Over the next 21 pages youll find many real-life examples of news releases, artist
bios and event listings, as well as a one sheet, cover letter and fact sheet.
Many of these items I wrote myself over the years for clients. Others were
produced by solo artists and indie label publicists. Print them out, look them over,
and learn from them.
Important: Please read the notes on pages 23-26. Why? Because not all is
perfect with these sample press kit items. In the last four pages of notes I
examine what works, what doesnt, and what I would do to improve them now.
Note that some of the contact info spaces have generic email and phone references. Thats because some of these items were created years ago and the names,
numbers and addresses are no longer the same.
Whatever you do, use these samples and my four pages of observations to create
your own press kit materials that sizzle!
I wish you success and prosperity ... and tons of media coverage!
-Bob
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Australia alone). Last year, what comes around earned a spot on the Most Increased
Plays list of Radio & Records NAC/Smooth Jazz Albums and landed on Gavins Smooth
Jazz & Vocals Chart Bound list.
Her treatment of these 60s and 70s gems has apparently struck a chord with the Boomer
crowd. The disc also features Donovans Sunshine Superman, Gerry Goffin and Carole
Kings Some Kind of Wonderful, and the Classic Fours Spooky. Three of Laurens
original songs, including the standout track Midlife, round out what comes around.
George Graham, of Pennsylvanias WVIA radio, described her best when he said, Lauren
resembles the singer-songwriters of her generation, with hints of Carole King, Rickie Lee
Jones, and some of the sultry inflections of Bonnie Raitt, with just a hint of the worldweariness one might expect in a jazz singer.
Lisa Lauren just finished recording her second album, entitled my own twist which is
anticipated to be released by the end of 2000. This CD will once again feature David
Sanborn and Fareed Haque. The new disc will be much lighter on cover songs, spotlighting
more of her own inimitable compositions.
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To celebrate her newfound exposure, Nafeesa will give away three autographed copies of
her CD and poetry book, both titled Super Woman. To be eligible to win, poetry fans (and
Jewel fans) should listen to digital files of Nafeesa Monroes spoken word performances
online and submit a short review or commentary by e-mail to
superwoman@poetplanet.com. The three best reviews will each win an autographed Super
Woman CD/book set. Monroes online sound clips can be found at
www.nafeesamonroe.com.
So, what led to Monroes current good fortune? A trip to New York a couple of years ago
included an impromptu visit to Da Poetry Lounge, where her transformation from
occasional poem writer to spoken word artist took place. She has since slammed at the
world-famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe in New York City, where she took first place in its
open slam. Among many other poetry performance achievements, Monroe also recently
came in second place in the Long Beach National Poetry Slam Team finals.
One reviewer described her as a commanding presence in any room. Her work is the
pure product of a high-gear mind and a healing heart.
Monroes performance abilities should come as no surprise, since she is also an accomplished actress. In film, she has starred in the features A State of Mind and The Truth,
The Pain, The Sacrifice: An Actors Reality. She most recently had a supporting role in the
independent film Naked Brown Men.
She has appeared on TV shows such as In the House, The Parkers, The Jamie Foxx Show
and The Steve Harvey Show. In New York, Monroe appeared in the Off Off Broadway
premiere of John Mailers Hello Herman. She is also a founding member of the Watts
Prophets Los Angeles Hip Hop Poetry Choir, a group that fuses spoken-word poetry with
hip-hop music and theatre.
For more information on Nafeesa Monroe, visit www.nafeesamonroe.com.
# # #
Contact: Name
Phone: 555-1234
E-mail: name@website.com
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Thick started writing and rapping his own grooves in 1993, but it wasnt until the summer
of 2000 that he released his first EP, called Goldfinger Connection. I put it in a handful of
stores around metro Detroit just to get something out, Thick says. After that, I began
working on my opus to dopeness: Lifestyles of the Shady n Neurotic.
This is what I love doing, he adds, so blaze one up, put some Scrill in your deck, say
whattup to Adam Thick and pass the doobie around.
For more information on Mr. Scrillion and Lifestyles of the Shady n Neurotic, visit
www.adamthick.com or send e-mail to [address].
# # #
Note to media folks: Adam would like to send you a special demo CD of his work for
review. To request your complimentary copy, send an e-mail to [address]. Be sure to
include your address and media affiliation.
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Its easy to forget that in the music business, like any other business, a record companys
investment and risk on a newly signed act can mean the end of several careers not just
the artists if it doesnt work. So a label is much more likely to invest in someone who
has a proven track record.
Myth #2
Most aspiring musicians lack talent and are delusional, struggling and starving
The American Idol auditions, in particular, create this illusion. Thats a huge misconception, says Derek Sivers, founder and president of Portland, OR-based CD Baby, a web site
that in 2003 sold $4.6 million worth of CDs (more than 400,000 units) by unsigned acts.
Im blown away by the tremendous amount of quality music being produced outside the
mainstream. Many amazing musicians have decided theyre happier selling 10,000 CDs on
their own and making a hundred thousand dollars, than selling a million CDs and being
broke on a major label. Thats the reality of todays music business.
Myth #3
You need the approval of industry insiders to make it in music
Another misguided notion is that getting an industry big shots approval will make or
break your career. Sorry, you dont need Simons or anyone elses permission to be
worthy of a career in music, Baker says. If you wait for someone to give you the green
light to create and perform music, you may wait a long time. Artists should use their inner
conviction and the response they get from fans to fuel their progress.
Every major label in the U.K. passed on both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in their
day, says Peter Spellman, director of career development at Berklee College of Music in
Boston, and author of Indie Power and The Self-Promoting Musician. That gives you a
sense of what label gatekeepers know about an artists potential. Who knows what talent
theyre passing on today?
