You’ve recorded an album – or your label is releasing an new album – what are you going to do about it? To get album sales, you need press, and to get press, you need a good press release. Like most other forms of communication in the music industry, press releases are best when they are short, informative, and to the point. Can’t quite picture what form your press release should take? The below press release examples should help.

Now, do keep in mind that all press releases are not created equal, and press releases should take slightly different forms depending on what they are announcing, who is sending out the release, and who is receiving the release. These particular examples works best for:

• announcing a new album or single
• written by: a band or label
• written for: print and web based media

More press release templates for different scenarios coming in the following weeks.

A well written press release is the first step in getting some attention for your new album. Use this template to help you organize your information. Note that this template was written with bands and indie labels in mind as the writers and the media in mind as the readers. PR folks and radio pluggers will want to take a slightly different approach with their press releases, and one sheets for distributors and stores should also be slightly different.

The Header: Centered at the top of your page should be the band’s name and the album name. To make sure this information draws attention, make sure you use a larger text size than the rest of your release, and also use bold and/or italics. You can also set this information apart by putting it in a box. If the album is on a label, include the label name and/or catalog number here as well.

A few optional inclusions for the header are:

Paragraph One: This is where you want to announce the new album. Go for a strong lead sentence, and if this is a follow-up album, make reference to previous work by the band that the reader may know about. If this is a debut album, say so, and give a few clues about the sounds of the album. This is also the place to mention any “big ticket” selling points for the album or band, such as:

Paragraph Two: In this paragraph, briefly expand a little bit about the band and the music on the album. This paragraph is very important for a new band with a debut album. Don’t mistake this for a band bio – which should be separate – but include some info about where the band comes from, influences, and again, any “big ticket” selling points. Keep this paragraph brief.

Paragraph Three: This paragraph is for giving your reader clear reasons why they should write about your band and review your album (and just saying because it’s a great album won’t cut it). Use this paragraph to mention things like:

The Closing: At the bottom of your press release should be the contact info for the person fielding press queries for the album, even if this information is also at the top of your page. Set this information apart from the body of your press release in the same manner as you did the header – again, a box around the text works great, as does a larger type size or bolding/italicizing the text. Be sure to make clear what this information is for by saying “for more information, promo requests or to set up an interview, please contact (so and so).” Also include the band and/or label’s website/MySpace page here.

Written by Heather McDonald

For more education on careers in the music industry, check out: http://www.music-career-guide.com

***