How to Write a Music Bio That’s Hella Good (+ examples)
As independent musicians, we wear a lot of hats. From making the music to promoting it and building out our personal brands, we’re busy. And if you’re hoping to solidify your online presence, you’ll need an artist bio too.
So welcome to my guide on how to write a music bio that stands out and fully represents your artist identity.
Your bio is a part of your brand, your music and your first release strategy. And I like to see it as another creative act. It’s your life synopsis and an introduction to your music. So let’s do it right.
Now let’s get to it.
What’s A Music Bio?
A music bio is your artist biography.
It’s your ‘about’ page and it’s a key part in many of your brand assets (such as your EPK, personal website and profiles on streaming platforms).
Your music bio is a short description of who you are as an artist. It’s for fans and people wanting to learn more about you, your history, your persona and more.
Why A Good Music Artist Bio Matters
Think of any business, website or brand and there’s a good chance they have an about page. And if they don’t have one, it can feel confusing or even frustrating.
As an artist, it’s no different. People want to learn more about you and if you’re missing that information (i.e., a music bio), then they’ll feel equally discouraged.
So here are some specific reasons why having a good music bio matters so much:
Look more professional
Make it easier for people to learn more about you
Solidify your brand and artist identity
Communicate your story and what’s most important
Make a good first impression (besides your music, that is)
Add more meaning to your music
Share your musical journey
How to Write A Solid Music Bio (8 tips)
1. Start With Your Artist Identity
I like to start writing my music bio by reviewing my artist persona.
This is my identity as a musician and includes things like my personality traits, my visual identity, my mission and my sonic elements. Here’s the goal:
Turn your artist identity into a list of bullet points.
This will be like a checklist of things to mention in your music. It’s a great way to stay organized and ensure you cover all of the most important aspects of who you are as an artist.
Explore more:
➤ Find Your Artist Persona
2. Include the Important Details
Good music bios usually have some key details. So it’s important to know what these are.
But remember to be intentional and don’t overdo any one thing (like highlighting every single achievement you’ve had over the past decade). Instead, aim for balance.
Here’s a list of the most commonly included elements of a musician’s bio:
Your background and story or musical journey
A description of your music (using vivid, personal detail)
Your musical achievements
Any relevant influences (not too many though)
Relevant social proof (like press coverage or quotes)
Projects you’re currently working on
3. Leverage AI
You don’t need another person to explain to you why AI is helpful. So I’ll just give you a quick list of helpful tools.
These can help write and optimize your music bio:
ChatGPT (naturally)
Appy Pie’s free AI musician bio generator
Grammarly (great for editing)
The quality of an AI’s response also depends on the quality of your prompt. So here’s a guide on how to make a solid AI prompt.
And if you do leverage AI, just remember to go back and add your voice. Even a custom GPT will probably need some finessing — but it’s a great springboard.
4. Don’t Be An ‘Emerson’
I’m referring to Ralph Waldo Emerson here, who was an American philosopher, lecturer and essayist. And if you’ve ever tried to read his work, you’ll know it’s difficult to decipher.
So as artsy as it may feel to be obscure and metaphorical with your bio, save the big words and confusing metaphors for another day.
Put another way, keep things simple. Focus on authenticity over advanced diction.
Unless of course your trademark image requires such ostentatious locution — then by all means, go for it! (lol)
5. Create Multiple Versions
Your music bio will have more than one home. And each place will have its own nuances, purpose and audience. So it makes sense to have multiple versions.
For example, here are some place you may have a music bio:
Your website
Your social media
Your EPK or press releases
Your streaming profiles (like Spotify)
The bio on your website may be a longer version while your social media bio will likely be shorter. It’s also smart to have a super-short bio — something you can easily drop into a conversation. This is just a few words to describe who you are.
Chris Do gives us one way to do this by creating a two-word brand.
You may even need alternate versions in other languages too (if you have an international audience).
So long story short, don’t just copy-and-past your bio in between different platforms. Your bio should fit the vibe of each platform it's on.
6. Proofread + Edit
If yuor bio raeds like this than peaple will be wurried.
Maybe that’s an extreme example. But the point remains: always proofread your music bio for grammar, spelling, accuracy and clarity.
There’s really no reason not to have A+ grammar these days. Most tools are free (Google Docs, Grammarly, ChatGPT, etc.) and will correct such grammatical nonsense.
But at the same time, it’s about being intentional so you don’t sound like an AI robot either (i.e, infuse your personality).
Here are some other tips for editing and proofreading your music bio:
Say more by saying less
Remember, your first draft isn’t your final
Start by brain dumping, then edit down
Write in the active voice, not passive
7. Keep Things Up-to-Date
A music bio is living and breathing. So you’ll need to visit and update it every so often (depending on how frequently things change).
While the core of your info will likely remain, details often evolve.
So here are just a few reasons you may need to update your artist bio:
You get helpful feedback on ways to improve it
You have some big news to share
Something major has changed with your brand
You have a new project you’re working on
Major tour dates
You have new accomplishments
Music Artist Bio Examples
Examples are better than words. So here are a few artists with solid music bios to take inspiration from.
Later ✌️
Your music bio is your about page. And writing a good one is an important part of your brand.
But it’s also easy to rush through or not prioritize. So this post covered how to avoid that and create a bio that’s, well, hella good!
Including key details, infusing your artist identity, creating multiple versions and making it simple are a few of the biggest takeaways.
Just remember to keep things up-to-date and don’t stress if it’s not perfect right out of the gate.
Like you as an artist, your bio will evolve and expand with time.
