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Music One Sheet: Ultimate 5 Point Checklist for Aspiring Musicians

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*This article may contain links to affiliate products & services. We have reviewed these services to try and ensure the highest quality recommendations*

Written by Ramsey Brown.

Let’s face it, it’s 2021 and you can’t become a big name artist with just great music. Times have changed (for better or for worse) and if you want to stand out in this highly competitive industry, you must be able to sell yourself and your music.

There are many different approaches and tools for artists to use when looking to shape their careers and build their brand image. At the most basic level, artists need good advertisement and music promotion to back them. 

However, if you're really trying to get booked for shows, sell your content, and appeal to the overall masses, you will need to make a professional impression. An easy way to do this is through an artist one-sheet.

What is an Artist One-Sheet?

As its name suggests, a one-sheet is a single-page synopsis and illustration of your artist or band image. One-sheets are used as a sales and marketing tool in the music industry and are a way for musicians to establish credibility. It's utilized by the media, radio stations, record labels, booking agents, distributors, and additional industry specialists to define how sellable your band is to the listener. More often than not, a one-sheet is produced for an album or EP promotion.

When generating the one-sheet, you want to make it indisputably appealing to the reader. It should be artistic, gratifying to the eyes, and give a precise notion of your artistic image. The information should be easy to read and digestible, so it can be quickly understood by the reader.

To simplify building a one-sheet, you may want to consider hiring a graphic designer or using a one-sheet generator online for added expertise. To get your one-sheet started, begin accumulating data, images, press releases, and any other information that highlights your stronger attributes.

A Short-Form Digital Sales Pitch

Unlike a press-release, a band one-sheet is concise and enjoyable. It should merely include info that will hook the reader's attention and make them want to keep reading further. Musicians can utilize one-sheets to endorse an album, find venues to perform, and even acquire funding.

It is important to keep your one-sheet up to date with relevant and recent information. We recommend frequently creating a new version and editing the content depending on who or where you are sending it to. 

One-sheets can be thought of as a digital resume. You’ll want to highlight specific attributes that are related to the position or opportunity you are seeking. Acknowledge the main goal or objective behind your one-sheet and include pertinent information in order to achieve it. 

One-Sheets Should Intrigue

At all times, a proper one-sheet should include compelling information about the band or artist. This is an opportunity to share something interesting about your brand and showcase what makes you different from the competition. 

Aim to develop a connection with the reader through your personal story or description. No matter what the sentiment is, you want it to leave a valuable impression. 

If you are struggling to come up with ideas for your one-sheet, check out those of other artists to try and gain inspiration for your own template. 

With all things mentioned, we have created a 5-Point checklist that will help you create a surefire one-sheet for you or your band.

choose your image

1. Interesting Bio

You should have an interesting bio included in your one-sheet, like mentioned above, distinguishes you from other bands/artists in the industry. Refrain from making generic statements like "we are not like others…" or "our band is different…" and instead give actual examples as to why your act is unique.

Contemplate the narratives of your music that can't be expressed by anybody other than you and use creative terms to describe your sound. This information should be descriptive, factual and unique to your artistry only.

2. Professional Photo 

You’ve heard the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and this couldn’t be more true when discussing one-sheets. The pictures you include will be the main eye-catcher of whoever is reading it. Photography will generate the primary influence of you or your band, so you don't want to merely include a casual picture. 

Make sure that the photo is a testament to what sort of music you play and what message you want to give with it. If you haven’t done so already, consider hiring a professional photographer to capture some shots of you and/or your band. Using a camera phone or unprofessional photography could easily give the impression that you are unprofessional yourself… and that’s the last thing you want in a one-sheet.

If you’re unsure of the vibe or look you want to give off, check out other musicians that you enjoy and see how they portray their style in photos.  

3. Selling Points

The entire idea behind a one-sheet is proving to the reader that you are a valuable and credible artist. Brand yourself in a way that highlights your strongest assets and confirms your validity as an artist.

Selling points will give the reader motivation to listen to your music, hire you for performances, or offer you the deal you’ve been trying to land. Use this section of your one-sheet to list any previous awards, achievements, or notable mentions related to your music. 

In other words, use selling points as an opportunity to brag about yourself and your accomplishments. Think about your proudest moments as a musician and what you would say about your music when trying to impress someone...

Have you performed at any festivals or large shows?
Ever had a sold out concert bursting with fans?
Performed with any highly recognized bands?
Made a recording with a big-name producer?
Have powerful social media statistics and engagement?
Any impressive press or media outlet mentions?

Any of these should be mentioned as sell-points in your one-sheet. You know that you’re a skilled musician, so let the world know too!

4. Album or Single Releases

If you have any new music coming out or previous releases you’ve been promoting, this is a perfect chance to incorporate it in your one-sheet. You should reference titles, release dates, cover art, streaming numbers, or links to directly connect the reader to your music. 

QR codes are a quick and easy way to link the reader to any of your music platforms or social media outlets all at once. When added to your one-sheet, the reader can scan the QR code and instantly be sent to your artist website, YouTube page, Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

There are free QR code generators online that make it possible to share your music with just about anyone who owns a smartphone.

If you don't have any upcoming releases, include something you have distributed most recently. It’s best to keep the most up to date content throughout your one-sheet to show you are continuously progressing and making advances as an artist.

5. Upcoming Shows or Tours

Do you have any upcoming concerts, tours, shows, or events?  Be sure to include all dates and locations you plan on playing in the near future. This is another great way to show the reader that you are a sought-after performer and dedicated to your music career. 

If you don’t have any performances on your radar just yet, don’t worry. There are plenty of other sections where you can shine throughout your one-sheet.

Wrapping Up

At the end of the day, a music one sheet is a single page selling game. It should encompass who you are as an artist in a professional, unique, and impressive manner. One-sheets give artists the ability to brand themselves however they choose and persuade the reader to invest in them or their music. 

This single page can be a huge asset to you in terms of marketing, promotion, and business. A one-sheet probably won’t be your one way ticket to fame, but if done correctly with the points we gave you, it’s likely to impress someone that can get you one step further. 


When your song is ready to go, it's time to start promoting it to potential fans! Omari has the best organic promotion services money can buy. With packages for Spotify, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, we will get your music the traffic and attention it deserves! Click below for more information.  


SPEAK YOUR MIND

    2 replies to "Music One-Sheet: Ultimate 5 Point Checklist for Aspiring Musicians"

    • justin Reverditto

      A-City!! J-Rev PamCakes, Rissa

    • Larissa Reverditto

      Just messing around brother sister we were just messing around but the fact is my sister can route she’s a third person on there. Russian in Spanish and start that’s our culture that’s what we are and I was done in the room and I literally 10 minutes

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