An EPK is what a promoter, festival or journalist uses to present an artist without asking a single question. It travels ahead of the show: into the line-up post, the venue's website, the programme and the local paper. The name is short for electronic press kit, and it is what submission forms and booking emails ask for.
What is in it
- A short bio and a long one.
- Press photos at full size, with the photographer's credit.
- A logo, as a file that scales.
- The technical rider and the hospitality rider.
- Contacts: who books, who handles press, who manages.
Who asks for it
Every promoter, the moment a show is confirmed. Their marketing person needs the copy and the images within a day or two, because announcement dates are fixed and the artwork has to be made. Showcase festivals and competitions ask for an EPK link on the submission form.
Why a file goes stale
Most EPKs are still a PDF or a zip. Every copy that was sent stopped changing the moment it left. A new photo, a new agent or a rewritten bio never reaches the people who already hold the file, which is why old images keep turning up on posters years later. A page at a fixed address has none of that: whoever holds the link opens the current version.