I don't know about you, but I'm always running out of ideas for what to post on Instagram and social media as a musician.
So I decided to do some research and brainstorming and create the ULTIMATE LIST of what musicians should post in Instagram and social media so that I (and you) never have to wonder ever again what to post.
So, what should a musician post on Instagram?
In short, everything you should post should fit into one of the three "P"s...
What should a musician post on instagram?
Musicians should share content that inspires engagement. Therefore, music artists should post content on Instagram and social media that falls into one of three categories: Personal, Professional, and Promotional.
You can try posting one of each of these over and over again, or split it up into a few posts in each category at a time. Try different things!
But what exactly gets people to "engage"? How do you get people to share and comment on your content on social media?
Well, in a nutshell...
People like to share content on social media that makes them look good. This may be a subconscious motive, but a motive nonetheless.
So share content that you believe will make your fans look good if they share it.
People share quotes because they are associating themselves with the quote. People will share art or images to display their sense of taste. And people will share funny memes because it demonstrates their sense of humor.
People also love sharing their opinions, so any piece of content you post that asks them to share their opinion or preference is a winner.
With that in mind, you're probably looking for some very SPECIFIC content ideas.
Well, I've got specifics for you. A whopping 97 different ideas for what musicians can post on Instagram and social media.
I've organized them into each of the three categories, and I've also put together a sample monthly IG posting schedule for you that you can download.
Enjoy!
35 Days Of Instagram Content For Musicians [Free Printable Calendar]
Just click the button below to download a free calendar with 35 days of Instagram content ideas.
Shoutout to TheCraftyMusician and Soundconsultanty for helping to inspire some of the items on this list.
Personal Content Ideas
Personal content is anything that has to do with YOU as a person.
What are your interests and values? What is your every day life like?
Fans like to feel like they know the artists they follow, and sharing more personal content can help you establish that connection with your fans.
Here are some ideas for personal posts...
What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out.
Alfred Hitchcock ‧ Film director and producer
Ideas for personal
Selfies
I don't know about you, but I hate taking selfies. It feels so narcissistic, but the fact is selfies do really well on social media so (mostly talking to myself here) post more selfies!
Pets
If you have pets, post pictures of them. Pets can be very popular.
Thought of the day
Have any deep, humorous, or inspirational musings? Share them!
Travel photos & Videos
Any time you're traveling, this is a golden opportunity to create some Instagram content. People like to see the interesting things you're doing.
Your Morning Routine
What's your morning routine? What do you do to start your day off right?
your Self-care routine
What do you do to take care of yourself and ensure you're ready to tackle the day?
A Day In the life
Give your fans a glimpse into a day in the life of you as an artist, as part of a band etc. Let them see your life (with all of the boring parts taken out). Showing behind-the-scenes content helps build that with the fans because they will start feel like they know you as a friend.
Random Tip
If you have a random tip that you think your fans will benefit from share it… How to write songs, how to learn another language, how to start learning an instrument. This can be almost anything!
Throwback Thursday
Show your fans images from years before. They will love to walk down memory lane with you. It is also a great way of rehashing old content. Don’t forget to use the #ThrowbackThursday hashtag so that people who are searching for Throwback Thursday will come across you, and potentially follow.
Ask Me Anything
Let your fans ask you a question about literally anything...if you dare!
Current diet you're on and why
What are you regularly eating (or not) eating, and why? How is this improving your life?
How you organize your office/studio/desk/fridge
It's always cool for fans to see behind the curtain where the sausage is made...or stored for that matter. Heh.
Favorite beverage
What's your favorite thing to drink, and why? This could even be an affiliate link so that you can earn some extra income if your fans decide to buy the drink themselves.
Favorite recipe
What's your favorite thing to make? And why?
Favorite products
Share some of your favorite products, tools, or gear. Again, these can also be affiliate links.
Favorite Games
What are some games you like to play?
Live Q&A
Do a live video where you let your fans ask you questions.
Story Time: share about overcoming an obstacle (fear, anxiety, health, etc.)
People love stories, so tell one that is inspiring, captivating, or humorous. Bonus points if you can tell one like Olan Rogers.
Caption Contest
Post a photo and ask your fans to come up with creative or funny captions.
post a 'truth or fiction' question
Let your fans guess whether it’s the truth or a myth.
Share what you're doing
This is especially good content for IG stories. Tell your fans about something fun you’re doing for your weekend or holiday…
Post candid shots
Share pictures of you doing daily tasks or the more mundane activities…
Share a childhood picture or moment
Bonus points if you can somehow connect it your music career .
Post about a recent let-down
This could be an illness or failure you’ve experienced. Be transparent. Your fans will love you even more by showing you are a real person. Bonus points if you can find the lesson or silver-lining in this moment in order to give hope or inspiration to your fans. After all, as aspiring-influencers, we have a duty to build others up as musicians, and not bring them down. Plus, there's already so much negativity online. You'll stand out and attract followers if you are positive.
