Supporting Commentary

My Electronic Press Kit (EPK) was made in order to professionally showcase and document my work so far as a developing singer – songwriter. It acts both as an introduction and a portfolio, giving potential collaborators or other industry professionals key information about me and my music. 

The primary purpose of my EPK is to showcase my identity as an artist. As a very small artist still gaining experience and audiences, I focused on presenting a clear, authentic snapshot of my work so far. This includes a brief artist bio, notable achievements, links to my music on Soundcloud, and links to my social media and other ways to contact me. I did this in order to provide easy access to my work, give a good first impression, and provide my contact information for potential collaborators. Everything I included was chosen to convey my current artistic goals/ achievements, while also leaving room for my future growth. In doing so, I have positioned the EPK to evolve alongside my career.

Structure

The structure of my EPK is simple and clear in order to present myself in an uncomplicated manner. It begins with my name and role (Emily Whitelaw – Singer-Songwriter) alongside the single cover for one of my releases. This is to set the tone and allow potential viewers to understand my genre and aesthetics before delving into the rest of the EPK. I then have an artist bio alongside a photo of myself. Ideally, the photo would be more professional and potentially more music themed, and this is definitely something I will consider in future when updating the EPK. The visual presentation is kept minimal and clean, which is in line with the preferences of folk listeners. The inclusion of my demo single being embedded, allows listeners to engage with my music instantly, and make a decision quickly based on the actual music and not just my experience so far, particularly as someone with less experience. I added a “Looking to Collaborate” section at the end to encourage others to network with me, and to let them know what I would be looking for in a collaboration. By highlighting this, I am opening myself up to seem approachable and eager to improve. It also reflects my intentions to build long-term relationships in the industry.

Reflections

As a new artist, I am aware that my EPK is still in its early stages and needs some work. For example, my current achievements are mostly live performances at local open mics and the release of a single demo. Once I have established myself a bit more, I plan to include a more extensive discography, professional photos, testimonials, more gigs, and possibly videos of my live performances to showcase my performance style better. I would also include a section of upcoming events. Additionally, the actual visuals of the site are quite minimal currently, but I hope to develop a better design for the EPK if I gain access to professional help. Despite the limitations, I was intentional about what I included and have definitely built a solid foundation that I can build up as I grow as an artist. One of the most valuable aspects of this process has been learning how to prioritise and present the most relevant information about myself while remaining authentic.

EPK vs Instagram

Having a strong online presence in the current music industry is  vital. While social media, such as Instagram, can be useful for getting fan engagement and casual updates, an EPK is a more formal, dedicated tool. Instagram is perfect for generating visibility and garnering a community, but it doesn’t lay out your experience in the same way that an EPK does. Instagram content is algorithmic, whereas an EPK offers a place where all the essential information can easily be accessed. Social media tends to favour short form content, and frequent updates, while an EPK offers a platform doe professional contexts such as bookings, emails or applications for grants. The two sites serve distinct yet supportive roles to a growing musician. I use Instagram to establish my fan base and engage in real-time conversation, and the EPK as a means of converting any interest into opportunity. The relationship between informal and formal digital marketing spaces allows me to shape my artist image both personally and professionally.

Audience & Market Research

My intended audience is made up of indie folk fans, emerging artists, and DIY promoters. These individuals value sincerity and storytelling. When researching, I found that successful EPKs in folk/ indie genres include a clean design, short bio, music samples, and contact/social links. Artists like Adrianne Lenker, although far more established, have EPKs or pages that emphasize simplicity over anything flashy. When researching, I found that I preferred EPKs that were short and to the point, rather than long and drawn out. I didn’t like how commercially centred  and cluttered they felt, so I chose to focus on seeming genuine and approachable, which I think is actually more suited to folk audiences anyway. I chose to use the website “Bandzoogle” to make the EPK, as its a platform specifically designed for musicians. It prioritises allowing musicians to show off their work so far.  

