Up Your Game: the EPK

Why this matters — the 90-second scan

Step 1 — Pitch line + the three tags

1. Write one sentence: genre + hometown + the thing only you do. "Award-winning Indie Folk Blues Rock from Tacoma — acoustic or electric."
2. Add three tags under it: genre · hometown · your headline credential (award, notable stage, press).
3. If you have no credential yet, use the most specific true thing: "Weekly open-mic host at Anthem Coffee since 2026."

Step 2 — Two bios, third person

1. Short bio, 50–100 words: the scan version. Who, where, what it feels like live, one proof point.
2. Long bio, 200–400 words: the story — origin, members, releases, stages, what the room does when you play.
3. Write in third person ("Guilded Lilly blends…") so press can paste it straight in. No adjectives you can't back up.

Step 3 — Live video first

1. Lead with one high-quality live video — phone-shot is fine if the sound is clean and the crowd is visible. This is the deciding factor for venues: can you hold a room?
2. Add up to 4 more: a sing-along/callback moment, an original, a cover that shows range, an acoustic take.
3. Upload to YouTube or Vimeo; paste the links. Title each clip with song · venue · date.

Step 4 — Music + photos

1. Embed 3–5 of your strongest tracks (Bandcamp, Spotify, SoundCloud). Never force a download.
2. At least 3 hi-res photos (2,000px+): one portrait, one live shot, one band-in-context — both horizontal and vertical. Name the files with your band name so press finds them.
3. If your tracks are in THE WALL HOARD, say so — it's proof you're part of a scene.

Step 5 — Proof, not padding

• Notable venues & festivals (Spanish Ballroom, Olympia Porchfest, Music & Heart in Wright Park…)
• Awards (WA State Independent Music Awards, local polls)
• Press quotes — real ones, with the outlet named
• Numbers that matter: years touring, shows per year, a sold-out date
• If a section is weak, skip it. An empty Press section reads better than a padded one.

Step 6 — Make yourself easy to book

1. Dedicated booking contact: name, email (booking@…), phone. Put it in the header and the footer.
2. Set lengths & formats: 45 / 90 / 3 hrs · solo acoustic · duo · full band.
3. Stage plot + tech/hospitality rider as a link (one page each). Sound people love you for it; it prevents a bad night.
4. Merch link and where to buy the record.