Instagram is an amazing platform to connect with fans and post updates. And your Instagram bio is a crucial part of your profile. With your bio, you have the opportunity to encourage potential followers to learn more about your work or to follow you on other social media platforms.
Instagram bios for musicians should be concise and engaging. A good bio should give the audience a sense of who you are and what you stand for. Don’t include unnecessary information in your bio that might distract from what matters most: your music!
Be descriptive to let people know what your music is about. Construct a mental image for your audience by using descriptive adjectives and evocative verbs.
And think about this: What makes you unique among the many musicians out there? Why should people listen to your music?Â
Why an Instagram bio is important?
A good bio is important to let viewers know who you are and what do. Having a short and interesting bio can make even a random viewer into a potential fan. Notifying your fans about your official account is equally important. Fake and unofficial accounts are everywhere. It is therefore vital to have an engaging, professional, and informative bio. Make it clear that this is the definitive guide to who you are and where to learn more about you.
Whether you’re just starting out in the music industry or have been playing for years and want to polish your bio, it’s important to think about what makes a good musician bio.
What makes a good musician bio?
It’s important to make this a showcase for your personality and features, but don’t spend days on it. Try to keep it simple. Make your point without using fluffy words. Try to write as you would talk to a friend. Put your personality into it. Humor can help a lot.
An effective bio can be designed in many ways. Here are some of the different ways you can craft an amazing bio that helps you grow as a musician.
Album/Single/EP Release
Journalists and publishers can help get the word out about your new release, but don’t forget that your Instagram bio is a free and effective way to let your followers know about new music. For example, when country-pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her single Red (Taylor’s Version) she featured it on her bio. In addition, Swift also has a link-in-bio ‘website’, which I’ll talk about a bit later.
Website / Link-in-bio website
I get it, you’re a musician, not a web designer. You should, however, include the URL of your website in your Instagram bio (as long as it’s not a hot mess). The thing is, you do not own your social media profiles, but you do own your website.
In most cases, when people search for you online using Google search or another search engine, they see your website first. Websites can either be jam-packed with information or they can be simple landing pages. The choice is yours. It can demonstrate to fans, labels, and managers that you’re serious about your career and your craft-and that matters a lot in this industry.
Singer-songwriter and Nickelodeon Actress, Ariana Grande, includes a link to her beauty product website in her Instagram profile. But she could also use this link for her artist portfolio or to sell music downloads. A link-in-bio or portfolio can be used as an alternative to your website if you don’t yet have one.
Live Stream Account
Let people know you are on Twitch and other Livestream platforms by showing the URLs or account handles on your profile. For maximum popularity and reach, set up an account on every relevant platform, and by relevant I mean wherever your potential fans might be. If you’re a drum & bass artist, there’s little point in creating a profile on a death metal streaming platform.
Engage your fans by streaming a Livestream! They’ll love hearing those shout-outs.
Superbly-named emo and pop punk band, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus pack their live stream info into their Insta profile. By the way, their fans respond to their Livestreams, you can tell how important this channel is to them.
Email for Collaboration/Booking/Inquiries
You know how you’re always looking for new opportunities to collaborate? One of the best ways to do that is by adding your email address to your Instagram bio. When other artists and music companies see it, they’ll be able to contact you with formal music project proposals—the kind that actually has a chance of happening!
It’s worth mentioning (again) that your email list is wholly under your control. Social media companies like Meta (Instagram & Facebook) and Twitter have the ability to terminate your account and block your contacts. When you have complete authority over who can send you emails and who can read your mailbox, you have truly achieved independence. Make sure one of the few ways people can reach you is one that you control.
Check out folk singer-songwriter, Moira Dela Torre‘s bio on Instagram.
Uniqueness
Describe what sets you apart from other musicians. What makes you, your life story, or your music special? What sets you apart from everyone else. Differences are what people recall most clearly. Uniqueness is a huge marketing factor.
There are many methods to express your individuality beyond the ones we’ve included here. Check out the biography of Gerphil Flores, the German-Filipino opera singer who finished second in Asia’s Got Talent 2015. She also revealed the story behind her name, which serves as a symbol of her heritage.
Versatility
Speaking of uniqueness, Filipino musician Unique Salonga has shown versatility as a musician and painter. That’s an example worth following: What else can you do? What other skills can you combine with your music-making abilities?
If you’re a music producer and a bassist, tell your followers! They’ll love being able to follow an artist who has a lot of talent in different areas. Other skills you could mention are writing, acting, and design.
Lyrics / Quotes
Fans can be really receptive when they see their favorite artists using lyrics in their bios, and they’ll start opening up to you too. They might even tell you how they feel when they read those lyrics on your bio. They must be important words if they’re front-and-center, right?
You can learn a lot from how your fans react to lyrics that you ‘force’ them to read. Some artists use quotes to be expressive, poetic, and catch the reader’s attention.
Pop-rock singer-songwriter, Michelle Branch, shows her poetic personality not just in her songs but also in her bio.
Hashtag/s
Share your hashtag with visitors to your profile. Your featured hashtag will be used by your fans and promote your profile in the Explore section. Fan-based and unofficial accounts will also use these hashtags to keep your content trending. One to two hashtags are enough. Our example is the Irish rock band The Script. They used #TheScriptFamily
Mentioned Accounts
Other accounts, as well as bandmates, managers, and others, can also be in your bio to help boost follower growth. It is also good for future collaborations because other artists and music companies will know who else will they contact for a music project. Our example is Ohio-based rock band Relient K, famous for “Who I am Hates Who I’ve Been“. They featured an Instrument Shop and the vocalist’s account.
