Instagram Reels is the perfect place to post creative video content and engage with your audience on Instagram at the same time. If you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to Reels or have a whole team to do it for you, there are a lot of ways you can still create them with existing content you already have. From behind-the-scenes clips to easy memes, here are some easy ideas you have to try…
Easy Instagram Reels Ideas for Independent Musicians
Share UGC (User-Generated Content)
User-generated content is genuine interactions from your fans, authentically created on their own by their own merit. What’s better than that? Plus, you can use this content in your own content strategy by creating Reels from them. Whenever you play a show, there are tons of people with their phones out recording the moment. Those people are most likely going to post those moments online to document the experience. While onstage, remind everyone to tag you in their posts! You can even tell them you’ll be reposting some of them to encourage them to do so.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is to always ask permission to do so and give credit where credit is due. Don’t just assume everyone is down to be shared without asking.
Clips From Shows/ Touring
On tour, you’re already taking so many videos of the experience why not use some for Reels? Whether it’s backstage sneak peaks, meeting fans, a look into how you prep or during the show itself, these are all great pieces of content to make Reels out of. Not to mention you can repurpose these into TikTok’s, grid posts on Instagram or even on all your other platforms for months to come.
Music Video Previews
While you’re working on that new music video, take behind-the-scenes clips during the process. Even better, you can tease final cuts of the video by posting them as a Reel before the launch date. You can do this by using captions like, “Coming Soon… 👀” with the launch date worked in. You can even link to Spotify for presaves, YouTube premieres, or wherever else they can find your music once it comes out.
Static Photos to a Trending Audio
If you don’t have a video to post, don’t worry! You can create a Reel with static images and add your music over top for an aesthetic recap from your last show, meet-up, or whatever you want to share.
If you don’t see your song available and want to get your music on Instagram, our partnership with Facebook (which covers Instagram and other services) makes it easy. If you’re a Symphonic client, we upload your content into Facebook’s systems in order to scan for anyone using that same content. Then, your music is available for use on Instagram and Lip Sync Live, Instagram Stories and the like.
Answer Questions
One of the best parts about social media as an artist is having a direct line to engage with your community online, and authenticity is a pivotal driver in keeping that community healthy and thriving. Reels is a great way to respond to commonly asked questions from your fans that goes a bit deeper than a comment under a post. With this, you can ask on your Story what questions your fans have and make a Reel responding to each of them. This is also a great time to work in some personal stories from your life or insights into what you’re working on right now. The more genuine the better.
Memes
Now, who doesn’t love a good meme? If you’ve got a funny bone, show it off with a Reel. This goes hand in hand with the idea above about sharing more about yourself. Humor is a great way to connect with others, and it makes pushing out content more fun, for you and the fans. The best way to do these is to keep track of things you find funny and take notes as you see them. Then, curate versions of those memes to your own experience. Easy peasy.
Collaborate with Other Artists
One of the best ways to create more content is to divide and conquer. If you have any features on your latest album, consider making a Reel with them. Whether it’s a funny skit together or an acoustic version of your track, you have tons of options for what you can create as a team. It also gives both of you the chance to tag each other and reach their audience as well as yours.
We did a version of this when we collaborated with artists going to #SXSW this year. With these, we asked them fun questions, got to know them better and created interview style Reels for our own audience. Of course, we tagged them as well for them to share on their own feed. We had a great time working with them and they loved creating something new for their fans!
Turn Existing IG Stories Into A Reel
Reels have been proven time and time again to improve reach and engagement. If you already post stories on Instagram, you can use those as Reels as well. If you don’t have a lot of time to create something brand new, this is a great option.
Create a Lyric Video or Graphic
If you’re a great lyricist, consider creating Reels that show off your favorite lyrics. Whether it’s a video with text playing over top or a static image with the lyrics written out and your music playing in the background, this is another super easy way to make a Reel that’s bound to be shared.
In Conclusion…
Just because you don’t have a lot of time doesn’t mean you can’t still create great content! If you’ve been on the hunt for easy Instagram Reels ideas, we hope this got the creative juices flowing.
