Step by stepHow to Make an EPK (Step by Step)
To make an EPK, gather your assets, write a short and long bio, choose your two or three strongest tracks, add high-resolution photos and proof of traction, and publish it all as one shareable web page — then keep it updated. Here’s each step in detail, in the order that makes the page easiest to build and easiest to read.
New to this? Start with what an EPK is and why it matters. This guide is the how — part of our larger guide to pitching your music.
Step 1: Gather your assets
Before you touch a builder, put everything in one folder. You’ll need your best tracks (or streaming links to them), high-resolution photos, links to your Spotify, Apple Music, and socials, your current numbers — monthly listeners, followers — and anything that counts as press or a placement. Assembly is the fast part; hunting for a photo halfway through is what stalls people. Gather first, build second.
Step 2: Write your bio
Write two versions: a short bio of a couple of lines for quick reads and a long bio of a paragraph or two for the page itself. Lead with what makes you distinctive — a specific sound, a real story, a concrete highlight — and cut the empty phrases every other kit uses (“genre-defying,” “unique sound”). Write in the third person so a blog can paste it straight in. If the bio is the hardest part for you, draft it first; everything else on the page is assembly by comparison.
Step 3: Choose the tracks that lead
Pick your two or three strongest songs and lead with the single best one, embedded so it plays in place — no download, no detour to another tab. Most people who open your EPK decide from that first track, so don’t bury it under a paragraph of bio. Music first is the rule almost every curator and booker is quietly hoping you’ll follow.
Step 4: Add photos that can be published
Include a few high-resolution images — a tight portrait, a live or full-body shot, and one that puts you in context. Aim for at least 2,000px on the long edge, and include both horizontal and vertical crops so any outlet can drop them into a post or a story without asking you for more. They don’t require an expensive shoot, but they do need to be sharp and well-lit; blurry snaps undercut everything else on the page.
Step 5: Add your proof
This is the part artists skip and shouldn’t. Give the reader a reason to believe there’s momentum. If you have press, pull short quotes from the most reputable sources and link out. If you have placements, radio play, or notable shows, list them. And if you’re early with none of that yet, use concrete numbers — monthly listeners, followers, a sold-out local show — because bookers and labels read data as draw. Specifics build trust; adjectives don’t.
Put a clear contact email near the top and again at the bottom — ideally a dedicated artist address rather than your personal inbox, which looks more professional and keeps things organized. Add management or booking details if you have them. The test: a stranger should be able to find how to reach you in about three seconds. If they have to hunt, some won’t.
Step 7: Publish it as one shareable link
Host your EPK as a web page, not a PDF. A link opens instantly on a phone, streams your music in place, and stays current every time you update it — a PDF does none of those and you can’t even tell if it was opened. Use a dedicated EPK tool or a single page on your own site, and from then on you share one clean URL with every pitch.
Rifflead builds the whole page for you — bio, embedded tracks, photos, live stats, and placements at your own shareable link — and logs each pitch the moment you send the EPK, so your outreach tracks itself. See the free EPK maker and template.
Build your EPK free →Step 8: Keep it alive
An EPK isn’t a one-time export. Come back to it about every quarter: swap your newest release into the lead slot, refresh your streaming and follower numbers, and add any press or milestones you’ve earned. A page with year-old stats quietly weakens the case you’re making. Because a hosted EPK updates everywhere at once, keeping it current is a five-minute job — and it keeps working long after you build it.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to make an EPK?
If your assets are gathered — tracks, photos, links, and numbers — you can build a solid EPK in under an hour with a hosted tool. The writing (your bio and pull-quotes) usually takes longer than the assembly, so draft that first and the rest falls into place quickly.
What should an EPK include, in order?
Lead with your best track, then a short bio, then photos, proof (press or stats), your links, and your contact — with contact repeated at the bottom. The exact order can flex, but music first and contact obvious are the two rules that hold across every EPK.
Do I need professional photos for my EPK?
You need high-resolution, well-lit photos — they don’t have to come from an expensive shoot, but blurry phone snaps in bad light undercut everything else on the page. A few good horizontal and vertical shots that a blog could publish as-is are enough to start.
Should my EPK be a PDF or a web page?
A web page. It opens instantly on mobile, lets people stream your music without downloading, and stays current when you update it — none of which a PDF does. Keep a downloadable one-sheet only if a specific sync or licensing contact asks for one.
How do I make an EPK for free?
Use a hosted EPK tool with a free tier — Rifflead lets you build one at your own shareable link at no cost — or create a single dedicated page on your existing artist website. You don’t need to pay a designer; you need current content on a page that loads fast.
