Making an Indie Press Pack

Other Things to Include In A Press Pack

As stated before, the CD and the One Sheet MAY be the only things you need to include in a package to send to people. However, many people include other things along in the envelope. Again this can depend on who you’re sending it to. For instance, for reviewers I would say that a headshot glossy is less important than relevant previous press quotes, but a record label may need to know what the band looks like.

Here are a few of the standard things that you might want to include:

Cover Letter:
I know that a lot of people swear by cover letters in order to state your purpose succinctly. Some also say it is nice to get a letter that is personally addressed to them or their music organization and hand-signed. It’s also a place to tell the reviewer, label, or press person how you came across their contact info or if you know have a mutual contact or acquaintence. I’ve personally never been a fan of these, but I don’t believe it will hurt. As long as it is short!

Standalone “Glossy” Photos:
I strongly believe these are not only a huge waste of money to manufacture, but also of paper and of potential weight for your package. Before the internet, these might be necessary. But nowadays you can just as easily go to a band’s website for photos. Omit them, unless you absolutely can’t avoid it.

Lyrics:
This is another item I would leave for the website. Not only does it often have little relevance for a listener that is hearing your music for the very first time, but it takes up a lot of space. I have gotten packages with 20 pages of lyrics, one song per page. Do you know how much this weighs? Try it and see how much extra postage is added on.

Press Quotes:
Slightly more established indie bands may want to consider a separate sheet for their press quotes. This might be a good idea, especially for reviewers and press who may like to get a quick preview of the general consensus about your music. But make it just one piece of paper if you do. Be careful with “sounds like” excerpts! These can be a double edged sword… you may find reviewers jumping on the bandwagon to say your band sounds like, say U2, when that is not exactly a comparison you want a first time listener to make!

Stickers, Postcards, Flyers:
Stickers can be kind of cool to throw in if you’ve already had them made. Added plus: they don’t weight much. Postcards may be overdoing it. Full 4 color postcards are also notoriously expensive. Some people put in self addressed stamped postcards for radio to contact them if their music is played. I’d avoid that, it will probably be a waste of postage and you can often perform the same task by emailing the music director. I would also avoid flyers and handbills advertising your next gig, unless the person you are mailing to is extremely local (in the same city) and there is a good chance they might try and attend your show.

The Extras:
Think long and hard about anything extraneous that you put into the press pack. At the simplest level, it is more weight and hence more postage. Some of the people who receive packages are no nonsense types and if you deviate in the slightest from what is “expected” your entire package will go into the circular file. Others like to see a little creativity and may welcome an oddly constructed or original press pack incarnation. Try and tailor the package to the recipients. One tip, AVOID putting anything perishable into the package. As in food. Seriously!

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