EPK template: the outline, the wording and what to leave out
Most EPK templates are a design file: a nice layout with lorem ipsum where your bio should be. The layout is the easy part. What decides whether a promoter books you is what goes in each box, and in what order.
So this template is the words, not the design. Below is the outline in the order a promoter reads it, then fill-in-the-blanks wording for every part you have to write yourself. Copy it into a note, replace everything in square brackets and you have the content of a finished press kit.
The outline, top to bottom
A promoter reads an EPK on a phone, in about thirty seconds, looking for three answers: what you sound like, whether you are working, and how to book you. The sections follow those questions.
| Section | What goes in | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Header | Name, what you do, where you are based, one photo | One screen |
| Music | A player with your best recent mix or track | One to three |
| Bio | The same story at three lengths | 15, 60 and 250 words |
| Dates | Upcoming shows first, then a few past ones | Five to ten |
| Photos | Press shots at full size, credited | Two to six |
| Highlights | Releases, residencies, support from names they know | Three to five lines |
| Rider | Equipment and booth needs | Two to four lines |
| Booking | One email address, plus your agent if you have one | One line |
The header
Everything here should be visible before anyone scrolls. Clever is optional; clear is not.
- [Artist name]
- [DJ / producer / live act / band] · [City, Country]
- [Two or three styles, the way a promoter would describe you: e.g. house, garage]
The bio, at three lengths
Promoters paste bios, they don’t rewrite them. Give them the lengths they need and they will use yours instead of cutting the long one badly. Write in the third person, and lead with facts rather than adjectives.
One line, about 15 words, for listings and captions: "[Name] is a [City]-based [DJ/producer] playing [style] and [style], with releases on [label]."
Short, about 60 words, for club and festival programs: "[Name] is a [DJ/producer] from [City] whose sets move between [style] and [style]. [He/She/They] [hold/holds] a residency at [venue or night] and [has/have] played [two or three venues or festivals they will recognize]. [His/Her/Their] latest release, [title], came out on [label] in [month, year]."
Long, 200 to 300 words, for press and features: start with the short version, then add where you came from, what changed your sound, what you run (a label, a night, a radio show), and what is coming next. End on the present, never on a project you stopped.
Dates and highlights
Dates are evidence you are working, so upcoming shows go first. If the newest date on your page is behind you, hide the section until you have one: an old calendar says the opposite of what you want.
- [Date] · [Venue or party], [City]
- [Date] · [Festival], [City]
- Highlights: [Release] on [label] · Support from [artist who played your track] · Resident at [night]
The tech rider
For a DJ, two lines are enough. It saves an email the week of the show, and it tells the promoter you have done this before.
- Decks: [2–4 x Pioneer CDJ-3000 / Technics 1210 MK2], linked
- Mixer: [Pioneer DJM-900NXS2 / Allen & Heath Xone:96]
- Monitoring: [two booth monitors facing the DJ]
- Live acts and bands: [number of inputs], [what you bring], [stage space], [changeover time]
The booking line
One address, written out so it can be copied. Not a contact form, not "DM for bookings."
"Bookings: [booking@yourname.com]. Agent: [Name], [Agency], [agent@agency.com]." If you have an agent, list only their address so promoters don’t have to choose.
The email you send it with
The EPK does the work, so the email is short. Send one per promoter, by name, never a group email with everyone in BCC.
"Hi [first name], I’m [Name], a [style] [DJ/producer] from [City]. I’ve played [one venue or night they know] and I’d love to play [their party] when it fits. Everything is here: [your EPK link]. Thanks for listening, [Name]."
Our guide on sending a press kit to a promoter covers timing and follow-ups.
What to leave out
- Your life story before your music. It goes in the long bio, if anywhere.
- Every track you have made. Pick the three that sound like the night they are booking.
- Follower counts with no context. Venues and releases say more.
- Dates from two years ago with nothing newer.
- A PDF of more than a couple of megabytes. It won’t open on cellular data.
A template still has to be built
Filling in the words is the hard part, and now it’s done. What’s left is putting them on a page that opens fast on a phone, plays your music without leaving it, shows a preview image when you paste the link into WhatsApp, and stays up to date after you send it.
You can do that with a website builder, or paste the same wording into a Test Press EPK. It takes about ten minutes, puts it on a designed page and tells you when a promoter opens it.
Want to see how other artists filled it in? The Test Press roster has more than 30 real, live EPKs from DJs, producers and bands. Open a few in your style and compare them with yours.
Common questions
- Is there a free EPK template?
- Yes: the outline and wording on this page are free to copy. Fill in the square brackets for your header, three bios, dates, rider and booking line, then put it on any page you control.
- What should an EPK template include?
- A header with your name, discipline and city; music that plays; a bio at three lengths; upcoming dates; press photos at full size; a few highlights; a short tech rider; and one booking email.
- Should my EPK be a PDF or a web page?
- A web page, in almost every case. It opens fast on a phone, plays your music and updates everywhere you have sent it. Keep a small one-page PDF only for submission forms that require a file.
- Where can I see real EPK examples?
- The Test Press roster lists more than 30 live EPKs from DJs, producers and bands, filterable by style and country. Our guide to a DJ press kit, taken apart, walks through one section by section.