How to build an EPK for Canadian music media

An EPK should help the recipient understand the artist and find the material needed for a specific professional decision. Apple Music for Artists describes it as a centralized resource for industry contacts, including journalists. For a media approach, decide which current release, performance or story gives the recipient a reason to look now. Creative Okanagan’s Canadian workshop guide also asks artists to consider the intended audience. Our suggested starting brief is one sentence naming the recipient, the proposed topic and the assets that support it. This keeps a kit for editorial research distinct from an application form or a technical package required for a booked show.

Write a short biography that makes sense without a separate introduction, then offer a longer version for readers who need more context. Creative Okanagan recommends beginning with a paragraph that stands alone; Apple recommends third-person writing and keeping both short and long versions handy. Identify the artist, musical approach, relevant background and current project with facts you can verify. Remove claims that require the recipient to guess what “breakthrough” or “international acclaim” means. If you prepare English and French versions, keep names, release dates and achievements consistent while allowing natural phrasing in each language. Neither version needs to reproduce the complete history of every rehearsal and lineup change.

Choose material that represents the current project rather than sending every file you own. Apple’s guidance covers music, videos, photographs and notable moments; MusicNSW’s April 2026 resource recommends high-resolution portrait and landscape photos. These are useful planning references, not universal specifications imposed on Canadian journalists. The table below is our suggested asset map. Where a recipient publishes an image size, file type or other requirement, record that separately and follow it. Give each item a clear name so someone can distinguish an approved press photo from an album cover or an old tour poster without opening a series of nearly identical files.

Use a structure that lets the recipient find text, music and images without asking you to explain the folder. Creative Okanagan discusses a website or cloud folder accessible through one link, while MusicNSW illustrates a shared-folder approach. Neither source makes a particular paid platform necessary. Our suggested organization separates the biography, release information and approved visual assets, with a short note identifying the current version. Test the link as an outside recipient would, including any required downloads. For unreleased material, decide the intended audience and access deliberately. A private working folder containing invoices, personal details or rejected drafts should not become your press kit by accident.

MusicList’s music media directory displayed 151 listings when checked on October 30, 2026. The category mixes radio, publications and other editorial formats, so use it for discovery rather than as a mailing list or a claim that everyone wants the same assets. Inspect an outlet’s recent work and current official approach instructions, then select the material that supports a plausible story for that audience. Put the reason for contacting that recipient in the message. A full EPK can remain available as background while a shorter release note or a particular image answers the immediate request. A directory presence does not establish editorial interest or permission to ignore a published contact policy.

Review dates, team contacts, active links and the evidence behind notable achievements. Apple recommends keeping the kit current, and Creative Okanagan emphasizes recent activities rather than a permanently growing archive. Our suggested final pass checks that the current release is easy to identify, old announcements are removed or clearly dated, and the text agrees with the audio and image folders. Ask another person to navigate the kit without coaching and note where they get stuck. If a release date changes, update the kit and any recipient who is relying on the previous date. A polished design cannot repair contradictory information or an inaccessible recording.