For over 25 years, social media has reshaped how we connect, share and discover—especially in the world of music. From Six Degrees in the late 1990s to MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, social platforms have become deeply embedded in daily life and are accessible anywhere, right from our pockets.
Beyond casual communication, social media has fundamentally changed how brands and creators engage audiences, especially in the music industry. When MySpace became popular among 13 to 30-year-olds, it gave musicians a direct line to fans, bypassing traditional gatekeepers like record labels. Brands quickly caught on, leveraging influencer marketing and youth culture branding to align with their audience’s values.
By 2008, Facebook overtook MySpace with its focus on safety and reliability. Traditional ads began to fade and precise, targeted marketing took centre stage.
Today, social media is more powerful than ever, driving connection, discovery and creativity in the music industry and beyond.
How the Social Media Landscape Changed the Creative Industry
Before social media, creatives relied on forums and magazines to discover new gear, tips and industry news. With the rise of social media platforms, it became easier to access information, communicate with brands and stay informed.
As webcams, smartphones and digital files became widespread, creators could easily share how they crafted unique sounds, visuals or video techniques. Social media became a behind-the-scenes window, sparking curiosity and encouraging experimentation. This gave audio and music tech brands a clear advantage, as they could now showcase their products in both visual and audible ways.
Early adopters like Korg Inc. used social platforms as communication hubs, sharing firmware updates, demo videos and audio samples directly with customers. As new platforms emerged, they expanded their presence to connect with wider audiences.
Native Instruments built momentum around the launch of Maschine by creating engaging video tutorials and fostering community interaction. Their strategy helped form the Native Instruments Community, where users could share knowledge, feedback and workflows.
These examples show how social media has evolved from a simple networking tool into a strategic platform that drives creativity, product engagement and brand growth in the music technology industry.
How Social Media Helps Audio Engineers and Musicians Find New Gear
At Cadence Solutions, we conducted a quantitative study to understand how audio engineers and musicians discover new gear. Our research was divided into two parts:
1. Content Audit
We selected 10 organic social media posts across short- and long-form video, image and text formats. Each post was related to gear discovery or user-generated content.
Posts had to meet these criteria:
- Created by brands, creators or studio owners
- Featured a music tech instrument or pro audio product
- Included educational or informative content
- Contained at least 10 comments, with responses from the creator
- Hosted on platforms such as Reddit, Discord or Pinterest
Formats analysed included:
- Image posts with key product details
- Short-form videos demonstrating the gear in use
- Long-form videos exploring a specific feature or sound
- Text-based posts offering commentary or insight
We measured each post using two metrics:
- Engagement Rate by Reach – the percentage of viewers who engaged with the content
- Engagement Rate by Followers – the percentage of followers who interacted with the post
Key Findings:
- Engagement Rate by Reach averaged 3.81%, well above the industry benchmark of 1.2%
- Engagement Rate by Followers was harder to measure due to limited backend data. However, from two available examples:
- Instagram: 22.86%
- YouTube: 2%
- Combined average: 12.43%
These results highlight the power of high-quality organic content. Without any paid promotion, informative and authentic posts can still generate meaningful engagement. Musicians and engineers clearly trust what they see, especially when it feels honest.
2. Focus Group
We hosted a virtual session with 5 musicians and engineers to explore how they discover new gear.
The majority reported that social media is their primary source. However, a common concern was a lack of trust in influencer-brand partnerships. Many felt that influencers often repeated marketing scripts without offering genuine insight.
One participant summed it up like this:
“Influencers tend to regurgitate all the main features or new functions on a piece of gear. I can read the company website about the new stuff—just tell me how you use it and how to make awesome sounds.”
We know there are influencers doing excellent work, sharing deep opinions, testing gear thoroughly and teaching with care. But most respondents said they rely on three main sources before buying:
- Tutorial content
- Peers or colleagues showing how they use the gear
- Hands-on experience with the product
These findings reinforce what we’ve always believed: trust is built through clear, helpful and relatable content. Talk directly to your audience. Show them how your gear is used in the real world. That’s what cuts through the noise.
What Platforms to Choose?
With so many platforms to choose from, where should audio brands focus? Each offers different ways to reach and engage musicians and creators through visuals, tutorials, short-form video or direct discussion.
According to DataReportal (2025), 64.7% of the global population is active on social media—over 5 billion users, with 240 million added in just the past year.
Based on where creators are posting and users are exploring, here are our top five platforms for gear discovery:
- Users: 2+ billion
- Strengths: Single image posts, Reels (up to 90 seconds), carousels
- Why it works: 62% of users research brands here. Great for micro-tutorials, gear demos and behind-the-scenes content.
- Average daily usage: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Users: 3.07 billion
- Strengths: Text, images, videos, PDFs, event pages, groups
- Why it works: 53% of users research or follow brands here. Great for educational content and community building.
- Average daily usage: 1 hour 4 minutes
- Users: 1.8 billion
- Strengths: Short-form video, music-first content, trend-driven posts
- Why it works: 53% engage with brands. Ideal for showcasing personality, creative tricks or studio hacks.
- Average daily usage: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Users: 2.54 billion
- Strengths: Long-form and Shorts, reviews, tutorials, deep dives
- Why it works: 92% of users rely on YouTube for information. Great for building trust through educational content.
- Average daily usage: 1 hour 24 minutes
- Users: 712 million
- Strengths: Forums, niche discussions, earned media
- Why it works: 31% of users research products. Ideal for honest discussions in subreddits like r/synthesizers or r/audioengineering.
- Average daily usage: 21 minutes (but high-quality engagement)
Honourable Mentions
- LinkedIn – great for B2B marketing and thought leadership
- Discord – powerful for community building and direct access
- X (formerly Twitter) – useful for announcements and real-time engagement
- Pinterest – good for visual storytelling and lifestyle branding
Brands Being Active on Social Media
Based on everything we’ve explored, one thing is clear: brands must stay active across the platforms that suit their audience.
Not every platform is a perfect fit, but through creative, engaging and honest content, brands can generate valuable performance data and understand how their audience truly feels. This helps guide potential customers smoothly down the marketing funnel, transforming casual followers into loyal fans and advocates.
What Does It Mean to Be Active?
Here are five simple but impactful ways to stay active on social media:
- Post at least 3 times a week using varied content
Stay visible and consistent. Re-marketing can help reinforce your message and highlight what’s new. - Respond to comments on your posts
Whether it’s answering a question or saying thank you, engagement builds trust. - Turn long-form videos into short-form clips
A 10-minute demo or walkthrough can yield 10 to 20 short videos. It’s efficient and extends your reach. - Host AMAs (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit
This builds transparency and shows you’re open to real conversations with your community. - Feature your audience in your content
Today’s audiences are sceptical of influencer deals. Collaborate with real users—your loyalists—and let them show off how they use your products.
Ready to Take Your Social Media Strategy to the Next Level?
Looking for someone to manage, create or review your social media content?
Got an upcoming release and want help crafting engaging, memorable posts?
Cadence Solutions is here to help.
Let’s get you started with a free 2-hour consultation to explore how we can elevate your social media marketing and build stronger connections with your audience. Contact us today!
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