Official Statement
This is only used if the artists have too many unwanted unofficial fan accounts and posers who are pretending to get followers. Our example is Oklahoma-based singer-songwriter Carrie Underwood. She has many unofficial fan accounts.
Personal Interests
If you’re looking for some great Instagram bio advice, then staying simple is often the best way to go. You might think that being ordinary would make you less successful, but sometimes it’s actually the opposite. Just like you’re telling your fans that you’re a normal person but secretly a superstar. If you’re a coffee lover, then your fans who love coffee will probably react to most of your posts.
“Let It Go” Singer Actress showed simplicity in her bio as she shared her personal interest.
Instagram Bio Examples by Genre
Here are examples of musician bios by genre.
Pop
“New Rules” singer-songwriter, Dua Lipa, has hit 2.6B views on Youtube. This pop contralto’s bio has an Album Release mention, a shout-out to another account and a link to a website.
Soul
“Hello” and “Rolling in the Deep” singer-songwriter, Adele, has just one website link in her bio. She is already well-known enough that she does not need to provide more details in her Instagram bio. Feel free to design your bio this way if you like the minimalist look. However, I’m assuming you’re not as famous as Adelle. So maybe make it easy for your fans and include some more details.
R&B
“Miss Independent” singer, Ne-Yo has 4 things in his bio such as Single Release, Link-in-Bio Website, Mentioned Account, and Versatility. Although his bio is so short, the important things are there to keep it informative.
EDM
“Clarity” EDM producer, Zedd, is also a DJ and songwriter. He also collaborated with Hayley Williams, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and other artists. On his bio, he posts his new album and website details.
Hiphop & Rap
There is so much versatility in “Hotline Bling” artist, Drake’s style of hip-hop music. He is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and actor. But he chose to feature other accounts for follower growth and popularity.
Rock
If you like pop-punk, pop-rock, alt-rock, emo-pop, and emo, then you will love Mayday Parade. They have both an album release and a featured single for promotion.
Metal
If you like Goth, Metal, Alternative Metal, Nu Metal, and Symphonic Metal, then you will love the metal band Evanescence. The Instagram bio features a mention of their new album and includes a link-in-bio website.
Theatre
Who could forget the iconic and sexy voice actress of “Megara” of Disney’s Hercules? you might not be aware that Susan Egan is a theatre actress famous for Broadway’s “Belle” back in the ’90s. She is also the voice of “Rose” in Steven Universe. Check out her well-designed and comprehensive bio.
Classical
“Queen of the Night” opera singer, Diana Damrau is so iconic with her performance in the Royal Opera House in 2018. Her bio is complete with Official Statement, Uniqueness, Mentioned Accounts, when Tours, and Interests.
What not to write – Too many emojis & irrelevant content
Now you don’t have to write like this. I just wanted to remind you that it’s not professional. An irrelevant, wordy, and over-decorated bio won’t attract music fans. Fans only care about what you do and your music.
Only write about music-related topics, brief interests, and details. If you become famous, journalists may ask about your personal life, but you don’t have to share irrelevant information with your fans.
Link-in-Bio Tools
The term “link in bio” refers to a tool that can turn a single link, which is allowed by Instagram, into a landing page that can contain as many links and other types of media as you wish. Think of it as a single-page website that contains links to all of your accounts on various music platforms and social media sites, among other things. It is not your personal website; rather, it is merely a collection of all the important links that you have.
Links in bio can be a great addition to a published website. You will need these tools if you have a collection of social media accounts and music publishing platforms that you want your viewers to know about. The following are some link-in tools you can use:
1) ContactInBio
Features:
- Multiple Links such as Social Media accounts
- Customizable Design
- Music section
- Contact features like Messenger and Contact form
- Payment Links
- Premium features: Add images, videos, image carousels, email sign-ups, custom form, sell sections such as Instagram shoppable feed
Prices: The Starter plan is Free. For Business, it is $4.55.
2) Taplink
Features:
- Custom domain
- Lead form capture
- Email marketing platform integrations
- Instant Messenger integrations
- Link and page click analytics
- Contact form
- Integrated payment systems
Prices: Free plan. Pro plan costs just $24 / year
3) Sked Social Link In Bio
Features:
- Automatic publish posts
- Social Media Analytics
- Chrome Extension
- Hashtags and Tags
- Foresight your future content
Prices: $25 per month
4) Linktree
Features:
- Remove the Linktree Logo
- Customized Background
- Scheduled Links
- Clicks and Views Analytics
- Redirect Link
- Mailing List Integration
- Prioritize Links
- Change Font and Font Color
Prices: $5 per month
5) Shorby
Features:
- Shortens your URL
- Templates
- Auto update links with the latest content from website (dynamic feeds)
- Support for messenger services
- Google Analytics
- Custom domains (Pro plan)
- Customizable background, layout, themes
Prices:
- Rocket: $12
- Pro: $24
- Agency: $82
Frequently Asked Questions
What to consider when choosing a bio link tool?
- Unlimited Links: Find a link-in-bio tool that lets you place unlimited links.
- Design: Make your site beautiful and attract viewers
- Other features: Like adding GIFs, headlines, and traffic also demanded by users
- Subscription Plans: Some tools have their monthly subscription. It’s up to you if you’ll be using free tools or a paid plan for better features.
How long should a bio be?
An Instagram bio should only contain 150 characters. It is longer than a Facebook bio which contains only 101 characters but shorter than a Twitter bio with 160 characters. This is why you should choose the important things in your bio and not the irrelevant ones.
How do I make my Instagram profile more attractive?
Other than a professional bio, post high-quality pictures with beautiful colors, video reels, and short song previews. You can also post about your behind-the-scenes on Instagram and fans will be interested in your music. Also, connect with your fans to let them know you appreciate them.
