First impressions are lasting impressions, aren’t they? At least that’s what I’ve always been told. When you meet someone for the first time, the way they greet you, speak to you, and act around you – those are first impressions. When you’re on a job interview, you make eye contact with the interviewer, you smile, speak about yourself, you’re confident – that makes a lasting impression. So why are so many musicians coming up short when it comes to writing their music bio?
Okay, things are about to get real up in here ‘cause I’m about to call out some people!
No just kidding, but it does make me scratch my head in wonder when I see “NA” written in someone’s bio. Especially when that same person claims they want to be a “professional” musician. So what gives? Why aren’t artists focusing more on making their bios shine?
Well, what exactly is a bio?
A biography, according to Webster’s dictionary, is a “usually written history of a person’s life.” However, since we are talking about a musician’s bio, the meaning slightly differs. Instead of writing about your ‘life’, you focus on writing about your music, music history, accomplishments, current album(s) or projects, etc. I won’t get into details about what makes the perfect bio, but I will link you to a great article I found called How to Write a Musicians Bio – Your Guide to a Great Biography.
I’ll be the first to admit, I do not enjoy writing about myself. I remember I used to giggle whenever I’d read someone’s bio referring to themselves in the 3rd party. “So & so is an established singer songwriter who…” Ekkk! But, now I find myself doing the exact same thing. It’s actually recommended, as it makes it easier for the people who need your bio info to be able to copy/paste it onto their site, etc.
So who are these “people” who’ll need to see your bio?
Hmmm, let’s see – music supervisors, publishers, A&R managers/directors, booking agents, film companies. Basically anyone who you’ve submitted your music to! They’ll need access to your bio, without it, how would they know that you even have talent? If they check out your bio and see “NA”, “Just making music as a hobby”, “Nothing at the moment”, or “I play guitar in my spare time” – they’re definitely not going to take you seriously, and they’ll be bitter that you wasted their time. Even if you have the most awesome music linked to your profile, without a decent bio, your chances of keeping a music executive’s attention is slim to none.
Last but not least – proper spelling and punctuation are imperative.
We’re all guilty of making a few grammatical boo-boos here & there, but that is a big no-no on a bio. So get others to proofread your masterpiece before directing any music professional(s) to it. If you want to be taken seriously, using correct grammar as opposed to abbreviated LOL’s is crucial. Also make sure to keep your bio current and up to date.
With all that said – is YOUR bio up to par? Go ahead, take a look at it, I’ll wait…Oh, it’s not? Well what are you waiting for? Spruce it up!!
As always, if you have anything to share about this topic, please leave your comments below.