One of the most underutilized tools for networking in this industry are Facebook groups. Every day, tons of music industry-related groups are actively sharing knowledge within communities of like-minded individuals just like you. In these groups, you can ask for support, get advice, inquire about job opportunities and so much more. Here are some of our favorites…
Music Business Facebook Groups You Should Join
DIY Tour Postings
If you’re a musician planning a tour, DIY Tour Postings should be a staple in your bag of tricks. This one is a killer resource for those in need of gigs to play, opening acts, or even if you’re a talent buyer or scout looking for potential acts for your next show.
Last minute realizing you aren’t selling as many tickets to your upcoming show as you’d hoped? In here, you can promote yourself without censorship and they will help you to fill your concerts with people. This group is also full of seasoned tour vets who know the ins and outs of tour life and offer valuable advice for those who are new to the game.
Artist Managers Connect
Artist Managers Connect is a digital community of artist managers from around the world who are dedicated to sharing knowledge, advice, and opportunities in order to better serve our artists and the industry as a whole. Industry pros and newbies alike have a lot to gain from this group.
Everyone Knows Everyone In The Music Industry
Everyone Knows Everyone In The Music Industry is a group that has tons of cool music people who are all there to share information about jobs, gigs and opportunities in the industry. They have a rule about not sharing ads, so it’s the perfect place to see strictly great opportunities from like minded people. It’s a private group, but you can request to join right here.
Music Biz Besties
Calling out all the ladies in the crowd, this one’s just for us. Music Biz Bestiesis a private group for female musicians & industry leaders hosted and founded by Katherine Forbes. Katherine started the group with a love for networking and a yearning for a strong community of women all working together to turn dreams into reality.
In this group, you’ll have access to job opportunities, a community of music lovers just like you, and insights for how to make it in an industry that’s all about hustle and badass networking.
Nashville Music Industry
This Nashville Music Industry Facebook group is open to everyone who is in any way involved in the Nashville Music Industry. All you have to do is introduce yourself and let them know how they can help you! If you’re in Nashville, this is group is a must.
Symphonic Fam
Here at Symphonic, we’ve got our own FB group that fosters a supportive space for the indie music community to talk about the industry. Members can collaborate together to share knowledge on best practices, make valuable connections, and share related content. In Symphonic Fam, everyone is free to ask questions and share helpful tips and tricks with a supportive community of music industry peeps. This group is all about helping each other out by empowering independent musicians everywhere to do what they love.
Women Empowered Mentorship Program
In addition to out Symphonic Fam Facebook group, there’s also a group for our Women Empowerment Mentorship Program. The group is a community dedicated to empowering women and supporting each other on our professional journeys’. This group is a safe and inclusive space for women to network, connect, and uplift each other.
Here, you’ll find a platform for job postings, networking opportunities, and resources for personal and professional development. Our community members have access to exclusive content, including webinars, workshops, and guest speakers. Whether you’re looking for a mentor, seeking advice, or simply want to connect with like-minded women, this is the place for you.
If you’re an active social media user, then you don’t need to be told how important accurate image sizing is on socials. Social platforms change their preferred image sizing and formatting every year, so make sure to update yours accordingly! To help you out, here are the updated requirements for 2024…
Social Media Image Sizes for 2024
TikTok
TikTok Profile Photo Size: 20 x 20 pixels (minimum)
TikTok Video Size: 1080 x 1920
✨ PRO TIP: The ideal aspect ratio for TikTok videos is 1:1 or 9:16.
Facebook
Profile Photo:170 x 170 pixels
Stories: 1080 x 1920 pixels
Cover Photo: 851 x 315 pixels
Posts & Timeline Photos: 1200 x 630 (minimum 600 x 315)
Facebook Event Cover Photo: 1200 x 628 pixels (recommended)
✨ PRO TIP: To avoid any compression or distortion, upload a JPG or PNG file.