Legal Considerations

The creation of an EPK means considering some financial and legal issues. Although my existing EPK has been built with minimal upfront costs, I have an expectation that as I develop as an artist, there will have to be a greater expenditure on visual and legal aspects of the site. 

Financially, future costs include professional photography (typically £100 to 

£300 per session), graphic design services for consistent visual identity (£50 to £200), and domain name registration to secure a personalised website address (£10 to £20 per year). These elements not only contribute towards the visual professionalism of an EPK but also towards perceived artist legitimacy in the eyes of industry stakeholders. Furthermore, distribution costs associated with future musical releases, whether via digital aggregators or independent channels, will need to be factored into budgeting and long-term strategic planning.

In addition, intellectual property (IP) rights are central to the protection of original material in an EPK. Being the creator and performer of my first demo single “Me & My Boat”, I currently have full copyright on the composition and recording. However, as my body of work grows, it will be worth addressing formal copyright registration processes and performance rights organisations such as PRS for Music and PPL, as this will afford me protection and commercialisation of my creative work by collecting royalty for both live performance and recorded playing.

I also intend to learn more about synchronisation rights (sync rights), which would become relevant if I ever sought to have my music featured in film, TV, or adverts. Understanding this side of music licensing would allow me to better navigate commercial opportunities.

Trademarking, while not necessary at this stage, may be relevant if my artist name and visual identity were to become more widely recognized. Protecting these elements legally will prevent unauthorized usage and maintain a consistent brand image across platforms. Obtaining consistent social media handles on major platforms also aids in brand consistency and visibility.

Groupwork

I produced my EPK alongside a small group of other musicians, all of us working individually on our own materials but supported by group feedback sessions. While the EPKs were an individual project, the group environment provided valuable insight, support, and a platform to critically consider our decisions. Overall, we had two group sessions, the first in which we all presented basic ideas for our EPKs. Most of us were still working out the kind of content and how it was to be structured at this point. We used this session to share ideas and intentions, which clarified the priorities for everyone going forward. My peers responded positively to my focus on seeming genuine over trying to sell myself, which helped to validate my decision to position myself firmly in the indie folk genre. 

In between the first and second session, I worked on implementing some of the feedback I’d gotten from my reviewers — specifically, making my biography concise but still revealing in terms of my personal voice as an artist, and making sure that the most important information was front-and-centre; easy to find. By the second session, we all had more polished versions of our EPKs to present. This session was particularly helpful for receiving more specific feedback — for example, one peer suggested I should make my contact info more prominent and another said that my “Looking to Collaborate” section was a strong point that I could develop further in future versions.

As part of the process, we also reviewed some sample EPKs from other artists. We discussed the features we liked, such as clean design, embedded music, and clear objectives. We also noted what did not work for us — for instance, some EPKs were too busy visually or had a too-corporate feel that wasn’t suitable to the more personal and creative tone that we were attempting to convey. Even though none of us had a great deal of technical experience in branding and marketing, these discussions shaped an informal sense of what would be expected by the industry standards, even at an early career stage.

In the future, I would be interested in continuing to expand my understanding of digital marketing and professional standards for press materials. While peer feedback was useful, I value the advantage of professional feedback and would be keen to engage with industry mentors or attend workshops in the future. Overall, the group process was encouraging, constructive, and a key part of my development as an artist. It reinforced the idea that while creative work is personal, sharing and refining that work within a group can lead to stronger, more strategic outcomes.

Bibliography

Olivia Rafferty
Rafferty, O. (n.d.) EPK. Available at: http://www.oliviarafferty.com/epk (Accessed: 1 May 2025).

Tyler Kealey
Kealey, T. (n.d.) Press Kit. Available at: https://tylerkealey.com/press-kit (Accessed: 1 May 2025).

The Sound of Modesty
The Sound of Modesty (n.d.) Press. Available at: https://thesoundofmodesty.com/press (Accessed: 1 May 2025).