Press Kits

 

Quote Sheets

Quote sheets can be a useful addition to a demo/promo/press kit. It is simply a

document that lists positive comments about you or your music, made by various

professionals in the Four Fronts. They give the gatekeepers at distributors,

stores, radio, the print media and live venues an easy to read glimpse of what other

industry people have to say about you.

You should select solicited comments from some of the following professions:

 

- Producers or Engineers who recorded your music.

- Club and other live performance bookers

- Writers from various music, or entertainment publications

- Music and Program Directors, and DJs from radio stations

- Record store managers or clerks

- Other respected musicians

 

Note: You can ask loyal fans to make a comment, but only use one or two of the best

quotes from these people.

After you have selected the best quotes you could get, simply select the best 6 or 7

quotes and type them up on a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper, preferably on your own artist

or band stationary, and title it something like “ What People Are Saying” or “A Few

Comments About My Music.”

Clippings or Press Clips

As your career develops, and the reviews of your records and concerts increase, be

sure to save as many of them as you can. When you have a dozen or so collected, put

together a small collection of these ‘clippings’ or ‘press clips”.

 

There are a couple of ways to arrange clippings:

If the reviews are small (capsule reviews) of live shows, or record reviews, then cut out

and arrange several of them on a sheet of paper in an attractive way. Larger reviews

can be reduced, copied, and pasted up with several small reviews all on one page.

If longer reviews have been written, or feature stories and cover stories start to

appear, then the whole article should be copied. 2 or 3 of these can then be put into

your kits. Do not go overboard on these clips. There is nothing more annoying than

getting a demo/promo, or press kit filled with a dozen or more clippings.

 

Folders and Envelopes

Whenever you have an opportunity to present something to a professional in the

music business, you should remember two things:

1) What type of information does the person receiving your information need from you

to do their job?

2) Does the folder or envelope that contains your kit reflect the professional image

you want?

 

The first impression your music makes is a visual impression. In other words, if the

package your music arrives in looks unprofessional, you music may never be listened

to.

The professional gatekeepers in the Four Fronts see hundreds of promotional

packages a month, and after years of dealing with these packages, it’s very easy to

tell what artist or band has their act together professionally, and who doesn’t.

However, different styles of music demand different images. You should become

familiar with what kind of image is appropriate for your music. For example, what

might be an appropriate image for an alternative rock band, or a rap group, might be

completely inappropriate for a country act, or a pop artist. Basically, the more

mainstream your music is, the more professional the packaging of promotional

materials should be.

Don’t go overboard in your eagerness to please. A folder can be a 35cent folder, with

the band or artist’s logo used as a sticker placed on the front cover of the folder or

envelope. The promo materials included inside should be neatly written and laid out.

A package that looks “too slick” can work against you as much as can a poorly

designed package.

If there is any doubt what kind of promotional materials should be put into your kits,

think of the possible ingredients that could go into the kit. Those promotional

materials are like the tools you have in your home repair toolkit. You have different

tools, but you rarely use them all at once. Same with what you put into your folders and

envelopes. You have created a bio, a fact sheet, a photo, press clippings or quote

sheets, and cover letters. In addition to all those items, you may also created a list of

song lyrics, a stage plot for your live show presentations, or an equipment list. So, do

you use them all?

My tip on what to put into a promotional kit is this: Ask the recipient of your kit what

they want you to send them. It’s as simple as all that.

Contact Us, For Further Assistance