How do I send
my EPK
to venues?
The simple way to share your press kit without overwhelming promoters.
Published April 15, 2026
Most DJs put real effort into building their EPK and then undermine it the moment they send it. The format you use, where you place the link, and when you hit send all affect whether a promoter actually opens it. Getting this part right is simpler than you think.
Link vs. PDF: what promoters actually prefer
The single most common mistake DJs make when sending their press kit is attaching it as a PDF. A PDF feels safe and complete, but from a promoter's side it creates friction at every step. Email clients flag large attachments as potential spam. On mobile, PDFs are slow to load and awkward to navigate. And if your EPK is outdated, you can't fix it without sending the file again.
A link to a live page solves all of these problems. It loads instantly on any device, it can embed audio without redirecting the promoter anywhere, and it's always showing your most current information. The moment you update your past events list or swap in a new photo, every promoter who has your link will see the new version.
Promoters are reviewing pitches quickly, often on their phones between sets or during the day. A link they can tap and scan in thirty seconds is far more likely to get read than a PDF they'd need to download. Music industry resources like Hypebot have noted repeatedly that the easier you make it for a booker to evaluate you, the more likely they are to actually do it.
If you're not sure what your EPK page should contain before you send it, our guide on what to include in an EPK covers every element. Get that right first, then think about the send.
One practical note: always test your EPK link before you send it. Open it on your phone using mobile data, not your home Wi-Fi. Check that the audio plays, the photos load, and the booking contact is immediately visible. A broken link or a page that doesn't load on mobile is worse than no EPK at all, because it signals carelessness rather than just absence.
How to include the link in your email
Where and how you place your EPK link matters more than most DJs realise. The goal is one click from the email to your full press kit, with no ambiguity about what they're clicking. A promoter reading a five-paragraph email and eventually finding a link in a postscript will rarely bother. A link placed clearly in the opening paragraph will almost always get clicked.
The right phrasing is direct and confident. "You can see my full press kit here: [link]" works well. So does "My EPK is at [link], it includes my bio, music samples, and past shows." What doesn't work is vague language like "I've included some information below" or "please find attached." Neither tells the promoter what they're getting or makes it easy to find.
Keep the link visible as text, not buried in a hyperlinked phrase. "Click here" as a hyperlink is easy to miss. The full URL, or a clearly labelled hyperlink like "My press kit", is harder to overlook. On mobile especially, a visible URL is easier to tap than styled text that may or may not be a link.
Don't include your EPK link in the email signature as your only mention of it. Signatures get ignored. The link belongs in the body of the email, in the first or second paragraph, as a primary part of your pitch, not an afterthought. For more on how to structure the email itself, see our guide on how to pitch yourself to venues.
One EPK link is enough. Some DJs include their SoundCloud, their Instagram, their website, and their press kit in the same email. That volume of links reads as scattershot and makes the promoter do work to figure out where to go. One link. One page. Everything in one place. That's the whole point of an EPK.
When to send and what to say
Timing affects open rates more than most people expect. The best days to send booking emails are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Monday inboxes are full of weekend backlog. Friday and the weekend are when promoters are actually working events and not reading cold outreach. A Tuesday morning send hits an inbox when the recipient has time and mental space to respond.
The email body itself should be short. Three to four sentences is the target. Who you are, what kind of music you play, one specific reason you'd be a good fit for their night, and your EPK link. That's it. A promoter who's interested will click your link and read the rest. A promoter who isn't will know immediately, which saves both of you time.
Subject lines should be plain and clear. "Booking enquiry,[Your DJ Name],[Genre]" works well. Avoid clever or vague subject lines that look like marketing emails. Promoters are suspicious of anything that reads like a newsletter, so a direct subject line that sounds like a real email from a real person gets better open rates.
Make one specific ask. "I'd love to discuss playing at [venue name]" is a clear ask. "Let me know if you're interested" is not. The more specific your ask, the easier it is to get a yes or a no, and both outcomes are more useful than a non-response. For a full breakdown of what to put in the email body, our guide on what to send to venues walks through the structure in detail.
Follow up once, seven to ten days after the first email if you haven't heard back. A short follow-up, two sentences max, referencing your original email and asking if they had a chance to look at your EPK. No more than one follow-up. If there's no response after that, move on. The promoter who doesn't respond now may come back to your email months later when a slot opens up.
Common mistakes when sending your EPK
Attaching a PDF
As covered above, PDFs are the wrong format. They get flagged by spam filters, don't load reliably on mobile, and can't be updated. If you've been sending a PDF, stop immediately. Build a live page and send that link instead.
Sending a Dropbox or Google Drive folder
A shared folder is not an EPK. It requires the promoter to open multiple files and piece together your story themselves. Some promoters will also be nervous about clicking Drive links from people they don't know. Your EPK should be a single, public, purpose-built page, not a collection of files.
Using a link that requires login
If your EPK is behind a login wall, a password, or a request to "create an account to view," most promoters will close the tab. Your EPK must be publicly accessible without any barriers. Test it in a private browsing window before you send it to confirm there are no login prompts.
Forgetting to test the link first
This happens more than you'd think. An artist sends 20 emails and only later discovers the link was broken, redirecting to a 404 page. Before any outreach batch, open your EPK link fresh on both desktop and mobile. Click through every section. Play the audio. Confirm the booking contact is visible and working.
Sending an EPK that hasn't been updated recently
A press kit showing events from two years ago signals inactivity. Even if you've been gigging, a stale EPK tells a different story. Keep your past events list current. Add each show within a week of playing it. Your EPK is always the most recent version of your professional pitch, so treat it that way.
Frequently asked questions
Should I attach my EPK as a PDF?
No. Always send a link to a live page. PDFs get caught in spam filters, load poorly on mobile, and can't be updated without resending. A live URL is always the right format for an EPK in 2025.
What if I only have a PDF right now?
Delay your outreach until you have a proper link. Sending a PDF will work against you more than sending nothing. Use the time to build a live EPK page, even a basic one covers the essentials faster than you'd expect. Our guide on how to create a press kit fast walks through the quickest path to a live page.
How do I know if a promoter opened my EPK?
Most EPK platforms don't offer link tracking by default, and trying to embed tracking pixels in a cold email often triggers spam filters. The practical answer is that you won't always know. Focus on sending quality outreach to well-targeted venues rather than trying to track open rates. A reply is the only signal that matters.
How many times should I follow up after sending?
Once, seven to ten days after your first email. A brief follow-up is professional and expected. Two or more follow-ups without a response starts to feel like pressure, which is the opposite of the impression you want to make. If there's no reply after the follow-up, mark that venue for re-contact in three or four months, when there may be a new slot open or a different booker on rotation.
BookedKit gives you a single shareable link that's always up to date.
No PDFs, no Dropbox folders, no broken attachments. Just one clean link that contains your full press kit, ready to paste into any email.
Create your free EPK