What is a music press release?
A music press release is a one-page announcement that tells journalists, bloggers, radio presenters and playlist curators what's new with an artist and why it's worth their time. Below is a full music press release example, annotated part by part, then a step-by-step guide to writing your own.
It's a fairly rigid format, and nobody's grading the prose. A release gets read when a writer can see a story in it and find the facts where they expect them. For the wider picture, we've covered why music press coverage matters.
Who reads it, and when to send one
Releases go to blogs, magazines, local press, radio and playlist curators, and double as the reference document, with the story, credits and links in one place.
Write one when there's real news, such as:
- a new single, EP or album
- a music video
- a tour, headline show or festival slot
- a signing or collaboration
- a milestone, such as an anniversary or a reissue
- a fresh angle on an older track, like a new video, live version or remix
A music press release example, annotated
This sample is for a single. The artist, song, quote and every other detail are invented, so borrow the structure and swap in your own facts. The numbered notes underneath match each part.
The sample release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ellis Varden shares “Last Bus Home”, a one-take single filmed on the night route it was written on
The Glasgow singer-songwriter's second single arrives Friday 15 January 2027, ahead of her debut EP and a hometown headline show in March
GLASGOW, 4 December 2026. Glasgow singer-songwriter Ellis Varden will release her second single, “Last Bus Home”, on Friday 15 January 2027. Written over a year of late shifts and the night bus that got her back across the city, the song was recorded live with her three-piece band in a single take. The video, filmed on board the real route with the operator's permission, premieres the same day. “Last Bus Home” is the first track from her debut EP, Small Hours, due in March 2027.
The drums drop out for the whole second verse, leaving Varden's vocal over a single bass line. Because the band tracked everything together in one room, there's a little spill between the microphones, and it's been left in on purpose.
“I wrote most of it with my head against the window, somewhere between the last stop in town and mine,” says Varden. “We tried it to a click and it sounded like somebody else's song, so we played it live, all of us in one room, and kept the take where my voice nearly goes.”
Varden's debut single, “Paper Coast”, was picked up by independent Spotify curators and played on community radio across Scotland, and she spent the autumn supporting touring acts around the central belt. She plays her first headline show at the Hollow Bell, Glasgow, on Saturday 20 March 2027. Tickets are on sale now.
About Ellis Varden: Ellis Varden is a singer-songwriter from Glasgow who writes about the hours most people sleep through. She plays with a three-piece band (bass, drums and keys) and released her debut single, “Paper Coast”, in 2026. Her debut EP, Small Hours, follows in March 2027.
Press contact: Sam Reid, press@example.com, 07700 900000
Assets: private stream, press photos, artwork and video at example.com/ellis-varden-press
###
Why each part works
- Release line. “For immediate release” means the news can run now. If it can't, put an embargo date here instead.
- Headline. Artist, song and hook in one line. It doubles as your email subject line, so it has to make sense on its own. The hook is the video, because a writer could build a feature around it.
- Subhead. The date and what's next, which the headline had no room for.
- Dateline. Where and when it was issued, which tells a local editor straight away whether this is their patch.
- Lead paragraph. All five Ws, so a writer who reads nothing else still has the story.
- Sound description. One detail, with its cause. “Atmospheric” could describe any song, whereas a verse with the drums gone and the room spill left in can only really describe this one.
- Quote. It sounds like a person talking, explains why the band kept a rough take and could go straight into someone's article.
- Proof. Previous support and a live date show momentum, kept short so it doesn't oversell.
- Boilerplate. The short bio that sits at the bottom of every release, written once and updated as things change.
- Contact and assets. A named person, an email and a working link to photos and audio, so someone writing at 11pm doesn't have to go hunting.
- ###. The traditional end mark, so nobody wonders whether a second page went missing.
More music press release examples
An EP or album announcement
A single can get by on one strong hook, but an EP or album announcement needs a reason the record exists as a whole, plus the tracklist and dates. Some outlets only cover albums, and an album invites a bigger conversation about an artist. Here's how the same artist's EP release might open.
Ellis Varden announces debut EP Small Hours, five songs written between midnight and 6am
GLASGOW, 2 February 2027. Ellis Varden will release her debut EP, Small Hours, on Friday 19 March 2027. Each of its five songs was written on a night shift or on the ride home from one, and the EP closes with a solo piano take of “Last Bus Home”. Varden marks the release with a headline show at the Hollow Bell, Glasgow, the following night.
The rest follows the single's structure, plus the tracklist and format.
