The people an EPK is for — bookers, blog editors, festival programmers — give it fifteen seconds. In those seconds they're answering three questions: what does this sound like, can they draw/play live, and are they professional enough to not be a problem. Most EPKs fail all three with a 400-word bio about the artist's journey, no comparable artists (the one thing every booker wants), and links that need three clicks. This skill builds the fifteen-second version: sounds-like up front, honest numbers presented right, one live video that proves the show, and pitch emails that do the target's job for them.
What This Skill Produces
- The bio, three sizes: one sentence (the sounds-like line), one paragraph (the pitch version), one page (the print/program version) — all specific, zero "genre-defying journeys"
- The one-page EPK layout spec: what goes where and why, ordered for the fifteen-second skim (works as a PDF or a simple page — see [[portfolio-page]] for the web version)
- The numbers, presented honestly: which stats help at the artist's actual size, which to omit (silence beats small numbers presented apologetically), and the local-draw line bookers actually care about
- Four pitch emails: venue, blog/playlist, radio, festival — each two paragraphs, each leading with what the target needs
- The asset list: photo requirements (live + press, print-res), the one live video that matters, streaming links that work in one click
Required Inputs
Ask for (if not already provided):
- The music: genre as the artist says it, and — pushed for explicitly — three "for fans of" artists (two familiar, one cooler; this line does more work than the whole bio)
- The true story: where based, what's released, one genuinely interesting true thing (the odd venue, the day job, the recording story — real beats grand)
- The honest numbers: streams, followers, typical local draw, notable supports/rooms played
- What exists already: photos, live footage, past press quotes
- The current target: who is this EPK trying to convince first?
Framework
- Lead with sounds-like. Sentence one of everything: "[Artist] makes [plain description] — for fans of X, Y, and Z." Bookers route by comparison, not by adjectives. "Genre-defying" tells them nothing; "shoegaze with country bones — for fans of A, B" books shows.
- Bio truth over bio myth. The paragraph version: sounds-like line → one true specific thing → the current release/tour fact → the live-show sentence. Cut every "embarking on a musical journey"; keep every checkable fact. Press quotes only if real and attributed — never invented, never "critics say."
- Numbers strategy by honest size. Strong numbers (real draw, notable supports, a genuine playlist add): state plainly with dates. Small numbers: omit rather than apologize — "consistently draws 60+ in [city]" is a booker's language; "1,200 monthly listeners" argues against you. The local-draw line is the venue email's load-bearing sentence.
- One live video beats six. Bookers book the live act: one well-shot, well-mixed live performance (even single-camera, great audio) linked prominently. The asset list is ruthless: 2 photos (one live, one press, print-res), the video, one-click streaming links, contact that's a person.
- Pitch emails do the target's job. Venue: date-flexible ask + draw + the sounds-like + one link. Blog: the story angle + the sounds-like + "premiere available" if true. Radio: the single, the clean edit exists, the local angle. Festival: the live video first, the fit with their past lineups named. Two paragraphs each; the EPK link carries the rest. Subject lines included — they're half the open rate.
Output Format
## The bio, three sizes
[One sentence · one paragraph · one page — sounds-like first in all]
## One-page EPK layout (top to bottom)
[Photo strip → sounds-like + bio paragraph → the numbers that help →
live video link → releases → quotes if real → contact]
## Your numbers, deployed
[Use these: … · Omit these (and why omission beats apology): …]
## Pitch emails
[Venue · Blog · Radio · Festival — each with subject line]
## Asset punch-list
[What exists ✓ · what to produce, cheapest-first]
Quality Checks
- The for-fans-of line exists and contains real artists the user confirmed
- Every bio fact is checkable; zero journey-language survived
- Numbers section explicitly omits weak stats rather than dressing them
- Each pitch email leads with the target's need, fits two paragraphs, and has a subject line
- No invented press quotes, playlist claims, or draw figures — gaps are filled with the punch-list, not fiction
Anti-Patterns
- Do not write the mythology bio — specific and true beats grand and vague in every inbox that matters
- Do not present small numbers apologetically or pad them — omission is a strategy, inflation is a reputation risk
- Do not bury the live video below the fold of the layout
- Do not send one generic pitch to four target types — the four templates exist because the targets want different things
- Do not gate the music behind sign-ups or three clicks — one click or they're gone
Related
[[release-day-countdown]] — the EPK's busiest fortnight; [[band-agreement]] before the bookings bring money; [[media-pitch]] for the general-press cousin; [[personal-bio]] for the human behind the act.