There are few things that an artist finds as excruciatingly bothering as explaining themselves. Not that this problem is particular to them – have you met a person in the public domain who finds it easy to write his biography? Even the most successful musicians get chills when it’s time to talk about themselves.   You are a great band that plays awesome music. You awe fans though some love to hate you for their own sakes. It doesn’t matter. Now, know that your bio is part of your business. Lack of a well-crafted band bio shows an incapability to communicate. You don’t want to be that band that doesn’t have anything on their Facebook or Soundcloud account. Therefore, having an impressive band bio is mandatory if you are to remain impressive in the public’s eye. Here are some tips on writing an effective band bio:

Choose An Effective Approach For Your Band Bio

You can follow a straightforward or a not straightforward approach when writing your band bio. In a straightforward approach, you give some background information and explain your accomplishments and inspirations to your fans. It’s simpler than the not straightforward approach, which doesn’t offer the real story but creates a fictional account of the band. Though very effective and interesting, a not straightforward bio is hard to pull off. Whichever approach you choose, remember that your bio is part of your marketing strategy. It’s all about effective communication. Often times, band bios aim at attracting fans to something that the band is offering currently. Many artists get stuck when writing a band bio because they don’t know whether what they include will get across to people and not bore them. There’s a very thin line between informing and boring when dealing with the public. Trust me. Understanding that your bio is a sales tool will help you focus on what’s important (which takes us to the next point) and know how best to put it.  

Know Who The Band Is

Knowing the band doesn’t simply mean the names of the band members. You are or have an amazing keyboard player who plays on your live shows or a breathtaking lead guitarist. You have some musicians backing you up too. So, who do you mention in the bio? Deciding what to say about a band member will cost you dearly. You have to put your ego aside and know what the public cares about the most. Basically, the lead singer, main songwriter and the virtuoso musician (the one who sets the musical tone for the band) perform the key roles as far as the fans are concerned. Focus on these personalities and mention them with respect to their specific roles. The key roles form the band’s image. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can’t mention other members in the bio. The names of permanent band members and their instruments can be mentioned at some point. If there’s anything else to add about a member, it should be significant to the band’s image and marketability.

Skip Unnecessary Band History

While it’s good to feel that your music career started during childhood, a band bio that’s just a series of mini-bios containing each member’s age, experience, and influences is not only boring but also ineffective. Stick to providing only the information that relates the band to the current music you play. You are trying to sell what the band is offering and not individual talents of band members.   Finally, it’s needless to say that you should frame every sentence in a promotional manner. This doesn’t mean exaggerating everything but having sentences that portray the best side of the group. You only sell the best you have and the rest is a work in progress. Edit your bio again and again and rephrase sentences like “Unfortunately, [a band member’s name] left to perform in [another band’s name]…” Everything should market the band.    

Your Turn to Sound Off!

What are some other good band bio tips?

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