Now that we’ve covered some essential DJ branding pieces, the time has come to package them up into one complete promotional tool – a press kit or EPK (electronic press kit). A press kit is where you’ll showcase your branding and provide potential bookers with a resource that makes learning about you and booking you easier. By making the booker’s life easier, you’re already ahead of the game. 

Gather and Organize  

Think of your press kit as a folder to store and organize the important pieces of your brand that you want to promote. You can start by creating an actual folder on your desktop and adding to it the essential pieces to make you look your best. Gather media, music, videos from past performances, interviews you’ve done, blog posts you’re mentioned in, social media statistics and any impressive download/steaming history that you’ve been collecting over time.

Here is an overview of what your press kit should include:

Cover Sheet
This is your introduction and chance to keep the reader enticed. Add a short summary of what the press kit contains or a catchy description about your DJ persona. Describe your sound, state a notable performance or use an interesting quote from an industry source. Keep it to 2-3 sentences and add a press shot for visual appeal.

Bio
As we discussed in our previous article about creating a bio, this is an important piece to the press kit. Make sure your bio is well-written and simple. It’s also wise to offer a link to your upcoming tour dates or calendar so a booker can easily see your availability.

Logo(s)
Your logo and other branding elements such as sponsor logos, icons or links to video visuals are next. Make sure logos are available in various formats and easy to access. 

Press photos
Press photos should represent who you are in a natural and flattering way. Include a few photos throughout the design of the press kit and have them accessible with a link to download. Make sure they’re easy to find and available in a few different high-resolution formats.

Résumé
Be selective here and list just your successful performances or notable events and venues. If you have residencies, those are definitely noteworthy as well. If you’ve opened for a big name or have a track with impressive download numbers, include that too. This is the section where you can mention your career highlights. Stick to the facts and keep it concise.

Relevant Links
Last week we covered why social media is so essential for DJs today. Including links to your website and social media pages is an important piece of your press kit. It’s also wise to make sure that your music and mixes are up-to-date on pages like SoundCloud and MixCloud. This gives bookers a quick way to check out your sound and see that you’re busy and motivated.

Testimonials and Press
Do you have any quotes from clients you’ve worked with or testimonials about your work? These are a great way to prove your credibility and professionalism. Also linking to articles, blog posts or press releases where you’ve been featured or mentioned is another way to share who you are and why you should be booked.

Contact info
Make it easy for the booker to reach you by having your contact info clear and visible. Include phone numbers and email addresses for you, your manager, booking agent or whomever should be contacted for bookings.

Riders (when applicable)
The last piece you may want to add to your press kit is a rider. A rider can include both hospitality and technical requirements. Decide if this this something you need first, and stay tuned to the BPM Supreme blog for an in depth look at creating your rider.

Package and Share  

With all of these pieces in place, you’re ready to start the final design and packaging of your press kit. There are a few options for this last step: 1. Simply convert your files to one scrollable PDF (make sure all pages are in an organized order that flows and double check that all links within the PDF click through to the correct webpages);  2. Use a paid website service to automate the process of creating an EPK (this route may limit your options for customization); or 3. Hire a pro that can piece your EPK together in an inviting design.

Once you feel like your press kit is ready to go, link to it on your website and social media, zip it and attach it to emails, or share it in a Dropbox folder for larger-sized files. You can even carry it on USB drives and share with promotors and bookers when networking!

Update Regularly

As we’ve mentioned in our previous articles, your branding should be a work in progress. Regularly review your press kit to make sure that all of the pieces are up-to-date, the links are working and your images and logos are downloading correctly.

We hope this guide to creating your press kit is helpful. Please leave us your comments below and stay tuned to the BPM Supreme blog for more artist branding tips and tricks.