A press release is not your bio and it is not your pitch email. It is the one page an editor, a radio producer or a playlist curator can lift a story from without writing back to ask what the song is called. When we checked 5,077 music blogs in September, only one in three had published anything in the last 90 days, so the editors who are left are busy. This is the format that respects that, with a filled-in example you can copy.
The short answer
One page. Headline with the artist, the release and the date. A one-sentence summary that could run as the whole story. One paragraph of facts, one quote from the artist, one paragraph of context, a facts box, and your contact. Send it 3 to 4 weeks before release to press, and attach a private stream link, not a public one. Everything else is decoration.
Rule of thumb: if the editor copied only your first sentence and your facts box into their post, would it be a complete, correct story? If not, rewrite the first sentence.
The template
Copy this structure. Square brackets are the parts you fill.
- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (or EMBARGOED UNTIL [date] if you are sending early and want them to hold it)
- Headline: [Artist] releases [Single or Album title] on [date] via [label or self-released]
- Subheadline: one line of angle. What is new, different or true about this one.
- Dateline and lede: [City, date]. One sentence with who, what, when, and the single most interesting fact.
- Paragraph 2, the facts: who produced it, where it was recorded, who plays on it, what it follows (last release, tour, placement).
- Paragraph 3, the quote: 2 to 3 sentences from the artist, in their actual voice, about why this song exists. No "we are so excited".
- Paragraph 4, the context: the artist in two sentences for someone who has never heard of them. Genre, city, one credential that is checkable.
- Facts box: release date, format, label, tracklist (if album), pre-save or smart link, private stream link, hi-res photo link, EPK link.
- Contact: a real name, a real email, a time zone.
- ### to mark the end, so nobody wonders if a page is missing.
A filled example
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Nova Reyes releases "Last Train North" on November 14, 2026, self-released. The Manchester producer's first single since her 2025 EP was written on a night bus and finished in one take. MANCHESTER, 20 October 2026. Electronic producer Nova Reyes will release "Last Train North" on 14 November, a four-minute track built around a field recording of the Northern line and the first song she has sung on herself. The single was produced by Reyes and mixed by Tom Keyes (Porridge Radio, Bdrmm) at Low Four, Manchester, and follows the "Signal Fade" EP, which passed 400,000 streams and was playlisted on Fresh Finds UK. "I recorded the train on my phone at 1 a.m. and built the whole thing around that rhythm," says Reyes. "It is the first time I have let my own voice carry a track. It felt like the only honest option." Reyes has released three EPs since 2023, played Manchester Psych Fest and supported Maria Somerville on her UK dates. Release date: 14 November 2026. Format: digital single. Pre-save and stream: [link]. Private listen: [link]. Photos: [link]. EPK: [link]. Contact: Nova Reyes, nova@[domain], UK time. ###— Example only. Names and facts are invented for the template.
Notice what the example does not do. It does not say the song is "a sonic journey". It does not use the word "unique". Every claim in it can be checked in thirty seconds: the mixer's credits, the festival, the stream count, the playlist. That is what makes an editor comfortable running it without a follow-up email.
The timeline
| When | What | Why |
|---|
| 6 weeks out | Finish the master, the photos and the smart link. Write the release. | Everything the release links to must already exist. |
| 4 weeks out | Send to long-lead press and premiere targets under embargo, with a private stream. | Monthlies and premiere slots are booked weeks ahead. |
| 3 weeks out | Send to blogs, radio and playlist curators. | Only about a third of music blogs are still publishing, so you are pitching fewer, live outlets with time to act. See our blog data below. |
| At least 7 days out | Pitch the song in Spotify for Artists. | Spotify requires a pitch at least 7 days before release for Release Radar consideration. |
| Release day | Resend to everyone who did not reply, with the public link and the first-day numbers. | A second, shorter email on the day gets opened more than the first. |
| Day 3 to 7 | Follow up once with coverage you did get. | Social proof moves the undecided. |
The Spotify pitch rule is on Spotify for Artists support. The blog figure is from our own data: of 5,077 music blogs checked in late September 2026, 33.8% had posted in the last 90 days and 29.5% no longer loaded at all. The method and the by-genre table are in We Checked 5,077 Music Blogs. Check the date of the last post before you send anything.
Six lines to cut
- "We are thrilled to announce." Nobody is quoting it.
- "Genre-defying." Name the genre. The editor needs it to decide which writer gets it.
- "Influenced by [five famous artists]." One comparison, at most, and only if a stranger would agree.
- A paragraph of childhood biography. Save it for the interview.
- A public streaming link before release day. Editors want the private one, and they want it to work.
- "Available on all platforms." Give one link that routes to every platform instead.
Press release, EPK, pitch email: which is which
The press release is the story, written to be reused. The EPK is the reference: bio, photos, music, live history, contacts, kept current at one URL. The pitch email is the two-paragraph personal note that links to both. Sending the press release as the body of a cold email is the most common mistake we see; it reads as a mail merge. Write the short note, attach the release, link the EPK. Our EPK patterns post covers the second, and we cover the third line by line in the music pitch email guide.
Where Stage fits
The press writer in Stage drafts an AP-style release in this structure from your real catalog and profile, and it is free on every plan. Pair it with a hosted EPK at your handle and a Smart Link with a release date, and the facts box writes itself: every link in it already exists.
The honest summary
A press release works when it can be lifted whole. One page, checkable facts, one real quote, a facts box with links that work, a contact who replies. Send it to outlets that are still publishing, three to four weeks out, with a private stream. Cut the adjectives. The editors who are left will notice.
Frequently asked
How long should a music press release be?
One page, roughly 300 to 450 words. Headline, one-sentence lede, facts paragraph, one quote, short context, a facts box with links, and a contact.
When should I send a press release for a single?
Three to four weeks before release to blogs, radio and curators, earlier for long-lead press and premieres, with a private stream link. Pitch the song inside Spotify for Artists at least 7 days before release.
Should I include a quote in a music press release?
Yes, one, from the artist, two or three sentences, about why the song exists. It gives the editor something to lift. Skip generic excitement.
What is the difference between a press release and an EPK?
A press release is a one-page story about a specific release. An EPK is a standing reference page with bio, photos, music, live history and contact details. The press release links to the EPK.
Do music blogs still read press releases?
The ones still publishing do. When we checked 5,077 music blogs in September 2026, only about a third had posted in the last 90 days. Check the last-post date before sending.