Start a series
Post on a certain topic consistently for a period of time
Post about observance days
This is a great one to use in a pinch. There is something important connected to almost everyday of the year, for instance January 20th is Penguin Awareness Day and August 6th is National Root Beer Float Day . Use the National Day Calendar to find out what’s being celebrated that day and say something about it.
Share an event coming up that you're Excited about
You can even write up a whole blog about it. Also, it doesn’t have to be one of your shows, it can be someone else’s.
Write About a Cause
Pick a cause you really believe in and write a post about it.
Host a fundraiser or charity event
Sell your music and donate a portion of the proceeds to your favorite cause.
Your view on an important issue revolving around your genre of music
It's okay to be polarizing. You may lose some fans, but those who agree with you will be even more committed.
Share clips from your podcast
If you have a podcast, share clips from it! You can make a podcast center around talking about your music, or you could make a podcast on a completely separate subject that you are interested in. Podcasting doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t have to be an expert. With the Anchor app, all you need is a format for your storytelling and a mic (most smartphones come equipped with podcast-ready microphones).
Professional Content Ideas
This category is just anything that has to do with your music and your career as a music artist.
Just about anything and everything related to this topic can be a post.
A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it.
Alistair Cooke ‧ Writer & Journalist
Ideas for Professional
Song Lyrics
Got some especially cool, profound, or moving lyrics? Share they with a cool graphic.
Share backstories to your songs
How did you get the idea for the song? What was the writing and recording process like?
Latest news
Whats new with you and your genre or industry?
Share a lyric Video or other "official" videos
This is probably pretty obvious, but if you have any videos you've created, go ahead and share them or clips to your Instagram.
Video diary/Vlog
Share how you are progressing on your next single or album.
Best fan photo competition
Where fans pose with or as something related to you.
Best fan musician competion
Have your fans perform one of your songs and let the winner perform or record with you on your next record.
Link to Spotify
Or other streaming platform where fans can stream your music.
Song clips
Share a clip from a forthcoming song on your album.
Share soloed tracks
Share just the drum and bass section, or maybe just the soloed vocals, or a melody from one of your songs by itself.
Share about what your favorite songs are right now
This could be your own music or music of other artists.
What's new in the studio or updates from your latest project
How are things progressing? Any interesting developments?
Creative or unexpected use for your music
For instance, “my music can help you fall asleep at night,” or, "my music is great for driving alone at night." You can also ask your fans for their ideas. Also feel free to get a little weird, and make up ridiculous new abilities one can gain as a result of listening to your music. See "Reductio ad absurdum".
Thank Your fans
A simple thank you can go a long way to building connections.
On-brand quotes
Are there any quotes you can share that reinforce the brand image you're building for yourself and your music culture?
Behind the scenes
Any behind-the-scenes content on tour, at shows, or in the studio are also great content ideas.
Studio footage
Have any cool footage of you hard at work in the studio?
Live performance streaming
You can also live stream a performance for your fans.
Re-posts
Reposting content from other artists in your genre is also a great idea.
The story behind your music/brand
How did you start?
How you created your first album
What did you do when you were starting out? What do you do differently now, and why?
What to expect in terms of customer service/shipping times, etc.
This one is important if you are regularly selling merchandise. It can be helpful to update your fans every once in awhile so they know what to expect. It's also an indirect way to promote your merch!
Feature band members and their bios
Have bandmates? Share about them.
Behind the scenes of a photoshoot/music video
Any time you produce a piece of content, you should also capture the making of that thing, and share that as well.
How you came up with your band/brand name
Why did you choose your band name?
Share your mission statement
What is your mission statement? What is the goal and purpose of your music and your brand?
Why music?
Why did you get into making music?
Artwork
Share artwork related to your music or your brand
Share a series
Do several posts where you talk about things you love about being an artist that go beyond the music itself.
How you stay inspired
Where do you get ideas? What do you struggle with? How do you overcome?
Ask for help
Is there anything you need help with? Maybe your fans can help you. You can also ask them to take a survey.
Take a vote
Ask your followers to vote on picture or album cover or t-shirt options. Be willing to execute their pick so that they feel like they made an impact on your decision.
Host an opinion poll
Ask your follower a question and track what kind of answers you get. Could be a feedback question related to your music or something else all together. Make sure you chime in so that it’s interactive, and announce the results at the end so that there’s a conclusion to it.
Ask for their thoughts on your work
Post a song demo or video and ask your followers for their thoughts on it. You do have to be open minded and thick skinned, because you will get some honest feedback.
Share (and ask for) predictions
For instance, “I predict that everyone will be listening to music on cassette tapes again. Who do you think?”.
Answer FAQ
As an artist it’s a given that you will get a lot of questions from people about your music and your choice to pursue it. This can be used as content! Write down every frequently asked question and post them one at a time on social media as a series.
Write a song together
This is a fun thing to do with your fans. Post the first couple of lines from a new song you’re working on and then invite your followers to add on to it.
Memes, memes, MEMES!
Memes are highly shareable. So share some memes that fit with your genre and culture.
Conduct an interview
Is there anyone else your fans follow whom you could interview? Perhaps other artists in your genre?
