EPK Review
Creating an Electronic Press Kit for Semma was difficult due to the very limited background information and no clear contact details to a manager, agent or direct contact email to Semma herself. An Electronic Press Kit is a marketing tool and a way for record labels, managers, and promoters to contact Semma, but with the contact information being just her socials, it looks unprofessional and difficult to contact her.
The electronic press kit for Semma initially was straightforward in terms of showing that she has a clear music identity, which is clear from her social media and her released music. Her brand image is an artistic diva, which is backed up by the photos included in the electronic press kit, which clearly represent the diva image. Her main strength is included in the electronic press kit, which includes Semma’s versatility between R&B and pop. Occasionally, she releases electronic music versions to highlight her versatility. With these aspects of Semma’s music career, it gives record labels an understanding of what audience she appeals to and how they can promote her to succeed in that market. The inclusion of artists she looked up to during her music career (Janet Jackson, Madonna and Mariah Carey) helps recognise Semma’s music style and the audience she wants to appeal to.
Another strength that was included in Semma’s electronic press kit was the inclusion of some of her releases. Including Cut The Rope with 300,857 and Bittersweet with 245,333 showcases evidence of an audience that is engaged with her music. Including streaming numbers in an electronic press kit is important in the modern music industry as record labels rely on analytics to assess an artist’s potential. Finding press quotes for Semma was difficult, with minimal articles that weren’t interviews praising her work. Eventually, finding one quote from Paper Magazine strengthens Semma’s electronic press kit as it shows that Semma is professional and that if an article is written praising an upcoming artist, they must have something.
Another key feature of Semma’s electronic press kit is that it includes a story of Semma and why she started singing and songwriting. Although in an electronic press kit it’s important to include statistics and accomplishments, including personal information about her motivation to get into music shows emotion and can stand out to industry professionals and gives greater depth to her brand as an artist. Building that emotional connection with fans as well is key, and including a story about her personal life can make fans more loyal to Semma.
Looking for professional photos of Semma was not easy until finding photos on articles online and some on her Facebook. The photos included in Semma’s electronic press kit highlight her identity as a diva, as we see similarities in all the photos, such as confidence. Something to take away is how Semma raises her chin and stares at the camera, which creates the feeling of dominance and someone confident in who they are. It makes the viewer feel they have to pay attention to the photo. The clothes Semma wears in these photos, such as the leather jacket, create an edgy, mysterious look. Her pose feels powerful, but sophisticated, which backs up her self-confidence. The photos all look professional, which is important as you want to be seen to make an effort and release a photo with purpose, which Semma accomplishes. Underneath the photos, there are download links to these high-quality photos so that on the media side, journalists, vloggers and bloggers can use the photos when writing an article. On the music side: record labels, booking agents, live event organisers, promoters, and festival organisers. The quicker they can access these high-quality photos, the quicker they can market Semma. These photos can be used to market Semma in several ways: website articles, social media, press release or posters for live events, to name a few.
Including social media links for Semma on her electronic press kit is pretty close to essential because it is one of the biggest ways an artist can promote themselves for free. Linking her Instagram, TikTok and Soundcloud makes it easier for record labels or event organisers to find her content on social media.
On a more negative side, there were issues when trying to locate any contact information except her social media. There was no sign of a personal email, no manager email, no booking agent and no phone number. This is a big weakness in Semma’s electronic press kit from an industry professional perspective; this is a big red flag. An electronic press kit’s purpose is not just about information; it is a tool to provide and allow contact. Even if Semma were to gain interest from her electronic press kit, there are very limited contact details, which reduces her chances of an industry professional contacting her for interviews, collaborations, record deal or bookings. An idea that Semma could implement on her electronic press kit and social media is a link that takes you to a page with contact details of the relevant people. This would make it easy for people interested in Semma to contact her or a manager.
Furthermore, Semma’s electronic press kit could do with more live performance history, as there wasn’t anything on Semma’s social media platform. Semma should do a live performance that could feature on her electronic press kit, for instance, possibly at a bar at night or a small gig. There are plenty of places that she can perform at to create a name for herself in live performance, and she can showcase on an electronic press kit. Press quotes were very limited about Semma, so she should look to try to attract more media attention. Whilst performing live, Semma could gather videos of her performing live to include in the electronic press kit for A&R representatives from record labels who didn’t attend the performance. It also gives booking agents and promoters an idea of your live performance and experience, which can increase Semma’s chance of being booked for more live performances.