Strong vs weak headlines and leads
| Weak | Stronger | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New single from Ellis Varden out now | Ellis Varden shares “Last Bus Home”, a one-take single filmed on the night route it was written on | A release date is a fact. The video is a story. |
| Ellis Varden is an exciting, unique artist whose music has to be heard to be believed. | Glasgow singer-songwriter Ellis Varden will release her second single, “Last Bus Home”, on Friday 15 January 2027. | Praise from the artist's own camp doesn't tell a writer anything they can use. |
| A lush, haunting, atmospheric track | The drums drop out for the whole second verse, leaving the vocal over a single bass line | One detail a reader can picture beats a pile of adjectives they can't. |
For real releases rather than samples, our music press releases archive has singles, EPs and albums from artists we've worked with.
How to write a music press release, step by step
1. Find the newsworthy angle
“Unknown artist releases song” isn't a story. Ask what a writer could tell their readers about this release in one sentence, whether it's where the song came from, a video, a hometown show or a collaboration. If you can't find an angle, it's better to know before you spend weeks pitching, because weak material wastes a campaign however neatly it's laid out.
2. Write a clear headline and subhead
Artist, title and hook go in the headline, and the date and what's next go in the subhead. Keep it plain, since a headline trying hard to be clever usually hides the news.
3. Put the five Ws in the first paragraph
Say who is releasing what, when, where it's out (or where the show is) and why it matters. Assume this is the only paragraph anyone reads, because plenty of people won't get further, and never leave the release date for paragraph four.
4. Write the body: quote, context and proof
Open with one real detail about the sound and its cause, then a quote that sounds like the artist. After that comes the story and any proof of momentum, such as previous press, radio support, playlist adds or live dates. If you mention figures, use your own Spotify for Artists data and don't round up.
5. Finish with boilerplate, contact details and assets
Add a bio of two or three sentences, a named contact with an email address, and links to a private stream for unreleased music, press photos, artwork and video. An electronic press kit for your release keeps all of that in one place. Put the contact email at the top of your pitch and again at the bottom of the release.
What to include in a music press release: checklist
- “For immediate release” or an embargo date
- Headline with artist, title and hook
- Subhead with the date and what's next
- Dateline
- Lead paragraph with the five Ws
- One detail about the sound, with its cause
- An artist quote
- Context and proof of momentum
- Format, label and, for an EP or album, a tracklist
- Any clean edit or radio edit, if you're pitching your music to radio
- Short boilerplate bio
- Named contact, email and links to a private stream, photos, artwork and video
- ### at the end, with everything on one page
Common music press release mistakes to avoid
- No angle. A release that only says the song exists gives a writer nothing to work with.
- Running long. Past a page the important parts get lost, so cut the history and keep what's new.
- Writing it like an advert. Calling your own song “exciting” tells a writer nothing they can actually use.
- No contact or assets. Without photos or a contact email, even a great release is a dead end.
- The same email to everyone. A mass mailing reads like one, and it's easy to ignore.
How to send your music press release to the press
A good release still needs a good pitch, since the email is usually what gets read first.
Make a targeted list
Look for writers and outlets that already cover music like yours. A niche blog closely aligned with your genre, scene or city can reach a more useful audience than a bigger general site, and local press is worth adding whenever there's a local angle.
Personalise the email
Use the headline as the subject line, then add a couple of lines on why this suits that particular writer, the listening link, and the release pasted below or linked. Our guide to getting featured on a music blog goes deeper on the pitch itself.
Time it around the release
Have the release, photos and links ready well in advance, then pitch so coverage lands around release week, including any release-day premiere. A very long pre-release run usually isn't the best use of a modern campaign. For our own PR campaigns we recommend getting in touch six to eight weeks before release (one week is the practical minimum). The campaign itself is about two weeks of pre-release pitching, then four to six weeks of active promotion.
Follow up once, with a reason
One polite follow-up is fair, ideally with something new to say, like the video going live or a show being added. Chasing the same writer every few days isn't, and it won't make your next pitch any easier.
When to hand it to a team
Doing all of this yourself is completely possible. It just eats hours, and relationships with writers take time to build. If the signs you're ready for a PR team sound familiar, a publicity campaign for your release covers the whole process, from a story audit and press angle to an outlet shortlist, personalised pitching and a CoverageBook report, with weekly updates along the way. Our campaigns are performance-backed and work toward agreed targets, but nobody can honestly guarantee what a journalist decides to cover.
Ready to send it, or want a publicist on it?
If you've written yours using the checklist above, you're ready to pitch. If you'd rather a publicist wrote it and took it to the right writers, submit your music and our team will have a listen and talk you through what would suit it.
