Music press release: how to write one, with a free template
A press release is the short text that tells journalists, radio, playlists and promoters what you are releasing, when and why it matters. Here is the structure that works, a template you can copy and a short example.
What a music press release is
A music press release is a one-page announcement of news: a new single, an album, a music video, a tour, a signing or a festival slot. It is written so a journalist can understand the story in ten seconds and copy whole sentences into an article. That is why it is in the third person, starts with the news and ends with the facts and a contact.
Press release or EPK?
They work together. The EPK is your permanent file: bio, photos, music, videos and contacts. The press release is one piece of news with a date. You send the press release, and it links to the EPK for everything else.
The structure
- Release line. “For immediate release” or “Embargoed until [date and time]”.
- Headline. Who + what + when, in one line: “Nina releases ‘Night Drive’, her first single of 2027, on March 6”.
- Subheading. One sentence with the angle: what makes this release different.
- First paragraph. Who, what, when, where to listen. If the journalist stops reading here, they still have the story.
- The story. Two short paragraphs: what the song or album is about, how it was made, who worked on it.
- A quote from the artist, in their own words — something a journalist would want to quote, not “we are very excited”.
- Context. One paragraph on the artist: previous releases, shows, real highlights with dates.
- The facts. Title, release date, label, credits, tracklist, upcoming shows and links to listen (a private link if it is not out yet).
- Contact. Name, email and phone of whoever handles press, and the link to the EPK and photos.
Keep it to one page — 300 to 500 words is plenty.
Free press release template
Copy it, fill it in, and delete any line you can’t fill with something real.
| Part | What to write |
|---|---|
| Release line | For immediate release / Embargoed until [date, time, time zone] |
| Headline | [Artist] releases “[title]”, [single / album / video], on [date] |
| Subheading | One sentence with the angle of the story |
| First paragraph | [Artist], [one-line description], releases “[title]” on [date] via [label or independent]. It is available [where]. |
| The story | What it is about, how and where it was made, producer and guests |
| Quote | “[Two or three sentences from the artist]” |
| About the artist | Previous releases, shows, highlights with a date or source |
| Facts | Title · date · label · credits · tracklist · ISRC/UPC if asked · shows |
| Links | Private listening link · EPK · press photos with credits · video |
| Contact | Press: name · email · phone |
A short example
A fictional example, to show the tone:
For immediate release
Nina releases “Night Drive”, her first single of 2027, on March 6
The song was recorded in one night with the band she has played live with for three years.
Singer-songwriter Nina releases “Night Drive” on March 6 on all streaming platforms. The single, produced by Tomás Rey, opens the cycle of her second album, due later in the year.
“I wanted a song that sounded like the drive home after a show, when nobody talks,” says Nina. […]
Press contact: [name] · [email] · EPK and photos: [link]
When and how to send it
- Timing: three to six weeks before release for magazines and blogs, which plan ahead; a reminder on release day with the public link. Your release planning checklist marks both moments.
- Who: journalists and curators who cover your genre — read what they published before writing to them.
- How: a short personal email, one person per email, with the press release pasted into the body (not only as an attachment) and the links to the private stream and the EPK.
- Subject line: the headline itself, or the news in a few words.
- Follow-up: once, about a week later.
Common mistakes
- Starting with the artist’s childhood instead of the news.
- Adjectives instead of facts: “a unique sound that defies genres”.
- Numbers that can’t be checked.
- No release date, no listening link or no contact.
- Attaching the WAV and ten photos instead of sending links.
- The same text for every outlet with no personal line.
Writing it faster
Most of a press release is information you already have: the release details, the credits and your bio. TONTRIA for Artists drafts the press release for each release in English and Spanish from your profile and release details; you edit it and export it as a PDF or a link, and it never goes out on its own. Next to it is your EPK, so the release always links to photos and contacts that are up to date. For the video you mention in the release, TONTRIA Clips makes the lyric video from a Spotify link.
A press release is one step of the release plan — see also how pre-saves work and the release planning checklist.