10 Things Every EDM Artist Should Have in Their Presskit

Image via Complex Original

Are you on Facebook? Twitter? SoundCloud? If so, why would you not include that in your kit? Even if these links don't get included in the actual blog post, we'd like to follow you.

Also, if your spell your Social Media handle differently than your DJ name, include that. The last thing we need to be doing is tweeting some lesser-known DJ ScratchNSniff because you have the year you put "TheReal" in your username.

Do Androids Dance is a music blog. Yes, having proper links to music, especially in high quality, is of the utmost importance to us, but we need pictures to go along with the post. It shouldn't be that hard. How often do you see blogs writing dope posts, with great music, and no artwork to go with it?! If you're trying to pursue music as more than you killing the competition from your grandmother's basement, get one of your homies to snap a few good quality pictures of you staring off into space.

The probability of me hunting for a high quality picture of you on the Internets is very low. If you want to ensure that, assuming I like your music, I'd post it, include a hi-res picture of yourself.

So, you've got a great picture, high-quality MP3s (or a great SoundCloud link), and you have our email. Don't make us fall in love with your music and then give us zilch about you, unless your gimmick is being the masked dubstepper. Even then, write up some fanciful story about why you troll the caves in pursuit of the best bass. Something.

Somehow you get a hold of a label's mailing address, send them a CD, and they love it! Good job, right?! Now... did you remember to include your phone number and/or email address? No? How in the hell do you expect them to get back to you?! Be professional; on the off chance that someone with importance is really into what you're producing, they want to get to know you. Don't shoot yourself in the foot by leaving them with no choice but to trash your disc, because they damn sure won't go trolling around the 'Net for you.

You're a producer or a DJ. You let us see your best faux model pose, told us about how you started making beats in your mother's attic, and we know how to find you on Facebook. Now it's time to hit us with your best shot. Don't send us the latest unfinished demo you've got, nor should you be sending us tracks you wouldn't consider to be your best looks. Send us three or four of your best tracks, especially those already receiving a great response. If you're not sure it's your best work, we don't want to hear it.

If you have confirmation that you music has been signed and will be coming out in the near future, let us know. Nothing makes a blogger happier than hyping up artists they believe in. Let us know when stuff is coming out so we can tell the public when they can buy your music. Help us help you.

Now, we know we said you need a bio, but don't let it collect dust. We can tell you're not on your game if you send us a bio in 2013 and the info in your bio stops at 2010. It looks like you're either you're just getting back on your feet after a period of inactivity, or you're just not paying attention to how you're representing yourself.

You're a DJ, right? Where have you spun? Have you shared bills with any known DJs? That can say a lot about what you bring to the table. If you opened for Diplo, let us know! At the very least, we get an idea about how people in your area value your talent.

Also, if you say you're a DJ, at least have a current mix somewhere. The worst is having someone tout their DJ skills, yet there is no audio to vouch for it.

And if you are a DJ, let your favorite blogger know where you'll be spinning. How else do you expect people to come see you? If you have links to buy tickets, or a Facebook Event page, include that stuff as well. It's just promotion 101, and will do nothing but benefit you.

Nothing says "this producer is important" than letting us know what DJs have been playing your tracks. Knowing that Zane Lowe or B.Traits has played your music on the radio is fucking awesome, so if it happened, include it. Brag a little.

If your music is important enough to get spins from quality DJs, people should know about this; it speaks to you being on the come up, or at least seen as a player among the already-established producers in your field.