How to Write Music Press Release

How to Write Music Press Release

Press releases are a critical part of online marketing. Businesses use them, individuals use them, and big enterprises use them.

One use of press releases that people commonly overlook, however, is music.

In the music business, press releases are a standard tool to showcase new artists, albums, or partnerships. Unfortunately, most musicians and people in the music industry do not know how to write a press release for music. Luckily, it’s not nearly as hard as it sounds.

To learn how to write a press release for music, read on.

How To Write a Press Release for a Music Release: 6 Critical Points

Learning how to write a press release for music is simple. Just follow these six steps:

1. Know when to use a press release.

The first step in learning how to write a press release for music is simply knowing when to use a press release. You can write a press release anytime you would like to notify the media about something that is happening. Common uses for press releases include album launches, new gigs, label signings, or upcoming tours. Remember that the purpose of a press release is to publicize something that is newsworthy, and while there is some free rein to that definition, it’s still smart to use them sparingly.

Your personal use of press releases will depend in large part on your media contacts, the types of content you typically produce, and your level of recognition within your community. Anytime you want to use a press release, be sure to do a bit of research to find out what the media outlets you are targeting cover and how commonly they pick up press releases. This will help to make each press release you publish more lucrative and compelling.

2. Include relevant details.

Press releases are not a place to focus on branding. Instead, they’re a place to offer the bare-bones details of your newsworthy topic for journalists. With this in mind, be sure to include all of the relevant details in your press release.

For example, if you are writing a press release to bring publicity to an upcoming tour, you will want to include the start dates of the tour, some of the main cities visited, any tour mates, and any major sponsors or bands.

When writing a press release, it’s important to be as succinct as possible without robbing journalists of the details they need to interpret your press release or reach out for further details.

3. Develop a compelling title.

No matter what type of writing you’re doing, a compelling title is the one thing that stays the same across all fields. If you’re learning how to write a press release for music, one big thing to focus on is the title. The title of your press release should provide an immediate value proposition to reporters.

In other words, they should know exactly what they will get from reading your press release, and what topics the press release covers. Focus on being straightforward and detailed in your title and your press release will stand a better chance of being noticed by the media outlets you’re targeting.

4. Proofread your press release.

If you’re not going to proofread your press release, don’t bother writing it. There is nothing worse than a press release riddled with grammatical and spelling mistakes and then pushed out to the media. In addition to being embarrassing, this is an excellent way to harm your reputation.

With that in mind, always be sure to proofread your press release before you publish it. If you’re not confident in your proofreading abilities, hire a professional editor, or use an advanced spell and grammar checker like Grammarly to help you fine-tune your press release.

5. Keep it simple.

Depending on your place in the music industry, you might be tempted to dress your press release up with elaborate colors fonts or images.


A press release is a professional type of content, and attempting to doctor it with glitzy elements will only detract from its authority. Keep your press release simple, straightforward, and visually appealing.

6. Avoid self-promotion.

It may sound funny to advise avoiding self-promotion in a document that is meant solely to promote an event or happening, but the tone of your press release is critical to its success.

While it’s fine for a press release for music to showcase an upcoming event or release, you’ll want to avoid being self-promotional. The reason for this is, again, that a press release is a professional document.

Think for a moment about what a journalist do. Their job is not to sell the public on a band or event. Instead, it’s to educate the public about the things that are happening around them.

Take pains to make your press release educational rather than promotional. In doing so, you will increase the chances that it will be picked up by a journalist, and decrease the likelihood that it will alienate readers.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Writing a Great Press Release

To turn out quality work, follow this list of do’s and don’ts:


  • Be short, precise, and to the point
  • Format your press release with plenty of white space and no flashy graphics
  • Outline the details, such as exact dates and times and other parties involved
  • Reach out to local news and media outlets with your press release
  • Proofread it before you publish it


  • Write in a self-promotional tone
  • Get carried away with images, fonts, and colors
  • Rush through the writing of your press release
  • Slack on the headline
  • Publish a press release even when you don’t have anything newsworthy to share

A Note on Distribution

Here at Express Writers, we get asked all the time if we offer distribution services in conjunction with our press release writing services.

Unfortunately, PR syndication is dead, and you’re better off making use of localized distribution in your local media.

That said, skip the PR syndication and approach local journalists and news stations about your press release. You’ll get a better ROI, and you’ll get to skip syndication, which is one of the most ineffective channels out there.

How to Write a Press Release for Music

If you’ve never written a press release for music, don’t worry. The process, while slightly different than writing a standard press release, is very similar.

By learning to master things like headlines and press release formatting, you can ensure that each press release you publish benefits your band, release, or upcoming event.

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