rock band, is a fairly conservative business approach to public relations.
This is not to say that publicists who have a good working relationship with their contacts don't send out anything fun, outrageous, or totally informal - in fact, they do, and some of the most successful PR people get fantastic results with some of the most un-businesslike approaches. In the PR world, however, most of the most successful and powerful people get to be so successful because of their good working relationships and personal contacts. Their relationships have been built up over years of near-daily contact, and it should be obvious that these are not the traditional business associations.
In the case of an unknown artist sending out entirely unsolicited materials, however, the totally informal approach is really not the correct one.To be perfectly blunt, asking anyone to consider your unsolicited demo is an imposition, to begin with. Essentially, you are asking for the recipient to gamble his or her valuable time away, on the million-to-one chance that they will find you to be exactly the act they have been searching for! Given the circumstances, I'm saying, you have been granted a favor by the person reviewing your materials - the least you can do is be polite, concise, and to the point.
It's a common misconception that a promo package, particularly of the unsigned--artist variety, needs to stand out from the rest by being the biggest, brightest, most unusual, the one that screams "look at me!"--In practice, though, in a stack of shrieking, fluorescent demos, the one that really stands out is the one that says "Excuse me, I realize that you're busy, and to get right to the point: Here's who we are, and what we have to offer. Thank you for your time."
Or, in other words: Spray the audience with the firehose, and not the a&r rep.
Fact Sheet
Just what the name implies, a fact sheet contains no hyperbole, no salesmanship, and no filler: it's a concise overview of the factual information of who and what is involved. For a band or group project, it's the place to list individual members' names, instruments played, and musical backgrounds (i.e., "Matt's previous band spent two months opening up for Lisa Loeb on her North American tour last year," etc.). For solo artists, maybe the focus will be on the specifics of a recent release or recording session. There are no hard and fast rules on what exactly should be in a fact sheet, but in general, it should at least be:
Hometown of the artist
Member's names and instruments played
Album release information
Touring, recent dates, upcoming shows of note
Contact information for Management
Contact information for Record Label
Producer and recording studios involved
The fact sheet can contain just about any relevant information you would like, as long as it is, indeed, fact: "We totally rocked every audience we played for last year" may or may not be entirely factual, however, "The band recently completed a 22-date Midwest college tour, supporting..." is much more like it. In many cases, the facts might actually be more impressive than any hyperbole you can come up with, because you don't really risk losing any credibility by sticking with hard fact (your lead singer's entirely implausible retelling of your last tour's glorious conquests, however, isn't fooling anyone)..
Again, the fact sheet is not the place to write a story, rather, it's the place for others to double check your background when they are writing your story. I'm sure you've read reviews and articles about your favorite performers that contained no interviews with the artist themselves, yet contained plenty of background info: "From <insert artist here>'s earliest days as a steelworker, to the first coffeehouse tour across America that brought him/her to the attention of Atlantic Records, etc., etc...." --You get the point; the fact sheet is a tool to help music critics look like they have a clue what they're talking about! The fact sheet, in brief form, tells the true story. It's an equally important tool for promoters, potential management, and everyone else, as well: They need to know where you've been, what you've done, what kinds of audiences you've played to, what media exposure you've had... The fact sheet is the place to outline the highlights of your career, or, at the very least, to introduce your fake stage names to the world (no-one needs to know that your guitarist, Axel Bolan, hometown Los Angeles, was born Bill Goldblatt from Dayton, Ohio, do they?).
thought Id throw it up..go buy the book?
