How to Write an
EPIC Artist Bio
Regardless of where you’re at in your creative career, putting together a bio can be an exciting process of defining your creative identity, telling your story and building rapport with potential fans, audiences and clients.
As well as being an important tool to market yourself and promote your creative business, writing a new bio or updating an old one can be a good opportunity to reflect on who you want to be as a Creator and how you want to present yourself to the world.
If you’re just starting out and you don’t have a lot of experience
in your industry already, it’s understandable if you don’t feel
confident talking about yourself or have clarity in describing
your artistry yet or perhaps you’re not even sure of where
to start...
We’ve put together
5 Top Tips to help you
create a Bangin’ Artist Bio;
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1. Keep it simple
Your bio should introduce you as an Artist and create a clear, concise snapshot of your creative practice. It should include information about your medium, style, themes, techniques and
influences. A bio is NOT about giving your complete life story or covering your entire CV, so
just focus on a few main points that you feel best represents you and captures your unique
sound and essence as an Artist.
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2. Consider WHO it is for?
Think about who your target group is. Who are you trying to reach with your bio and who do
you want to read, listen to or see what you’re offering?
You may wish to create different versions of your bio for different purposes ie. The bio you
submit to a journalist or a record label may be different than the bio you use to apply for grants
or festivals or the bio you share on social media with your potential fans. Knowing WHO you’re
wanting to connect with will help you determine your language and how you can shape your
content to suit.
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3. WHERE is this bio going?
Take into consideration where this bio will be featured. Different platforms will require you to have bios of different lengths available
Ie.
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1 Sentence bio (Instagram, Facebook, Business Card, Posters/ Flyers)
This is a catch phrase, tagline or an ‘elevator pitch’ that succinctly captures who you are and
what you do in a brief statement.
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Short bio - (YouTube, Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music, streaming profiles)
50-100 words that highlight the most important aspects of your artistry. This should give the
reader a taste and make them want to learn more about you or follow your creative work.
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Medium Bio (Gigs, Festivals, Spotify, Facebook page, Soundcloud)
150-300 words that expands on some of your career highlights and achievements. You may
also include information about your creative influences and deeper intentions in your work.
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Long Bio (Website, Electronic Press Kits, Media Releases, Grant Applications)
600 - 750 words for those who are interested in a more in-depth look into the artist’s history, development and background stories. For example, when writing articles, Journalists may
appreciate having more content to work with.
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4. Keep it real
Be honest and authentic in your tone. Try to avoid making
massive declarations or inflated statements without
backing ie ‘X is the voice of a generation’.
Present yourself professionally and don’t be afraid to
highlight your past success and achievements but also
reflect your genuine personality. Remember, music is
social. People are interested in connecting with other
people, so keep it personable and real.
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5. What makes you unique?
There are millions of Artists and Creators out there but there’s only one YOU with your distinct combination of talents, skills, influences, styles, flavours and personality. Let people feel your deeper intentions, personal mission and story behind what you do.
Don’t hold back from owning your uniqueness, shining your light and sharing what makes you different and special.
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If you would like some help creating your bio, check out our snack-sized training on 'Creating an EPIC Artist Bio’ below.
What's included?
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Mini masterclass training session with Kattimoni & Tamwah
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Bio templates to guide your writing process
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Examples of professional Artist biographies
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Top tips to help you craft your own unique Artist bio
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If you’d like some personalised 1:1 support creating your epic artist bio, you can also reach out to us at the Global Creative Collective Virtual Artist Support Services team HERE