TikTok’s Music Tab is a great way to highlight your most popular tracks right on your profile for everyone to see. If you haven’t set yours up yet, here’s how to do it…
How To Set Up Your Music Tab on TikTok
About TikTok’s Music Tab
What was previously only available for artists with over 10k followers is now open for everyone! Adding a Music Tab to your TikTok profile allows you to display your most popular tracks or pin latest releases, giving you the ability to drive engagement to your music catalog and convert followers into fans, all from your TikTok profile.
How does it work?
Once you enable the feature, it will automatically populate your delivered music under the music tab, as well as unlock other music integrations like By Artist, Behind the Song, New Release Feature and a TikTok to DSP’s Add to Playlist feature. You’ll also see the “Artist” tag displayed on your TikTok profile.
To enable this feature, artists must do so via a mobile device by following this link.
So your fans are streaming your music and jamming away… Great! But what if you want more? Super fans will support you through thick and thin. Fostering deeper connections with your audience is a smart way to create a stronger fan base you can lean on throughout your career. Whether it be with a paid newsletter, exclusive merch, or a VIP subscription service, here’s how to convert casual fans into paying subscribers.
How to Convert Fans Into Paying Subscribers
Offer Something Worth Paying for
You have to think about what other artists in your genre are offering. For example, lots of artists offer early access to a new song, but if the song is going live to the public a couple weeks later, it’s not necessarily worth paying for in advance. Offer something uniquely exclusive, because everyone likes to feel special.
For example, you could start by simply mentioning your new subscription in an Instagram story. Mention an exclusive community that gets special treatment, for example: “… And we did a private concert for five of our fans, it was amazing… We even played them one of our unreleased songs.” Or offer other things like:
Online concerts
VIP virtual hangs
Features on social media (Instagram Live, Twitter shoutouts, etc.)
Access to unreleased music
Behind the scenes content
Autographed merch
Exclusive shit sells. Get creative with it! Think about things you’d want from your favorite artist and go from there.
Run Targeted Ads
Great advertising is a magical thing. Running targeted ads towards your current fanbase is a great way to reel in those who are already the most interested in your work.
Loyalty goes a long way. Give back.
Being a part of a community is a feeling like no other. Feeling connected and heard by your favorite artist is worth a subscription any day. When you get a new subscriber, do something special for them to show you care. Give back by promoting your subscribers on socials. Anything to create a personalized and thoughtful experience will do.
You could try something on social media like, #followbackfridays, where you follow back everyone who subscribes to your service that day. (That doesn’t mean tagging everyone in one post, by the way. There’s nothing personal about that.)
Record personalized thank you videos for subscribers via Twitter or Instagram.
Invite a couple fans to join an Instagram Live with you.
It’s important to show your subscribers how thankful you are for their patronage and actually put in the work. Because without them, where would you be?
Have a Social Media Strategy
Promoting your new service on socials is the best way to stay on top of everyone’s minds. Just don’t overdo it. Don’t harass your followers with a million posts a day begging for their interest. Keep it casual but consistent. Be engaging.
Having a great CTA works wonders, but you don’t want to overwhelm your audience. When in doubt, a simple “here’s what I’m doing, here’s why it’s awesome, and here’s why you’ll dig it” should do the trick..
Just be consistent, offer something they can’t wait to get their hands on, and always be yourself. Your fans will see your spark and naturally want a part of it. You got this.
Think you’re up to date with every new trend Instagram has to offer? With new updates launching left and right, it’s not your fault if you miss one or two! Here are some of my new favorite features that I definitely missed, but I’m glad I know about now…
Instagram Features Every Musician Should Use
Find Creators
Did you now that you can add brands to a preferred list so that when any of those brands are on the hunt for creators to work with, you will pop up first in their search? That way, brands get recommended creators who they know are already interested in working with them, and you have a better chance of working with a dream brand. Brands can also filter their search by follower count, age, location and gender to help them find exactly what they’re looking for.
As long as you have a creator or business account, you can access this feature.