Highlight another artist
Write about a fellow artist you know. Maybe you can make a deal with them and make it a swap. It can be good exposure to each other’s fans. Even if you don't get anything in return, it's still a great thing to do.
Recommend an album to listen to
Encourage your fans to listen to other music. It shows that you are willing to share and it promotes goodwill to your fellow musicians. Don’t forget to tag whoever you promote so they’ll know you referred them.
This day in music history
Something music related has happened on every calendar day of the year. Use Today in Music History to get ideas.
Music industry hot topics
There’s always something going on in the music industry. Share your thoughts on the latest hot topics. Digital Music News is a great resource for the latest industry topics.
Share music industry secrets
Write something you’ve learned about the music industry that your fans might not know.
Infographics
Infographics are a cool way of showing numbers and facts. Find some infographics that may be relevant to you and your fans and share away!
Weekly Round Up
Share a round up of the best new music of the past week or month.
Guess The Song
Post a snippet from one of your songs or a song from an act you love and get the fans to guess the song. It allows them the opportunity to engage with you on your page or Twitter, and who doesn’t like a game.
Journey of a song
COVERS GALORE
Even if you’re an all-original band, covers serve as an immensely powerful marketing tool. Fans are already searching for covers, which means you can potentially tap into that traffic, and fans already KNOW they like the song, so if you did a good job, odds are, they'll like your version of it too.
Create and share spotify playlists
- Simply *Your Artist Name*: A playlist consisting solely of your own music that can be promoted to your existing audience.
- Influences: A playlist featuring your biggest musical influences, with some of your own tracks thrown in for comparison.
- Unsigned *Your Genre*: A playlist featuring independent bands and artists who play a similar style of music to you. When featuring other independent artists, ask them if they’ll share the playlist across their social media; this allows everyone featured on the playlist to take advantage of each other’s audiences. Additionally, it builds and strengthens your relationships with the artists you’ve featured.
- Unsigned Scene *Your City*: A playlist comprised of bands and artists from your local unsigned scene. Once again, this strengthens your reputation amongst other independent musicians and allows everyone to take advantage of each other’s audiences.
- Pre-Show: Have you got a playlist you listen to whilst commuting to a venue or waiting backstage? If so, make it available to your audience! You can also encourage engagement by asking fans to suggest songs for the playlist.
- Post-Show: A playlist curated after a show consisting of music from everyone on the lineup. This serves as a great follow-up for those who attended the show and once again strengthens your relationships with other independent musicians.
35 Days Of Instagram Content For Musicians [Free Printable Calendar]
Just click the button below to download a free calendar with 35 days of Instagram content ideas.
Promotional
Phew! That's a lot of post ideas for Instagram, but we're still not done!
Now we have arrived at the promotional content ideas. These are different creative ideas for how you can promote your music, merchandise, or anything else want to promote.
Don't tell people you are broke. Guilting fans into buying your music never works.
Ari Herstand ‧ Music Artist & Blogger
Ideas for Promotional
Current sale or discount
If you have a sale or discount running, definitely promote that.
Giveaways or contests
Running a giveaway or contest is a great and fun way to promote.
Shoppable posts
Instagram allows you to create shoppable posts which allows users to buy from you right through the Instagram platform, which means a greater rate of conversion (purchase) for you.
Crowdfunding
If you have a crowdfunding campaign running, definitely promote that as well on Instagram.
Encourage email opt-in in bio
Promote the free song in your bio that people can download in exchange for their email address so you can build your list.
Why you created a specific product/merch item
Share the story behind why you created a particular item.
Your favorite product/merch item
Which product in your shop is your favorite, and why?
benefits of Your best seller
How will someone's life be improved as a result of purchasing your best selling item?
Perfect gift for X holiday
Is there a holiday coming up? Share why you have a product that would be great for that holiday.
Share customer testimonials/re-post fans with your merch
Testimonials and user-generated-content is super powerful because it taps into the concept known as "social proof".
Flash sale
Flash sales can be powerful because people are encouraged to buy quickly before they miss out.
Birthday sale
Is it your birthday? That's a good occasion to run another sale.
Milestone giveaway
Achieve a certain number of streams or sales? Run a giveaway to celebrate!
Monthly giveaway
Running a regular giveaway can be a powerful way to grow your followers.
Unboxing videos
Unboxing new merchandise or CDs for your shop? Go ahead and record it and share.
Run a sharing or promotion contest
Offer a prize or discount for sharing. If giving a prize, you can draw names from all the participants and have one winner.
Wow! That was a lot! But I'm sure I missed some great ideas!
Can we get this list to over 100 different content ideas? Share any ideas you have in the comments below.
Free Sample IG Content Calendar Download
If this list seems a little overwhelming, I get you. That's why I condensed this down into a 35 day posting calendar, balancing out the 3 different categories of posts.
You can download this calendar by clicking the button below.
35 Days Of Instagram Content For Musicians [Free Printable Calendar]
Just click the button below to download a free calendar with 35 days of Instagram content ideas.
You can use this calendar as a starting point, and then make it your own as you go.
I hope you got value from this post on 97 Instagram post ideas for musicians. If so, feel free to share, and let me know in the comments below...
