Mind Your Music Business: How To Write The Perfect Band Bio
When you write your own story, you leave little room for other people to get it wrong. A well written bio is helpful in introducing you to people before they get a chance to fall in love with your music, or in satisfying any curiosity they have after listening to a single or two. Before the age of social media, websites were the one-stop-shop to get all the latest news on your favorite artist. Although we don’t see them displayed as much, a bio is an underestimated tool. Press, media, blogs, venues, and talent buyers all use your bio, so make it copy-and-pasteable.
What To Include
Attention Grabbing First Sentence
The job of the first sentence is to hook readers and draw them in for more. Write from a third-person perspective and use colorful adjectives to explain what your personality, sound, or performance style is like. Lead with whatever you feel your strongest attribute is. If there is something different or unique about you, be sure to include it. By using diverse and eclectic descriptions of who you are, instead of just supplying a genre, you are more likely to make the reader interested.
Background, History and Description
This section is an inside look on who you are, and what your musical project is. This part should be factual, short and sweet. Answering questions a journalist might have, for example, ‘where is the band from?’, ‘when did you start playing music?’, and ‘what is your genre?’ can all be extremely helpful and accomplished in a sentence or two.
Media Quotes and Impressive Stuff
Impressive things to include that might turn people's heads would include: notable festivals, venues, other artists you opened up for, musical awards, and music releases.
A band or musical project just starting out probably won’t have anything to share, but if a local paper or music blog has written nice things about you, this would be an acceptable place to toot your own horn. Including a hyperlink to the actual article would be even smarter.
What To Avoid
Using a template
Everyone is out here trying to save time, but if you jump online and use one of those fill-in-the-blank band bios, a seasoned publicist or talent buyer is going to recognize it for what it is, and you’re going to look unprofessional and careless. There are so many artists and bands fighting for attention, so being original is going to help you stand out. Lean into what makes you special since being different is almost better than being “good” nowadays.
Not Keeping your Bio Updated
Keep your bio current with either your latest release info or some words about what you plan on releasing in the future. Another good time to update your bio is when you have something new and notable happen in your career. Events and circumstances to include would be: getting new press from larger publications, playing at a big venue or festival, opening for a big artist, and adding new members to band rosters.
