Is your EPK Costing you Opportunities?

I’ve seen it happen more than once—an incredibly talented artist pours their heart into their music, but when it comes time to pitch for gigs, collaborations, or press coverage, they keep hearing crickets. And I get it. Early on managing Tonight’s Sunshine, I thought the music alone would open all the doors. But in this industry, your Electronic Press Kit (EPK) is often the first thing people see. If it doesn’t hit the mark, your talent might never even get a shot to speak for itself.

Musician working on his laptop

Why Your EPK Matters

Think of your EPK like your artist résumé. It tells promoters, agents, playlist curators, and journalists who you are, what you’re about, and why they should pay attention. These people are usually short on time and skimming through dozens of EPKs a day—so yours needs to make a strong impression, and fast.

When Tonight’s Sunshine started getting traction, I realized that even a great song needed the right packaging. It wasn’t until we cleaned up our EPK—better photos, tighter bio, updated videos—that doors started opening. We even landed coverage in SPIN Magazine, and I don’t think that would’ve happened with the old version of our EPK. That was the moment I really asked myself: Is your EPK costing you opportunities? For us, it was. And once we fixed it, things started moving.

What Every EPK Should Include

Here’s what I’ve learned from experience (and a lot of trial and error):

🎵 High-Quality Music Samples

Your music should be front and center. Include your strongest, most recent songs. Use streaming links (like Spotify or SoundCloud) and make sure everything loads quickly. If people can’t listen easily, they’ll move on.

📸 Professional Photos

I can’t stress this enough—ditch the blurry selfies. Invest in a proper photoshoot with a few different looks: portraits, live shots, and something that visually tells your story. Good visuals instantly boost your credibility.

📝 Updated Biography

Your bio should read like a short story—where you came from, what drives your music, and what you’ve achieved. Keep it fresh. We’ve rewritten ours for Tonight’s Sunshine a few times just this year to reflect new milestones.

📰 Press Mentions & Testimonials

Even small blog write-ups or quotes from past collaborators add credibility. If someone said something nice about your work—include it. These third-party validations go a long way.

🎥 Live Performance Videos

Nothing shows your stage presence like a video. Use high-quality footage from shows, rehearsals, or even a well-produced live session. This helped us land performance opportunities before promoters ever saw us in person.

📞 Easy Contact Info

This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often people hide or forget this part. Make sure your email, phone number, and social links are clearly listed and easy to find.

How to Make Your EPK Stand Out

Here are a few extra touches that can take your EPK from average to unforgettable:

• Keep Your Branding Consistent

Use the same colors, fonts, and logos across your EPK, website, and socials. This makes your brand feel cohesive and professional.

• Make It Easy to Read

Use clear headings, bullet points, and logical sections. People should be able to skim your EPK and still walk away with a strong sense of who you are.

• Update It Regularly

Your EPK isn’t a “set it and forget it” kind of thing. Make it a habit to update it every time you release something new or hit a new milestone. Trust me—it makes a difference.

Final Thoughts

Your EPK isn’t just a formality—it’s often your first impression with people who could change the course of your career. When Tonight’s Sunshine started treating ours like a serious piece of the puzzle, we saw real momentum.

So if you’ve been putting all your energy into making great music (which is the most important part), make sure your EPK is doing its job and helping you get noticed. Because if it isn’t, you might be leaving opportunities on the table—and you’ve worked way too hard for that.