Myth #4
Landing a major recording contract is the ultimate sign of success
While major label deals have a purpose in the industry for some musicians, I definitely
preach the independent gospel, Mathes says. Ive heard countless stories of bands that
got signed and never went anywhere, or bands that had record deals and ended up falling
far short of their expectations. Unfortunately, Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken and Ruben
Studdard are the exceptions, not the rule
According to Mathes, only about one in 30 signed acts reach significant enough sales
levels to warrant a second CD release, which means nearly 97% of artists with recording
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contracts fail. Getting signed often means the kiss of death, she says. Yet, I talk to
aspiring artists every day who still believe they need a major label deal. The smartest
musicians understand that there are other options that give them much more control over
their careers, and they arent afraid to put their all into making it happen. Artists who
realize that success does not happen when you get signed to a major label are the ones
who will make it in this industry.
Myth #5
Without widespread nationwide exposure, youre doomed to failure
Most musicians would love to get the high-impact TV exposure that American Idol finalists
receive. But nationwide media coverage is not a requirement for ultimate success in
music. When most people think of successful artists, they mainly think of who theyve
heard on the radio or seen on MTV, Baker explains. However, there are thousands of
lesser-known artists who actively write, record and perform great music under the radar.
And, contrary to popular belief, many of them make decent money, have large armies of
devoted fans and are quietly, but steadily, building careers.
Baker adds, Its misguided for artists to think they need the massive exposure and
approval of music industry honchos a la American Idol in order to succeed. The musicians
with the best odds of success take their careers into their own hands, promote themselves
relentlessly and create their own lucky breaks.
###
For more information on:
Bob Baker, visit www.TheBuzzFactor.com
Derek Sivers, visit www.cdbaby.com
Peter Spellman, visit www.mbsolutions.com
Danica Mathes, visit www.EntertainerLaw.com
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Note the gansta trunk reference. Lesson: Use your personal experiences to your
advantage, especially when they tie into and reinforce your musical identity.
Musical Success Resource Guide news release page 9
I ran this years ago when promoting an early version of my e-mail music tips newsletter
and a mail order catalog of my books and tapes.
This is a great example of a standard press release on a single topic. Its short and to
the point, and it offers something of value to the readers of the publications it was sent
to: namely, free information that could help them succeed.
Note how the headline spells out the news hook and benefit in just 14 words.
Regional Music Showcase news release page 10
I used the same format and template as the previous release. Once you have one that
works, just replace the headline and body text.
This one promotes an event a music conference I used to organize in St. Louis. I not
only referenced the showcases and workshops in the headline, but also worked in Beatle
Bob a colorful local nightclub icon who has gained national exposure. Perhaps youve
heard of him.
Find a unique angle like this to publicize your own events.
Please note that the contact info listed on these last two news releases is ancient
history. I cannot be reached at the address, phone or email these days.
Whats Wrong with American Idol? news release page 11
Using this press release, I got media coverage on:
- A 10-minute TV segment on Extra Edition, KMOV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis
- KMOX (1120 AM) in St. Louis, MO
- KFTK (97.1 FM) in St. Louis, MO
- WJJG (1530 AM) in Chicago, IL
- KORN FM in Mitchell, SD
I took my message of indie music success and personal empowerment and tied it into
the immense popularity of American Idol. Lesson: Find a way to ride the coattails of
something thats already creating a buzz or riding high in the publics (and therefore the
medias) awareness.
I purposely used controversy: Whats Wrong with American Idol? is a lot stronger and
more alluring than something mundane like American Idol: An Alternate View.
I added credibility by identifying five myths and using three other experts to support
my points.
Drawbacks: This news release is very long and reads more like an article. What I did
was post the entire thing on a page on my web site. Then I sent short teaser emails to
my media contacts with a link to the full release.
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Little Charlie & the Nightcats news release (Alligator Records) page 14
This one-page announcement from Alligator Records is a news release, event listing and
mini bio all rolled into one.
Its effective because it promotes a specific show in a particular city with enough background material to help a writer craft a blurb about the show.
Note how all of the following are clearly set apart: concert date and time; venue name,
address and phone number; ticket price.
Most traditional news releases dont include photos, but I like the way this page
incorporates the visual image. Lesson: Dont be afraid to break the rules when you find
something that works.
Koko Taylor news release (Alligator Records) page 15
Heres another news release from the Alligator blues label with the same format as the
previous one.
Note that the name of the artist and the city are included in both Alligator headlines.
Quotes from prominent publication reviews are listed under each headline.
Its obvious that Alligator Records used the same layout for news releases sent to each
city. All they did was change the name of the city in the headline and concert time and
venue details. Everything else remained the same.
Lesson: Find a cool format that works, then customize each news release sent for the
specific city and media source.
Nathaniel Street West bio page 16
This is the first page of a multi-page artist bio. Note the vivid writing style.
Its positively and tastefully written without being overbearing.
3X Krazy press kit item page 17
A novel addition to this press kit. Each member of 3X Krazy has a one-page sheet that
mimics a form filled out on a patient in a psych ward.
It reinforces the hardcore-gansta crazy identity of this act in an attention-getting way.
Mark Biehl mini bio page 18
Heres a short bio I helped write for this electronic musician. He took my words and had
a graphic designer display them on one attractive page.
Again, note the descriptive language and use of quotes from Biehl.
Mark Biehl one sheet page 19
I didnt mention one-sheets as part of my 29 press kit elements, but heres a nice
example of one from Biehl.
Note the inclusion of a press quote, brief description, music category, track listings, UPC
bar code, contact info, etc.
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For more tips and tools, please visit Bob Bakers web sites:
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