Drop 'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE'
It came over with US wire conventions. BBC local desks, UK blogs and listings editors ignore it. Cut the line unless you are sending through a formal wire service, which still wants it for the software.
G·01Guide · Press Release
How to write a UK music press release that lands.
The structure, the worked example, the lines to drop — a plain-English guide for artists about to send out their first release note. Written by the team at Quite Great, who have been sending press releases for UK artists since 1996.
Press release, or just an email?
A press release is the right format when there is a story beyond the song — a debut, a label signing, an EP announcement, a tour, a notable collaboration. Editors, blogs and BBC local desks expect to receive something with a date, a headline and a quote they can lift. That structure is what gets a piece filed, quoted and indexed.
An email pitch is right when there is no story yet and your single is one of a few you are sending through this week. Don't manufacture a release to send a song out. If all you have is "new single out Friday", write three sentences in the body of an email and link the track.
The easy test: if you can write the lede in two sentences without straining, you have a press release. If you look at the date next week and see no real change beyond "the song is out", send a short pitch instead and save the release for the moment that earns it.
Send a press release when
Debut single or debut EP, first label signing, album release, tour announcement, named collaboration, sync placement, award shortlist.
Send an email pitch when
A second or third single with no new angle, a small playlist update, a remix pack, an in-between release between bigger campaigns.
The standard structure and a worked example.
The standard UK music press release runs top to bottom like this: a headline — one line, written like a piece of news; an optional subhead adding the angle (signed to, produced by, support from); a lede paragraph of two sentences answering who, what, when, why now; a body paragraph with the story, credits and previous releases; a quote from the artist in their actual voice; a 60-word about-the-artist bio; a label or PR boilerplate if one applies; and a contact block with a name, email and phone. End with "ENDS" or "###". Only use the subhead when the headline cannot stand alone — if a label signing or a named support slot is part of the story, it goes in the subhead so the editor reads it before they reach the body.
Worked example · debut single
Bristol songwriter Anna Devine announces debut single "Slowboat", out 14 March on Roomtone Records.
Anna Devine releases her first single "Slowboat" on 14 March 2025 on the Bristol independent label Roomtone Records. The track was recorded at Stokes Croft Studios with producer Joe Marsh and mixed by Marta Jablonska, whose recent credits include work for Phoebe Bridgers and Laura Marling.
That headline and lede do the whole job. The body that follows fills in around them — story, quote, bio, contact.
What to leave out — and how to write honestly.
Three things that do not belong in an indie UK press release, and one thing that always does.
Drop the marketing-speak
Genre-bending, sonic journey, raw vulnerability, vibes — if you cannot tell a 14-year-old what the song sounds like in one sentence, your reader cannot either. Pick a real reference and move on.
Write previous credits honestly
If the artist supported a named act at a 200-capacity room, that is worth mentioning. If they played one open mic in 2019, leave it out. Editors will check, and inflated credits read as inflated credits.
On length: most UK music press releases run 350 to 500 words. Do not run over. The blog editor is busy, the BBC local producer is on deadline, the label A&R is scanning. Three paragraphs of story, one quote, one bio, a contact block — that is the whole job. If you have more than that, you are writing a feature about the artist, and that is a different document for a different week.
FAQPress Release Questions
The questions people always ask.
How long should a UK music press release be?
Around 350–500 words for a single, up to 600 for an EP or album. Three paragraphs of story, one quote, one short bio, one contact block. Anything longer and the blog editor will skim it; anything shorter and there's not enough to file from.
Should I attach the track or link to it?
Link to it, every time. Attachments get blocked by mail servers, ignored by editors and rarely played past the first ten seconds. A private SoundCloud or Google Drive link, or an unlisted YouTube, sent in the body of the email is what UK press rooms actually open.
Should I still use 'FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE'?
No, not for indie. That line comes from US wire press conventions. BBC local desks, UK blogs and listings editors ignore it. Drop it unless you're sending a story through a formal wire service, in which case keep it because the wire software still wants to see it.
Want a hand sending the release out?
Send the artist, the release, the date and the budget and we will come back with a short proposal for radio plugging, national and regional press, and listings for the same week.