Subscriptions
Back in 2020, Instagram launched a feature called Subscriptions. With it, you can earn consistent income by offering exclusive content and benefits to your most engaged followers at a monthly fee. These subscribers not only get exclusive content, but also the opportunity to connect with you on a deeper level through a plethora of unique features. Some of these include:
Exclusive Tab: This is a dedicated tab on your profile to save all that exclusive content like subscriber lives, feed posts, and Reels, giving your subscribers a hub to find everything in one easy access spot.
Subscriber Chats: With Subscriber Chats, you can add up to 30 people to connect and mingle with you through Messenger. This chat only lasts 24 hours, and you can let your fans ask whatever they want to know, share thoughtful comments, or even ask for advice. All you have to do is use the “join chat” sticker on your story and your subscribers can tap to join.
Partnership Inbox
When you’re a part of the creator marketplace on Instagram as a creator, brands that are interested in working with you can send you partnership messages. Once you get your first partnership message, you get access to a new messages folder just for those. To find these, just go to your main inbox on Instagram and tap Partnership messages. With this, you can keep track of all the brands who have reached out to you with opportunities and avoid missing anything important in your main inbox.
Reminder Ads
If you’ve got new music coming out, a big show coming up, or anything your fans are looking forward to, you can remind them of what’s to come with Reminder Ads. To do this, you can create a reminder ad for an Instagram post in Meta Ads Manager. Once you set this up, people will see an ad with a Remind Me button they can click which lets them opt in to receive reminders (specifically 3 of them before the day of your event).
Using this feature ensures people won’t forget to tune in to whatever you have in store, as well as increase the likelihood they’ll share your event with others! For new upcoming songs, tour dates, music videos, merch drops and more, this is a great tool for musicians big and small.
Reels Template
If you don’t have a ton of time to spend making Reels, using templates could be the perfect life hack for you. To use a template, all you have to do is:
Find the Reel you want to use.
Tap the three dots to the right.
Tap Use As Template
Click Add Template
Now, follow the steps to make it exactly how you want it.
Any time you find a Reel with a template you feel like you could use, save it! It’s save you time and energy so you can do what you really want to be doing… making music.
Merch Shop
When the pandemic started, Instagram announced Shops on Instagram to help creatives drive product discovery and make it easy for people to shop their products. As an artist, this feature is a great tool for driving merch sales right from your profile, in your feed, or through IG Stories.
To set this up, you’ll need to check these eligibility requirements to get started. You must:
Be located in a Supported Market.
Have an eligible product.
Comply with Instagram’s Merchant Agreement and Commerce Policies.
Own a website domain in which you intend to sell from.
If these all apply to you, you can start up your merch shop on Instagram!
Analytics Insights
This one is a given for anyone, but be sure to switch to a business or creator account to access insights about your audience, reach, and engagement! This data is the ultimate key to help you tailor your content to your audience’s preferences and optimize your Instagram strategy.
Interactive Stickers
Many of the interactive stickers you know and love from Instagram Stories are available on Reels, too! For example, try these out:
Poll: Poll your audience on what should happen in your next video so they can help shape the storyline themselves.
Quiz: Put your audience’s skills to the test (or teach them something new!).
Emoji Slider: Let your audience share how your content makes them feel with a sticker that makes their reaction even more powerful.
FB and IG Add Yours: Call on your community to participate in a trend you create using the Add Yours sticker, a Stories favorite, now available to use in your reels on Instagram and Facebook.
Grid Pinning
I’m sure you’re already using this one, but Grid Pinning lets you pin your favorite posts to the top of your profile. Not only can you pin your favorites, you can pin tour announcements, important updates, or anything you don’t want your fans to forget about.
Collaborative Posts
Do you have a new song coming out with one of your homies? Post about it together and build the hype with a collaborative post!
As the creator, you can invite another account as a collaborator, and if they accept, their username will be added to the post and the post will be shared with both your followers. Whether you’ve dropped a song with someone or going on tour with them, get the news out to as many people as possible by combining your efforts.
