I have created my Electronic Press Kit as a website to advertise myself as a performing and recording musician, and to have as an additional platform to promote my music. As a musician, it is important that I have a dedicated document outlining my skills and experience, with testimonials as evidence. This is so potential employers, and any other people of interest can view my skill set and judge my suitability with ease. It is also important that I am advertising myself on a published website, to make my profile accessible through a simple search of my name on the internet. On the flip side, people searching my name will inadvertently find my profile.
The structure of my Electronic Press Kit is laid out clearly and simply. With the different sections clearly displayed on the homepage, viewers can find any specific information or resources they need with ease. Promoters may look for a biography and photos to advertise a gig, and these sections are presented at the top of the page in bold lettering. Someone looking to hire me for a project may need to find evidence of my playing ability. They would find this in the “Recordings” section exhibited on the home page. Under “More” they would find further evidence with my “Testimonials”, and how to get hold of me in “Contact”.
At this current time, I have not performed as many personal gigs as I would like to have advertised on this document. To continue performing in venues around the country is something I deem important to do in the near future, as it is beneficial to be in the position to advertise a well-established performing career. This would coincide with having more professionally shot photos, which are key for advertising yourself. I also need more recordings of my playing, which I am currently working on. Currently, I am working on an EP with the band Stone Prayer Society, which I will advertise when released. I am also working on an online playing portfolio on YouTube. When this goes live, I will have another platform to share, with clips of my best playing and compositions.
I have chosen to advertise myself with photographs of me performing live. This gives the impression of experience and expertise to potential employers. The colour scheme of the website comes across as neat and professional. The general aesthetic matches this, with the sections laid out attractively and in a sophisticated manner. I chose to have separate pages accessible through the homepage, as this organises the document, preventing it from looking rushed and clumsy. The “More” section is included to stop the header from being too crowded, allowing for a more streamlined website.
It is vital to upkeep a consistent social media presence alongside an Electronic Press Kit. A social media is crucial to having a place in the modern music industry, as it displays the personal side to an artist alongside the music they release. Artists such as Lewis Capaldi display themselves as a real and raw personality, that people may grow to like from viral clips before they discover their music. This adds a personal touch to their music, as the fans will feel like they are connected to the artist themselves. An Electronic Press Kit plays a different role, in that it is used to display the professional side of a musician. This is equally as important as it appeals record labels, promoters, and others involved in hiring musicians and the release and promotion of music.
My approach to this Electronic Press Kit has been to keep my target audience range as wide as possible. By advertising all my experiences across different genres and playing situations, I can appeal to a broad variety of targets. One of my ideal occupations would be to play in a pit band for musical theatre, so I have been sure to display this prominently on the website, in attempts to catch the attention of a Musical Director. My band’s work is also on display, with hopes of appealing to promoters, venues and labels, to take my career many steps further.
Market research led me to Will Johns’ Electronic Press Kit (Will Johns, 2021). On his website, his sections are all placed on one large page, one after another, accessed by scrolling. I liked the sections themselves, they are neatly laid out, with accessible photos, testimonials and clips of his playing. However, I found that scrolling to find them did not separate them enough and if I was looking for something specific, I would find it more difficult than looking at an index. Conversely, the overall aesthetic was simple and pleasing, with high-profile testimonials and easily accessible soundbites.
An Electronic Press Kit drives a musician’s revenue by advertising their brand to the correct audience. If people discovering the website enjoy what they see and hear, it may lead them to stream the artists music, attend gigs and buy merchandise. The more interactions like these on your platforms increases popularity and further boosting streams, sales, et cetera. When an artist’s portfolio reaches interested promoters, labels et cetera, they begin take bigger steps in their career, with professional promotion driving revenue streams.
Some assets required to build an Electronic Press Kit have added costs, such as photography. Often, I have found that promoters will hire photographers for their events, with no added charge for the artists. For general artist/band photos, photography costs around £150 an hour on average (Bark, n.d.). Networking is important at this point, as I know photographers personally who will shoot for discounted rates, or for free. When my EP is closer to release, I will pay for a PRS membership ensure I earn when my music is played. As for social media handles, I already have the username “@lucasjtait” on all social media.
My ideas for my Electronic Press Kit were refined in seminars, where I discussed my website with classmates, hearing feedback and comparing with others. This is where I decided to go with the format of different pages for each section. My original design of one page looked too clumsy and unprofessional compared to others with a menu. I refined the aesthetics by using the same photo on the header of every page. Before this I had different photos, and this changed the colour scheme for every section. With a wider range of professionally shot photos with similar colour schemes, this may have worked, however that is something I do not have available to me at this time. Therefore, I followed feedback from peers and kept the same colour scheme for each section. I was also informed that my Bio was not as long as it could have been, and I had more notable career moments to show off. This moment was where I added the information about my pit band and jazz experience. In a commercial sense, my Electronic Press Kit displays everything that industry professionals would want to know before hiring me. Soundbites of my music are easily accessible, as well as full public tracks. Having professionally shot photos is useful, in terms of the way my vibe comes across to people viewing them. This shows my personal development in the professional music industry. Since I arrived in Leeds, I immediately looked for opportunities to develop my social media to a more music-focused personal portfolio. I have ensured that I will be reaching the right audience to take larger steps in my career by developing this Electronic Press Kit over the course of this year. This has also led me to a more career-focused mindset, rather than simply using music as a hobby. Going forward I want to build on this. I aim to go for more opportunities out of my comfort zone and vastly expand my professional palate. The more performing and recording I do, the more attractive my portfolio becomes. This will later lead to attracting industry professionals and provide me with streams of revenue, on which I can build a career in the music industry.
Bibliography
Bark (2025) Photography Price Guide 2025 Available online:https://www.bark.com/en/gb/photographer/photographer-prices/ [Accessed 14/05/2025]
Johns, W. (2021) Will Johns Press Kit Available online: https://willjohns.com/epk/ [Accessed 14/05/2025]
