Recently, I’ve seen more and more artists from different art forms complain on Instagram about how social media has become a treadmill.
In the words of this painter:
Artists aren’t tired of making art. Artists are tired of all the extra shit. The need to explain. The need to post. The need to be visible. The distorted little dance of trying to remain authentic to the art, while turning yourself into a visual snack people quickly consume between stops on their scroll roll.
In this article, I’ll explore – from the perspective of a house and techno producer and DJ – how to get people to notice your music these days without burning out.
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Why social media is an uneven playing field
In a post titled “The Algorithm Is Killing Art,” this India-based singer highlights an interesting point.
She states:
Artists today compete with content creators. The algorithm is forcing artists to compete on a treadmill designed for 15-second attention spans with content creators who can churn out content at a rapid speed.
Which means that people whose primary occupation is creating content set the standards for everyone else seeking visibility in an overcrowded marketplace.
It’s an uneven playing field for artists to compete in because most of their time should be dedicated to creating art and not “content”, right?
She continues:
Quantity is more important than quality. Algorithm rewards accounts posting many times a week. But artists need space and time to create music. Art cannot hurry.
I think that sums up the dilemma perfectly that artists face today.
Another problem is the type of posts that seem to be required to be competitive on Instagram and similar platforms.
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Content formats that annoy me
These days, whether you’re a DJ or a producer, you’re expected to “perform” in front of the camera and produce visually appealing content.
DJs are told to have a “stage persona” and are expected to interact with the audience in exaggerated ways, such as waving their arms wildly or jumping around in the booth.
Whether DJs should be idolized “on stage” in front of the audience like musicians, or whether they’d be better off doing their job somewhere on the edge of the dance floor, is also a question.
I would argue in favor of the latter …
The problem is that media like Instagram or TikTok create a demand for visual content that didn’t exist before.
Time and again, new content formats pop up, like the “head nodding producer,” most of which you didn’t know you needed.
And some people always jump on the bandwagon.
Until everyone thinks they have to make ridiculous videos of “performing” their tracks in the studio if they want to stay “relevant”.
Why a social media boycott isn’t the answer
Okay, the situation is bad. But what’s the alternative? Not posting any content at all?
How else are emerging artists supposed to get noticed these days?
If you’re not on Instagram, you barely exist in the eyes of many people.
The romantic notion of simply making music and then waiting to be discovered is an illusion with even more potential for disappointment.
Today, it’s easy to get your tracks onto streaming platforms like Spotify through a distributor.
But with 100k+ new tracks uploaded every day, the chance of being discovered there without drawing attention to yourself through promotion is as unlikely as hitting the jackpot.
If you’re an artist who wants to get noticed, there’s no getting around promotion.
The solution to the social media problem
Whether you like it or not, every up-and-coming artist is bound to create social media content these days.
That doesn’t have to be bad news though.
From my experience, creating content can actually be fun. But only if two conditions are met:
- You shouldn’t create content that you don’t feel comfortable with.
- You shouldn’t post content at a pace that will stress you out in the long run.
I believe these two points are the main causes of frustration among artists today:
Content you don’t feel comfortable with, created in a volume that isn’t good for you.
Find your way
There’s no shortage of self-proclaimed social media gurus who will tell you how often you should post different types of content.
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The general consensus is that the more you post, the better.
Besides, you have to show your face by shooting talking head videos.
Ignore all this shit.
If you enjoy talking into the camera, then do it. If you don’t, then don’t.
Most content formats today are designed for extroverts. If you’re more of an introvert, just steer clear of that kind of content.
If you can’t post more than twice a month without feeling stressed, then just post twice.
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Content formats for introverts
As I mentioned earlier, extroverts clearly have an advantage in today’s social media world.
They often find success with content that would make introverts cringe.
Luckily, there are still content formats that ambiverts (like me) or even introverts can feel comfortable with.
Just to name a few:
- Info-carousels (thoughts on the meta-level, tutorials, experiences, etc.)
- “Out Now” posts (showing release cover and/or rotating vinyl)
- Daily life pictures and videos (POV showing your workplace, events, cities, nature etc.)
- Work in progress pictures and videos (POV)
- Featuring other artists (e.g. presenting their records)
Chose your preferred type(s) of content and go for it.
Don’t spend too much time on creating stuff. You never know in advance what will go over well with the audience (the algorithm).
How to create content without risking burnout
First, consider which social media platform best suits your needs and personal strengths. I personally detest TikTok, so I don’t have a profile there.
Of all the platforms, Instagram is the one that suits me best.
Move on by defining the purpose that social media fulfills in your overall strategy as a house and techno artist.
I see my profile on Instagram as a showcase where I can feature my music. I can let people know about new releases or simply draw attention to my music.
Beyond that, I see Instagram as a place where I can interact with other artists and fans.
A great way to make content creation easier is to batch it. In other words, don’t just film, cut, and edit one video at a time.
Instead, try to create several pieces of content all at once in a single day, if possible. Then post them over the course of the next few weeks.
A simple editorial calendar takes the daily burden off your shoulders of having to wonder: “What should I post today?”
(Remember, you don’t have to post daily if this schedule doesn’t suit you.)
There is another aspect of social media that artists who have been active in the field for some time find particularly troubling:
The problem with reach & engagement on instagram
In particular, people who have been posting on Instagram for many years complain about low reach and/or engagement for their posts – compared to the past.
They blame the Instagram algorithm and claim that their own followers aren’t seeing the posts.
Instead, they say, it’s primarily non-followers who see the posts and rarely interact with them.
Based on my limited experience, I cannot confirm this phenomenon.
As of June 2026, I have just over 5,500 Instagram followers, and my posts receive an average of 900 to 1,500 views.
Sometimes the view count is higher, but it’s still far from going viral.
My audience is split roughly 50/50 between followers and non-followers when it comes to reels. For carousel posts, the ratio is closer to 65/35 in favor of the followers.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think it’s that bad for organic reach.
Anyway, it is what it is.
Don’t overestimate the numbers
One last point I want to make here:
Don’t place too much importance on the numbers (views, likes, shares, etc.)
Exception: Content that features boobs in any way generally performs well. Yes, that may not be politically correct, but it’s a fact 😉
Even if it’s just a handful of people at first.
It’s better to have a few real fans than a lot of followers who will forget about you as soon as they’ve scrolled past your latest post.
