How to Promote Music on Instagram Broadcast Channels

Opening up new avenues for musicians to connect with their audience, showcase their music, and build a loyal fan base, Instagram Broadcast Channels is the latest feature to try and bridge the gap between artists and fans. We're here to delve into how you can - and should - use them to promote your music.

What are Instagram Broadcast Channels?

Launching at the start of 2023, Instagram Broadcast Channels is a relatively new feature that offers Instagram creators another avenue to communicate with their fans. This can be done through direct message broadcasts, written announcements, voice notes, polls, Q&As, and some other cool options. Previously only available to a select few, Instagram has now opened up the feature to all creators using the app.

Think of Broadcast Channels as your personal TV channel on Instagram. They essentially offer you an organised and separate space for you to share tour info, live performance clips, behind-the-scenes content, and any other music-related broadcasts that you might not necessarily want to share on your main socials.

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Loads of well-established and new artists have already started using Broadcast Channels and if you're serious about your music marketing and community development, you should too. If you're keen to join your favourite acts and start promoting your music brand on this platform, just follow the steps below and learn how to set up your own channel.

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How to set up your Instagram Broadcast Channel

First things first, you'll need to make sure you have an Instagram creator account set up. Users with personal and business accounts won’t be able to access the feature just yet so double check you’re all good to go.

Note: If you still can't see the option to create a Broadcast Channel, the feature might not be available in your region yet.

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1. Update your Instagram app 

Yes, it sounds basic, but you still need to check you’re using the most up-to-date version of Instagram. If you’re not on top of the latest updates, you’ll miss out on new features, potential music marketing opportunities and might not even be able to access the Broadcast Channels feature at all if your app is outdated.

2. Create your artist broadcast channel

To create your Broadcast Channel, head to your Instagram profile, and tap the "+ Broadcast Channel" option. You'll then be prompted to choose a name and profile picture for your channel. Keep these the same as your other social media profiles to maintain a consistent music brand image and avoid any fan confusion.

3. Start adding content 

Now you’re set-up, it’s time to start pushing your content. Start with a welcome post to let your fans know you're active on the platform. Try and include a mixture of content and some exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpses to get your fans engaged with your channel. We'll cover some exclusive features of Broadcast Channels in a minute.

4. Promote your channel 

Content posted. Now you need to let your followers know all about your new Broadcast Channel. Do this through posts, stories, and even collaborations with other artists across all of your socials. Promote your Channel's invite link across Twitter, TikTok, Reddit, Threads and of course Instagram. Stories is a perfect place to push your new channel too as you can link through directly from there.

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How to promote music on Instagram Broadcast Channels

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With your new Instagram Broadcast Channel ready to rock, let's take a closer look into how you can use the feature to effectively promote your music.

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Remember though, you’ll only be able to reach followers who have joined your Broadcast Channel - not your entire Instagram following, so worth keeping that in mind when promoting any news you want your whole fan base to see.

Communicate with your followers 

In Instagram’s own words, Instagram Broadcast Channels act as a “one-to-many messaging tool for creators to directly engage with their followers at scale.”

You’re able to communicate clear messages and CTAs for your fans without having your inbox overflow when everyone replies all at once. Think about using this feature when asking fans to pre-save your upcoming track or pre-order your latest merch drop on your website.

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Instagram Broadcast Channels give you even more formats to choose from to interact with your followers. On top of photos and text-based posts, you’ll be able to create polls to gather votes and feelings from your fans.

Your followers and fans will be able to react to content with emojis and participate in your polls. Polls can be particularly useful when deciding where to tour, building online excitement between fans, or even deciding which tracks to include on a release. Use them in whichever way you think you can generate the most fan engagement!

Behind-the-scenes content

You can also use Broadcast Channels to offer a glimpse into your creative process by sharing behind-the-scenes content. This can include news from rehearsals, album date speculation, or even your songwriting process.

Just like on TikTok and Reels, you should use your Broadcast Channel to provide exclusive content to your most dedicated fans. This could be early access to new songs, sneak peeks of music videos, or limited-time live sessions.

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Promotion & announcements

Broadcast Channels are a great place to announce your upcoming shows, album plans, or premiere your music videos. They offer a direct way for you to keep your fans informed and updated on all of your work - and for you to keep up with them.

You could also run and promote competitions on your channel - either Broadcast Channel-exclusive or further promotion of an existing campaign.

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Paul McCartney is already using his Broadcast Channel to chat with international fans and share pics from his global tour. If one of The Beatles is using it, then you might wanna think about it too.

Another useful feature of Broadcast Channels is the option to add collaborators. This means that more than one member of your band can control what's being broadcast - particularly useful if you want to delegate social media responsibilities to your band manager or social media team.

Monetise your music

Just like streaming on Twitch, if your Instagram Broadcast Channel gains a substantial following, you can explore monetisation options through sponsorships or exclusive paid content.

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If you're already making use of Instagram Subscriptions, then monetise things further and give your subs even more exclusive access to things.

You can also look to promote your music merchandise on your channel too to open up yet another revenue stream.

Whether you're an independent solo artist or a member of an up-and-coming band, Instagram Broadcast Channels offers another new and useful social tool to help you connect with your audience.

We expect loads more artists to join Broadcast Channels over the next few months, so get ahead of the curve, follow our guide and start promoting your music on Broadcast Channels right away.

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