Christopher Knab's guide for musician's BIO

Note: The instructions and suggestions below are for traditional music business oriented needs. Since we are in the midst of the digital music revolution, I would ask you to do one other thing besides write a traditional artist or band bio. Please visit http://www.sonicbids.com./ They can help you with what are called EPKs (Electronic Press Kits.) However, the information I am providing you with will go along way to helping you with your EPKs, but you WILL need both at this time.So, let's get going. Follow these directions and you will have the tools to write your own bio, and essential part of any Press Kit, analog or digital.
1st Paragraph:
Start with an introductory sentence that clearly defines the essential band/artist name, your specific genre of music, where you are from, and perhaps a positive quote about your music from a contact you have made in the music business.
2nd Paragraph:
This section should address the immediate purpose of the Bio. What are you doing at this time? Mention a current activity you are involved with. If a new CD or digital release is coming out, that should be the main topic of the first sentence of the second paragraph. In other word, a reason why the Bio has been written should be clearly stated early on. Hints about any promotional activities that will be occurring to support the CD or digital release is also useful in this paragraph.
3rd and 4th Paragraph:
At this point, information on any other band members can be introduced, and background information on the forming of the group, past experience, accomplishments, and recognition issues can be addressed. If you have developed a plan for your career path, additional paragraphs elaborating on this type of can be written, that demonstrate how your current project is part of a larger career development plan. Quotes from a couple of your songs can be useful to highlight your new release.
Ending:
Remember, the bio should not waste words. For a new artist 1 page is sufficient to get the job done. For more experienced artists, a page and a half to two pages should be the maximum length. So, ending the Bio in a efficient way should be the aim; use another quote from a gatekeeper who supports the artist, or summarize the 2nd paragraph information, reminding the reader of current activities.
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Christopher Knab is an independent music business consultant based in Seattle, Washington. He is available for private consultations on promoting and marketing independent music, and can be reached at 206-282-6116 or by email at: mailto:knab@knab.com