Music One Sheet: Ultimate 5 Point Checklist for Aspiring Musicians

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.  

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...

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.