The articles that were included, such as ‘Wonderland Magazine’, show professional media recognition and strengthen her brand as an artist. This particular article gives an insight into Semma’s music style, her idols and her personality. The article also highlights her vocals and songwriting ability, which are her strengths, and her ability to sing and write songs increases her chances of securing opportunities from record labels or other industry contacts. The article strengthens her brand imagery as she speaks confidently, powerfully and shows emotion, which backs up the brand imagery of her photos. It reinforces her identity as an artist, which is crucial for branding and marketing purposes, as it provides record labels with insight into their target audience. Any article that has positive feedback suggests that, because of interest from journalists, Semma has potential for industry professionals. Therefore, including it in the electronic press kit improves Semma’s professional image and increases music opportunities such as bookings, collaborations, and label interest. Additionally, the PAPER Magazine article on Semma strengthens Semma’s artist identity and her branding, like the previous article. The more articles included in the electronic press kit it proves recognition for success, which will gain more interest from promoters, labels and booking agents. Attached to the article is one of Semma’s music video which is easy to find and allows industry professionals to know her brand more strongly and understand what sort of music video she likes and which demographic of person enjoys it.
One thing that could be worked on is the colour schemes and fonts used in the electronic press kit. Personally, I was unsure about this stage and could do with more time practising what colours and fonts suit a particular artist. It’s essential to find a colour scheme and font that reinforces Semma’s brand image. Creating a mood with the colour scheme and font is important, as people will recognise Semma easier as long as it stays consistent. For example, a rock artist’s colours and font will be different to a pop artist’s colours and font. Ensuring that a consistent visual style is shown throughout Semma’s social media and this electronic press kit so that industry professionals get an idea quickly of their brand and music style.
If Semma wanted to make her electronic press kit more unique and special, she could look to include a link to music that she is looking to release in the future. This will make Semma stand out to industry professionals and give record labels an idea of how to market and distribute her upcoming releases. Semma could include behind-the-scenes footage to give a greater idea of how she works and to give material that could be used to market her.
In conclusion, Semma’s electronic press kit effectively highlights her strengths in music, as well as her strong identity, personality, and clear fashion sense, which align with pop and R&B. The electronic press kit mentions her streaming numbers, articles, personal story, and influences on her sound. This is all important for professionals in the music industry to understand her brand as an artist, the most suited market, and her musical sound to assess her potential. Her image as an artist is reinforced in the electronic press kit, portraying Semma as an artistic diva who is confident.
Unfortunately, there are still areas that could be improved despite the strengths of the electronic press kit just mentioned. Improving some areas of Semma’s press kit will increase her chance of opportunity from record labels, promoters and media. As discussed, Semma’s biggest weakness is the absence of professional contact information. This is an essential part of an electronic press kit, as to attract opportunities, is one thing they need to be able to contact Semma about that opportunity, but this is not currently possible through the press kit unless it’s social media. Not to add, the lack of live performance history, press quotes, and a better visual design of the press kit would make the electronic press kit more professional and industry-standard.
Overall, Semma’s electronic press kit showcases her potential as an artist and provides a strong brand image of her and that she has a proven audience based on her Spotify streaming statistics. With the areas to improve previously mentioned, if these areas are sorted, this electronic press kit can be more effective and has the potential to grow Semma’s career.
Reference
PAPER Magazine (2019) Michael Love Michael
Semma’s Bittersweet Is Perfect Teen Pop Nostalgia (Assessed 08/05/26)
https://www.papermag.com/semma#rebelltitem1
Wonderland Magazine (2016), Elly Arden-Joly
New Noise: Semma (Assessed 07/05/26)
www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2016/11/14/new-noise-semma/
Clash Music (2019) Robin Murray
Track Of The Day 27/3 – Semma (Assessed 07/05/26)
https://www.clashmusic.com/news/track-of-the-day-27-3-semma/
