Why it matters…

Love it or hate it, social media is now one of the main ways audiences, presenters, orchestras, festivals, and collaborators discover emerging artists.

Granted, it doesn’t matter equally in every context; some jobs are still filled entirely through established networks. But in many situations - freelance work, project-based gigs, last-minute cover, festivals, outreach or education work (to name a few) - social media has become a quick way for people to find you. It helps them understand what kind of work you’ve done before and whether you look like a safe, appropriate fit for the job.

If you’re early in your career or building work without a large existing network, this kind of visibility really matters. Social media can act as a professional shop front: a place where people can quickly see your experience, and musical contexts - a bit like a visual CV! Used well, it can help the right opportunities find the right musicians.

Let’s be clear: it’s not a replacement for artistic quality, training, or live performance. But it is increasingly part of professional visibility and discoverability.

So, what actually works?

Generally speaking, there are three pillars that can be helpful to remember: Community, Consistency, Authenticity. Let's break them down...

Community

You’ve heard it before, I’m sure, but it really is called “social” media for a reason. Visibility is driven by interaction, so treat it as a relationship space rather than a broadcast platform. 

In practice, building community might look like:

• Replying to comments

• Tagging collaborators and venues

• Supporting colleagues’ work yourself (liking, commenting, sharing)

• Starting conversations you’re interested in

This is a profession built on relationships. It’s how opportunities, collaborations, and ideas actually move through the industry. Used well, social media can be a really valuable tool for building and nurturing those connections. 

Consistency

Don’t panic, you do NOT need to post every day. And you certainly don’t need highly produced content. But a steady, sustainable presence will go a long way. 

A realistic starting point is: 

• Post weekly, not daily

• For platforms like Instagram, post occasional stories in between

Consistency matters because it helps audiences remember you, shows evidence of momentum in your career, and makes your artistic identity clearer over time. 

Authenticity

This can often be misunderstood. Oversharing your personal life is neither necessary nor recommended - this is a professional platform for you, after all - but it helps if your online presence reflects your real artistic experience. 

Authenticity might include sharing the daily realities of musical life, not just the shiny bits - practice, travel, early starts / late nights, backstage photos, friendships formed, and things you’ve encountered along the way that have inspired you or that your work has allowed you to discover (new cities, restaurants, artworks, venues…anything!). 

If you want to post some of your personal life too, go for it! You are a person as well as a performer. But remember to exercise caution - this is a public platform used for professional purposes - don’t say or post anything you might regret later. 

So before you post, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does this help build community?

• Does this feel authentic to me and my journey?

• Does this reflect how I want to be perceived by my peers and potential future employers?

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Some realism…and a little reassurance:

One of the biggest barriers I’ve encountered whilst working with professional musicians is - you guessed it - perfectionism. You’ve put years of training into the pursuit of flawless performances, and you’re often your own worst critic. When you hear yourself perform, you can only hear the mistakes.

If this is you, you’re not alone.

But social media is not a concert hall. It’s not an audition, or a competition. Try to think of it as a space to share your reality and everything that exists alongside the peak performance moments (though of course you should share those as well, so your community can celebrate with you).

It’s true that some of the people listening to you are trained musicians too, but remember, most listeners, even knowledgeable ones, are listening for what moves them. And even trained musicians also understand context. They know how difficult repertoire is and what rehearsal and performance really feel like. 

It can help to remember that not every post needs to serve the same purpose. A clean performance clip might speak most strongly to presenters or promoters, rehearsal footage often resonates with peers and engaged audiences, and glimpses of daily musical life help build connection and context. Over time, it’s the combination of these that creates a full picture of you as an artist.

If you’ve found this helpful and you’re wondering where to begin, Instagram is a hive of musical activity and a very good place to start. To give you a helping hand, we've created a Beginner's Guide to Instagram for Classical Musicians. Sign up to our monthly newsletter to get your copy today!

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