Get comfortable with this idea: YOU are not for everybody. Not everyone will like you. BUT those who do, will like you as a premium brand, not a generic product.
The key is to find the intersections and align your copy with who YOU are with what your AUDIENCE most cares about.
We are not creating a pedestal for you to be idolized; rather, we are showing how you can best serve your audience by way of your art and presence.
Even if you’re just starting out, or are a local favorite but not an international touring artist, focus on what makes you special and what makes your relationship with your audience special.
Who is your intended audience? (Promoters, fans, journalists, etc.– pick your priorities)
It’s about THEM, not as much about you.
What would they find most interesting to know about you? What do they find most interesting in general?
What do they value and care about?
E.g. One community may prize a musician's long history of advanced study/certification in classical training, while another community may be more impressed with unconventional methods, such as being self-taught.
E.g. One community may prize industry awards (Grammy, Tony, etc.), while another may prize social media popularity indicators (10M followers, 10M streams), and yet another may prize qualitative examples of the relationship between artist and audience.
E.g. Will your show be fun for the audience? Captivating? Thought provoking?
E.g. Is your act professional? Family friendly? Elitist? Are you a laid back, good time, who jumps into the mess with everyone else, promoters and audience alike?
E.g. Will people like your act? Have they enjoyed it in the past? Will your fans come out to support you at this event/venue? Will you be able to keep the existing audience at this event (create new fans vs. drive people away)?
How do they talk? Are there images or colloquialisms that are popular in your community?
Be careful not to use too many inside jokes with your community, as it may feel too exclusive or confusing to those who don’t get it.
Don’t assume everybody knows everything about you or has been following the plot of your life. Try to strike a balance between talking to your superfans and providing a good introduction to someone who has just discovered you.
In the end, it’s like a dating game. (Is it a good fit?) Trying to find the best way to match what they want with what you want. Making you sound as impressive as possible, without lying or compromising your principles.
Write how you think/talk:
Are you a serious/intense artist?
Are you a good-time musician, who mostly plays party music?
Are you a chameleon and shift through a wide range of genres in music?
Use language that reflects who you are as an artist. Formal/informal, serious/funny, laidback/pensive, pragmatic/whimsical…
In all cases, it helps to be as direct as possible with what you’re saying, even if you’re using stylistic language. There’s a fine line between flair and being “above” your audience, trying to be too cute/too clever in your use of words. This may give the impression that you’re trying too hard or at least, confusing.
Tell us a story:
Everybody loves a story! Our brains are hardwired for stories, and we best remember information in the context of narratives. Weave your artistic journey into a narrative that pulls readers in– especially if you can incorporate vivid imagery or emotional aspects that the reader can relate to or find interesting.
You don’t have to (and probably shouldn’t) start from the very beginning and tell your history in chronological order. Instead, highlight the most important things first and connect it to moments in your life/journey as appropriate.
E.g.: “... started playing guitar at age 13, then this, then that…”
vs. “ever since his mom gave him a nylon string guitar and the ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ record, he has entertained a worldwide audience with his own arrangements of Johnny Cash tunes for well over 20 years…”
vs. “this tall, silver-haired hillbilly’s origin story can be traced back to a loving mother’s Christmas gift of a nylon string guitar with a ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ record when he was a mere 13-year-old. ‘Figure it out,’ she said, and it opened a door to his lifelong passion…”
Be mindful of putting your lists in prose form. If you have a large number of collaborators, influences, experiences that you want to highlight, consider using only the most important ones as markers and leaving the rest for the bulleted lists.
You can create a range
E.g.: “has toured the world from San Francisco to Europe and Southeast Asia” vs. listing every single city stop.
E.g.: “Influences include Bach to Bowie, BB King to The Backstreet Boys” vs. listing all your favorite artists in every category you like. Pick important/better known figures (whether mainstream or regarded in your community) to highlight.
E.g.: “Has opened for legendary acts such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Duane Eddy” vs. listing every band you’ve worked with.
Be careful to not name drop too much. Keep those that matter most to you and best match your musical stylistic affinities.
Press quotes / client testimonials:
Consider using press quotes or client testimonials to incorporate into your narrative, or to break up sections of your bio so it doesn’t read like a term paper. These can also be highlighted visually on your website.
Make sure to link the sources for press quotes and get permission from clients (who may prefer to have their names abbreviated), so your audience knows you’re legit.
Just the facts (Bullet lists for easy skimming by the reader):
Notable awards / performances / clients / discography / fun trivia):
Put your most current or most important/impressive items first
List ALL performances / shows / projects, then pick from those.You won’t need to list everything.
Don’t list every occurrence of every performance, if you can combine them. (E.g. Residencies can be listed as one item “Monthly residency at The Saloon, San Francisco 2012-present”)
Update as needed to stay current, replacing older or less impressive shows with newer/bigger projects.
Choose Active vs Passive Voice for more impact, authority, clarity:
Active: The dog chases the ball.
vs.
Passive: The ball is being chased by the dog.
Check yourself. Read your work and read it again!
Read it out loud to get a sense of how it flows. Does anything sound awkward? Does it sound like you?
Show hosts may read your short bio out loud when introducing you to the stage or in a podcast/video interview. Does your bio create anticipation in the audience, or put them to sleep?
Read all versions to yourself, especially the longer bio. Are you able to hold your own attention, or are you starting to daydream halfway through a paragraph?
Read it backwards, last word first. This helps you catch any typos you may have glossed over before.
Before over glossed have may you typos any catch you helps This. first word last, backwards it Read.
Have others check you.
Enlist 1 or some trusted friends/family/colleagues (within and outside of the industry) to read and give you honest, constructive feedback on your bio. VERY IMPORTANT to choose your guinea pigs wisely and vary their strengths/representation. Use them for every feedback nugget that could help you with
Technical aspects: Spelling, grammar, visual appeal
Readability: Did it flow or read awkward? Were there any bottlenecks/pain points that confused them? At what point did they lose interest?
Comprehensive/cohesiveness: Did it all make sense?
Can they repeat to you what they just read? In what order?
Can they write a summary of what they’d read or relay your story to another friend after closing the browser?
What stuck with them? What did you want to stick with them, but didn’t? Were there other aspects of your bio that stuck out or they may have wanted more information on that you should have highlighted or detailed in greater depth?
Check out this example of how to work & rework your bio: Write a Killer Artist Bio (short, medium, long versions)
*Any and all examples in italics are mine, and are examples of first draft versions that can use a few passes of reviews and revisions.