From symphonies to indie dance collectives, the way artists connect with their audiences is changing fast. This benchmark study breaks down what’s actually working on social media in 2024 for the music and performance arts space. Based entirely on one year of platform performance data, this report reveals clear engagement trends, top-performing content formats, and platform-specific strategies to help artists and arts organizations grow their reach.

Executive Summary

• Most effective platforms for building engagement and how to tailor content for each one
• Comparison of content types by performance across Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok
• Insight into the most frequently used post formats—and which ones actually deliver results
• Breakdown of content pillars that consistently outperform promo-heavy content
• Data-backed benchmarks that help you track fan growth, boost content performance, and refine your strategy

Averages Across All Platforms

Zooming out across all platforms, the differences in performance are sharp and revealing.

TikTok leads by a wide margin in average engagement rates, especially for smaller pages. Accounts with fewer than 5K followers hit up to 44.8% engagement by followers and averaged 89K video views, making TikTok the clear leader in fan engagement strategies for musicians. Instagram follows with strong engagement for mid-sized pages (10K–50K), averaging 5.2% by followers, especially when strategically using carousels and single images.

Facebook and X show significantly lower engagement, hovering around 0.4–0.5%, but still offer value when content properly aligns with platform behavior. Facebook, in particular, sees strong performance from video content on larger pages, while X performs best with snackable visual posts like GIFs and photos.

Engagement Rates by Content Type (Per Platform)

When it comes to engagement, format is everything, and not every post type performs the same.

Facebook

Video is the clear leader. While photos and albums account for most content, they underperform significantly. Video posts consistently pull the highest engagement, especially for pages in the 50K–100K range. Other formats, like music posts and links, offer minimal return. This shift underlines the growing importance of music video marketing on social platforms.

Instagram

Carousels slightly outperform Reels and images, especially for mid-sized accounts. Reels are the most common, but engagement drops when used in excess without a narrative structure. Video, despite being underused, delivers the highest engagement per post at 5%. This platform rewards variety and strong visual storytelling, key for Instagram benchmarks for musicians.

X (formerly Twitter)

Engagement is modest across the board, but certain content types break through. Photos and GIFs outperform other formats, while video content contributes little. Status updates still see moderate interaction, especially when tied to community-driven or live event themes. Think conversational—not commercial. A key space for X benchmarks for performers.

TikTok

It’s no contest—video dominates both in volume and performance. Engagement is particularly high on posts tied to emotionally resonant themes like rehearsals and announcements. Carousels are barely used, but show similar engagement when tested. If you’re measuring TikTok engagement for music artists, this is where to look.

Post Formats by Volume (Per Platform)

What creators are posting most isn’t always what works best—and here’s the proof.

Facebook

Photos account for 30.7% of posts, with albums close behind at 17.9%. Yet video, which only makes up 22.9%, outperforms across all engagement metrics. Reels are also underused at just 14.6%, despite strong potential. For brands still stuck in photo-heavy routines, this is a missed opportunity.

Instagram

Reels dominate at 42.7% of all posts, followed by carousels (28%) and images (22.8%). However, video makes up only 6.5% of content, despite its superior engagement rate. There’s clear room for growth here, especially for creators looking to scale musician follower growth metrics.

X (formerly Twitter)

Photos (29.5%) and links (26.4%) lead the way, though the latter contributes little to engagement. GIFs and status updates have low volume but stronger interaction, while video underperforms. There’s untapped value in revisiting low-volume formats with proven effectiveness.

TikTok

Video accounts for 98.9% of content, and with good reason. Carousels make up just 1.1% of posts but show surprising promise. Still, TikTok is built for video-first content, making it the top choice for live streaming benchmarks for music artists and performance-driven reach.

Top Content Pillars (Per Platform)

The themes you cover matter just as much as the formats you use. Here’s what content analysis reveals about top-performing topics:

Facebook

Behind-the-scenes footage leads the pack, followed closely by New Releases and Artist Spotlights. Live Performances and Dance Contests also perform well. This reflects a clear preference for authentic, process-driven content that fans connect with emotionally.

Instagram

Artist Spotlights take the lead here, driving 6.8% engagement on average. Dance Contests, Music Video releases, and Fan Engagement also rank highly. These findings reflect how behind-the-scenes content for performers and visually rich storytelling fuel community interaction.

X (formerly Twitter)

Top pillars include Costume & Set Design, Live Performances, and Behind-the-Scenes content. Community-centric themes continue to outperform polished promos, reinforcing X as a place for conversational, timely content.

TikTok

Event Announcements dominate with 13.8% engagement, followed by Dance Contests, Behind-the-Scenes moments, and Merchandise engagement. TikTok isn’t about perfection—it’s about personality, making it ideal for indie artists who want to grow their fan base fast.

Ready to download the full report?

The full PDF includes performance benchmarks, content breakdowns, and strategy insights—all tailored for the music and performance arts sector.

Whether you’re marketing a local theater company or managing a classical artist’s digital presence, this report gives you the tools to benchmark performance, refine your strategy, and grow your community.

Download the PDF now and see how your social media presence stacks up.