In this article, we ask what is a bio, why you need one and what are the key ingredients that turn a bio into a great bio.
Cornerstone Content
If you are a new musician or band starting out, there are certain key pieces of cornerstone content that you need at the outset.
A distinctive and memorable name
Professionally taken photo(s) - What is the image(s) that sit on your Spotify, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube profile / top-banner?
A consistent URL for your name across the web and every social channel. If people can't find you online, what chance do you have?
A career bio (biography) - Your one-page story
In this article, we are going to focus on number 4, the career bio or biography.
Why do you need a Bio?
People will always want to know more about you than just a song link. A bio is vital for music bloggers, journalists, radio DJs, podcasters, promoters, future booking agents, managers, and labels.
As a music blogger with Right Chord Music, I've lost count of the times that I've come across a brilliant track, clicked to discover more about the band or artist and found the bio section has been left blank. This simple error is so often the difference between securing blog coverage and being overlooked. Without any background information, you have nothing to go on.
A bio gives everyone the base-level information in one place. It answers key questions and a good bio is like painting the Golden Gate Bridge - it's never complete! As your career progresses you should continue to update it, to reflect your achievements along the way.
A bio should also make you sound great, interesting, talented and in demand. Think of a bio as your one-page sales pitch. You don't need to tell people everything, just the things that are most pertinent, interesting and engaging.
How to write a bio:
Follow the 5W framework to pull together the key components of your career bio. Write out every answer, and then edit back to provide a short, sharp, focused story. Your finished bio should fit on one side of A4. Aim for between 400 and 500 words max.
Who
Introduce yourself or the members of the band
Introduce any known producers, engineers, co-writers or featured artists
Who else thinks you're great except you and your mum?
What
Describe what you do in the band
Describe the music you play if you don't have industry quotes describing your music yet, provide the names of similar-sounding artists to allow readers to quickly understand what they can expect when they listen
Summarise your career to date
What are your success proof points?
Where
Describe where you are from
Explain how you met
Explain where you write and record your music
Where else can I find you online or contact you?
When
Explain when you started making music or when your last record was made
When is your next live show?
Why
Tell readers why they should care, sit up and take notice, what's the hook, the headline, or the thing that makes you interesting, special, or different?
Why are you more interesting than the next new band or artist?
Explain why you make music, what inspires you and motivates you
Avoid fake hype
While you want to make your band or music sound hugely exciting, avoid the temptation to include fake hype or hyperbole. While you might think you are the best new band since The Beatles unless respected figures within the music industry have given you this tag, don't say it. Nothing is worse than a band that says they are blowing up, who has less than 50 monthly listeners on Spotify and no sign of any press support online. If you have a friend who is a writer or journalist ask them to help you write your bio and add a little style and creative flair to make it an engaging read.
The two-sentence bio:
Once you have written your full bio, look to create a two-sentence cut-down that you can use as your bio across social media. This exercise helps you focus on the things that matter. It's good practice to use this two-sentence cut-down to now open your long-form career bio. This is a simple way to drive brand consistency and ensures you always talk about yourself in the same way.
How to write a bio... Here is an example from the band Borderline Toxic that perfectly describes what to expect. "Heavy alt-rock band from London. Funky, face-melty riffs and lyrical twists"
The new release bio:
The career bio should provide the base-level content for every new release bio. Your background info remains, and now you just add the new information about the new release and provide a new hook or story to sell it in.
How to share your bio:
You can share your two-sentence bio over email, but avoid sharing 400-500 words bios in an email. Look to create a DropBox or Google Drive folder for your assets and share the link. You could also add your bio to your website making it easy to share.