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CREATING
A PRESS PACK
When
sending CDs to record companies, managers, radio stations or magazines
etc.. be sure to follow these simple guidelines which will make
your package much more friendly to the recipient:
1.
Press Release
There's
a fine art to a powerful, concise press release. You have to strike
a balance between being provocative and edgy enough to be interesting,
but also provide the crucial info. Who are you? What style of music
do you play? Why should we care? Don't tell an A&R man that
your bass player works in Marks and Spencer's or that you used to
be a painter/decorator. He wants to know that you wake up everyday
thinking about nothing but writing songs, and that you're so lost
in your music that the rest of the world means nothing to you. Be
young, be vital, be anything but ordinary.
Include
a professional photo that accurately depicts your rock star/pop
idol persona. Make sure it's hip and fashionable. If you're dressed
like Bon Jovi circa 1986, you're likely to provoke giggles rather
than raised brows. Don't send a shot of you in the garden or on
a beach with your mates last summer. Talk to a real artist photographer
and capture something dynamic and special. Be raw, be spontaneous.
Anyone in the industry can spot a smooth, polished cabaret artist
at a hundred paces. That's fine for pub gigs, but you are shooting
for serious commercial and artistic success.
Place
your logo or other high-quality image at the top of the press release
and print it on a good branded paper. Make sure it has a date so
that people know how recent it is and include contact information
clearly at the bottom. Make sure any important dates or contact
numbers are bold so he/she doesn't have to hunt for them.
Otherwise, they'll give up in about five or ten seconds and move
on.
Keep
it simple! Include a few of your best press quotes so that they
can see the level of success you're having. Don't send reams of
newspaper cuttings, insignificant articles from nomark magazines
or gimmicks: that includes sweets, gifts, furry animals or money.
You want to be taken seriously after all, and the art should speak
for itself.
2.
The CD
Put
your best song first. If you get a 30 second private audience with
a big cheese, wouldn't you rather hit them with your best work?
The CD should contain 3 songs max. If they want more they'll ask
for it. The songs should be about 3 mins long. It may be disheartening
when you hear the classic A&R stories about throwing your masterpiece
into the bin after the first 30 seconds, because after all, you've
spent months on this, and your twelve minute opus might be pure
genius. Unfortunately, no-one cares until your successful, so give
yourself a chance to get your foot in the door. If you've ever been
in the position where 100 rubbish CDs land on your desk every day,
you'd soon develop a very sensitive filter too! So be the one disc
that day that gets a full play.
3.
The Website
An
essential ingredient for any press pack is to be able to link to
a website where they can find more information, tour dates and pictures.
With your website, just be sure to give people the information they
need quickly and without any fuss. Take professional advice on this,
as homemade sites are always very obvious.
4.
Check it!
Check
that everything is in order. Then check again! Use a spell checker.
Does your CD play ok? It's not like a busy record exec will call
you and ask for a replacement. Is your contact info on everything?
By that I mean EVERYTHING. The press release, the CD cover, the
disc itself, the back of the photo? When Mr A&R pops the CD
on in his car and starts to sing along, he may want to call you,
but he's probably lost the box. So don't make it hard for him, or
the call will never come.
SEE MORE TIPS >>
MAKING
A GOOD DEMO
GETTING A MANAGER
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