For DJs, a bio and an electronic press kit (EPK) overlap so much that they are basically the same thing. As one of your main marketing tools, they need to be good.
So how do you write a DJ bio or EPK that people will actually read
A good DJ bio or EPK should give the maximum amount of information in the minimum amount of time. It should answer all of the questions that the reader may have about hiring you – and then convince them to do so. Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
To make sure that the person actually reads your bio or EPK, there are a few things that you need to incorporate.
What information should you include in your DJ bio or EPK?
You only have limited space in your DJ bio or EPK, so all of the content needs to be relevant.
Nightclub owners are business people. They want to make money. Hiring the wrong DJ can mean the difference between profit and loss.
When they are making a decision about hiring a DJ, they are likely to ask themselves three questions:
- Why are you the right DJ for them?
- What makes you stand out?
- How are you going to make them money?
If you can answer all of those questions within a well-written DJ bio or EPK that shows you can offer exactly what they are looking for, you will have a much better chance of getting booked for the gig.
Why are you the right DJ for them?
This question can be answered by talking about the music that you play and the type of person that you are.
If your music is a natural fit for the venue and your online mixes can prove that, then you are part of the way to showing that you are the right DJ for them.
Each venue will have its own personality, which is usually influenced by the music. Does your personality match the venue?
What I mean by this is that a DJ who specialises in
It is important not to lie to the nightclub owner/agent, or yourself for that matter. If you lie to get the booking and your music or personality doesn’t fit the venue, you will be fired. Not only will you have lost the gig, but your reputation will be damaged too.
What makes you stand out?
Talking about your unique selling points can help you to answer this question.
Did you previously take over as the resident DJ of a struggling nightclub and help to turn its fortunes around? Or do you dress in a glow-in-the-dark suit while DJing?
If you did help to take a nightclub from loss to profit, then you should embellish on this within your bio. A proven track record is invaluable.
Even if you don’t wear a glow-in-the-dark suit while DJing, there is no need to worry. While a unique selling point can be an advantage, it isn’t critical to your success.
If you are truly passionate about music, this will shine through when you are speaking with the relevant people and may well tilt things in your favour.
How are you going to make them money?
Showing that you consider the DJ’s job to be about more than just music will provide the solution here.
In recent years, DJs have become celebrities. This has set a benchmark within the industry and a lot more is expected of a DJ nowadays.
Maybe you have knowledge of graphic design or marketing? Or do you have some ideas
As I said previously, nightclub owners are business people and will always want to maximise their revenue. The truth is, the more ways that you can help them achieve that, the better.
When it comes to writing a DJ bio or EPK, less is more
Your ultimate goal is to get bookings. So why jeopardise a potential booking by bombarding the reader with more information than is necessary?
Think of your DJ bio or EPK as an elevator pitch. If you are not familiar with what an elevator pitch is, Wikipedia explains it like this:
“An elevator pitch is a short description of an idea, product, company, or oneself that explains the concept in a way such that any listener can understand it in a short period of time”
The reason it is called an elevator pitch is because you should be able to pique someone’s interest in the 20 or 30 seconds that an average elevator ride takes.
If someone spends 20 or 30 seconds scanning through a really long DJ bio or EPK, the chances are that nothing will stick in their mind.
However, if you have stripped out all the unnecessary information and left only the really compelling detail listed above, you will have successfully piqued their interest.
What else should I include in my DJ bio or EPK?
Your DJ bio or EPK should be an all-in-one solution.
In addition to the above, it should also give the reader a way of contacting you, seeing what you look like and give them an idea about your online presence.
- Contact details
This one is obvious, but make sure that your telephone number and email address are included somewhere within your DJ bio or EPK.
- Photos
I recommend getting some professional photos taken for your DJ bio or EPK. To try and minimise the file size, you shouldn’t include the high-resolution versions within the EPK, but you should let the reader know that they are available if required.
- Mix links
As discussed above, the links to your mixes should be included within your DJ bio or EPK.
It is also good practice to record some short mixes, around 15 minutes in length, specifically for this project
If your mix is one hour long, the likelihood is that the listener will scan through it quickly and not really consider it in the way that it was intended.
However, if your mix is a
Related Questions
Should you keep updating your DJ bio or EPK?
Yes. If you need to update your DJ bio or EPK every year, then it is no big deal.
However, if you want to save yourself from doing this, try to word your DJ bio or EPK so that it doesn’t reference any particular date. If you write it in this way, it can remain timeless.
There is nothing worse than handing out your DJ bio or EPK to someone, only to realise that it references an event from five years ago, but makes it sound like it was yesterday.
Should you write your DJ bio or EPK in the first or third person?
This is a question that comes up time and time again and, to be honest, it comes down to personal preference.
I believe it sounds natural if you write your DJ bio in the first person. When writing this way, it is more personal, so the reader can visualise what you say about yourself.
When writing in the third person, it can sound very pretentious. When writing this way, the reader is perceiving what you think about yourself.
The decision is yours, but I think a lot more care needs to be taken when writing in the third person.
Finish with a call to action
Including a call to action at the end could be the difference between getting the booking or not.
Your DJ bio or EPK should have convinced the reader that you are the right person for the gig, so finishing with a prompt for them to make contact with you immediately will increase your chances of them doing so.
Your call to action could be one of the following:
“Call me on this number to discuss availability”
or
“Click here to listen to another of my recent mixes”
I hope that this article has helped you in some way. If you have any further questions or suggestions regarding writing a DJ bio or EPK, please feel free to leave a comment.
