A Band's Worst Nightmare; The Press Package

This Indie Tip was actually a response to a question a friend of mine had. He's in an experimental band called, Overthrowing Society, So this one is dedicated to Blondie.

What Is A Basic Press Package?
A basic press pack is really just a photo, a demo, a biography of the band, and contact information. The key is to present an honest image of yourself, and be confident; confidence is something that get's your foot in any door. Here's what Your basic items should look like

All photos should reflect the band in it's entirety and honestly. DO NOT PHOTOSHOP OR DOCTOR THE IMAGE WITH GRAPHICS OF ANY KIND. A clear basic image of all group members will not only suffice but is desired from a label.

A demo should feature three or four tracks of your best work. Aim for good, if not high quality tracks that are clear.

The biography should describe how the group or the artist came to be musically. Stay on task though; not many labels want to hear the story about your conception or a random story about how you got grounded for stealing cookies out of the cookie jar. Some great topics are how or who inspired you to make music, how your surroundings influence you, your opinion of music today compared to your music (be nice though), and the creativity of the production process. If you can't think of anything, listen to you music for a while, don't speak just close your eyes and listen. Doing so will bring memories and emotions that will inspire you to write.

Your contact information is just how you would like to be contacted. List all ways you could be contacted, whether by phone, mail, email, or even telegram if necessary. Also, leave the contact information of all artists, if one cannot be reached, another will be. Oh, and don't forget to put any websites and profile links to your myspace, purevolume, buzznet, mibba, etc.

What Extras Could/Should You Add to You Package?
Extras are sometimes a must if you want to be signed to a major label, they want to see how eager and passionate you are to be in the fore front and in the music industry. Here are some ideas for extra items in your package:

A DVD Of A Live Performance: Labels often want to see a performance from an artist/band for a couple of reasons. First being that they want to have some insight on your stage routine, how you act and sound live. No label will risk signing a band that is out of control though I bet there are many that are and have succeeded. One crucial reason for the footage is the crowd. From this footage, labels can answer questions like "how many people show up to your shows?", "what body language can be identified from them?", and "how is the connection between artist and crowd?"

Any Press You/Your Band Have Been Featured In: Like the crowd evaluation, labels want to see what reactions people get from your music and press is a way to see that. Try not to just put Positive pieces, it's obvious that not every will love your music and there will be haters. the best pieces to choose are pieces that gives constructive criticism rather than just bash you, and pieces that reflect and praise specific things.

Concert Posters, Flyers, and Ads: Often times, a label wants to see who you've played shows with and their place in the music industry. Playing shows with major label artists usually shows you have a large enough fan base and talent to "play with the big boys." This is where networking has it's advantage really, it not only gets you more fans but also it gets you noticed. Exposure to the mainstream genre of music isn't a bad thing. Don't believe a person when they say that becoming mainstream ruins an artist, greed and "hype" ruins an artist, not exposure.

How Should You Present Your Package?
When setting up your package, try putting important reviews, news articles, Photos, and any other presentable information in plastic protectors and in a binder. You can even decorate the binder to reflect the band or the type of genre you're in. Organization is an extra bonus in your presentation so try using divider tabs and a table of contents for the viewers convenience. Remember that the presentation should be eye catching and bold; a striking presentation earns you some brownie points. Also thing to remember, labels go through packages like these All the time, so don't skimp out on "dazzle." Or, if you not feeling the outer binder decoration idea, a "professional" look is still acceptable but if more work for the inner content.

And that concludes our second tip and like I always write, if you have anything you want to ask or just a topic suggestion, email The Indie Tip at indietip101@gmail.com