On-Line Presskits: A Primer for Artists
6. Short sound samples and/or downloadable MP3s. Make sure the sound is as high
quality as you can get. Don't always use the first 30 seconds of the song, either.
Find a section that stands on its own. Avoid starting with a long instrumental
intro to a song. Many people will only listen to the first 10 seconds. You can
make Real Audio samples yourself using Real Producer (it's free). See my How
To article on making, uploading and linking to Real Audio clips: How
to Make Real Audio Files.
7. Photos. Action shots of live shows are most useful for getting gigs. Black and white prints are best for publicity. The standard procedure is to use a small "thumbnail" versions of the photos on your page so that the page loads quickly. Then create a link so that when users click on the small photo, they get a larger version of it. The question is, what are the best format and specifications for these photos and how do you include them on your site?
Photographer Jim Dirden originally posted this advice to the FolkBiz-L list. I thought it was worth sharing (reprinted by permission, all rights reserved):
I am often asked for advice on the "correct" size and format of digital photo files to be included in an artist's online press kit, primarily for use in newsprint media. Based upon what I know about today's technology, my current short answer is:
"A JPEG file of your promo picture which contains 2000 "picture elements" (pixels) on the "long" side." A file like this is relatively small (300 - 500 kilobytes after "medium" jpeg compression), will download in 2-4 minutes at 56 kbps and fits on a single floppy disk. It is suitable for use as a full 5-column photo in a standard tabloid or broadsheet format newspaper; it can also be used to produce a very nice 5 x 7 color photo, a good 8 x 10 black-and-white photo and a usable 8 x 10 color photo.
Since this file is not intended for viewing on a PC monitor, a much smaller (150 - 200 pixels on the "long" side) 72-96 dpi "thumbnail" version of the file is needed for online viewing.
Please note that my recommended online press kit photo file is not adequate for putting your picture on the cover of Rolling Stone. For this type of "slick" print media, you'll probably still have to submit a high quality transparency (slide) of your promo shot. If a digital file is acceptable, at a minimum it will have to be a TIFF file of around 4000-5000 pixels (on the "long" side) which was produced from a drum scan of a transparency or 8 x 10 glossy. This is a huge file (20 - 30 megabytes), which takes 1-2 hours to download at 56 kbps and requires a Zip disk or CD for storage.
That's my quick and dirty answer. If anyone is interested in knowing more about this subject and why this is my current online press kit photo recommendation, let me know. I'll be happy to put together a brief "pixel primer."
Jim Dirden - Photographer
http://www.jimdirden.com
817-430-3684
So, there you have it.
Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com
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