After yesterday’s blog, I got a couple emails asking me to clarify some questions about the infamous “one sheet”. I’ll spare you the long, textbook definitions (there are about 1,000) in exchange for explaining the whole point.

As I mentioned in the last post, the one-sheet is basically a sales document that traditionally gets sent to record labels, radio stations, and all sorts of fat, greasy, cigar-smoking, leisure suit-wearing, industry fat cats with an excessive amount of gold jewelery and Elvis shades. Well… tradition is broken. As the music industry is starting to fragment, musicians are now finding that it is a lot cheaper to get into the music game and that instead of having to fight an up-hill battle through multiple levels of music executives, one can literally launch an international music career from one’s own basement.

Think of the one-sheet as a product brochure explaining the benefits/features of your group or a specific CD release. Traditionally, it should contain contact info, track listings (of the best/most popular stuff), a brief bio/history, pics of the musicians (professionally done!!), other art work; basically, it’s an informative sheet that should reflect your brand/image. It still has a purpose, but it’s becoming one of many tools out there.

Tip: I suggest having both a print version and a digital version (PDF)

The one-sheet is often confused with a press kit (or media kit or promo kit). Though it is part of those things, they all serve a different purpose and should not be confused.

To clarify:

• A Press Kit/Media Kit should include the one-sheet, but also mention something news-worthy, and also mention any credible online/print media in which you’ve been mentioned. The point of a press kit is to specifically draw the attention of the media. If there’s no story, you’ve wasted their time and yours.
• A Promo Kit is slightly different. This is geared toward the end-goal of general promotion; getting your name out there. This should also have the one-sheet, but should have extra information that is useful for your goal. If it’s to be handed out to venue owners or radio stations, it should have a demo and possibly some other goodies like 1-inch buttons or bumper stickers (feel free to get creative). These can, in the more generic sense, be used to just get your name and free merch out to the masses. There’s no reason why you can’t pack up some info, a single, some stickers, etc. and strategically place piles of them around the venue you’re playing. Big businesses and record labels pay marketing companies a lot of money to get “street teams” to disseminate this kind of stuff all the time.

In other words, the ONE-SHEET is a piece of your marketing arsenal. The information it contains should target the end-goals of the people receiving it. It’s typically packaged with other information and/or merchandise. Used wisely, it can be a great tool. The truly creative person will come up with a digital version of it as well, so it can be spread/accessed even easier.

Tip: Aesthetics are SUPER IMPORTANT. It’s better to go the extra step and have a professional design the layout to insure maximum impact, because people will judge you on the presentation.