Is Performing in Public the Best Music PR?
There’s a lot of people in the music industry who firmly believe that you need all the socials, a ton of followers, and a constant stream of content to get to the top. And that’s true – you do need all that if you want to build an audience online.
But think about the word “audience” for a sec. Are you thinking about a bunch of isolated individuals, spread around the planet, staring at their phones?
Or are you thinking of a crowd of people, dancing, listening, watching – sharing an experience together? Because that’s the literal, dictionary definition of the word audience; a gathering of spectators, sharing the same spectacle.
Performing in public has an impact that Reels and TikTok cannot match. It puts you on the map. It places you in the real world. It generates fans – real, tangible fans!
But besides building an actual living, breathing army of fans (who’ll come to more shows if they have a good time), performing in public boosts your online reputation and credibility – without you having to constantly be churning out “funny” videos and farming content. And why’s that important?
Because you want to be a musician, not an influencer.
Being an influencer, content creator, YouTuber, TikToker, whatever – it’s a full time job. Always Be Creating, but not the actual thing you want to create? That’s sacrificing your art for views.
Why not go all in on music instead? Take a guitar or some backing tracks out, and busk. Ask every venue that’ll have you for a support slot. Do open mic nights, gatecrash a battle of the bands, slip a few originals into your cover song repertoire – start being present in the real world.
Performing in public will get you noticed. People pay attention to talent. They will film it and upload it to their socials. They’ll do your content for you.
And by performing all the time, you’ll be conditioning yourself to become a top tier performer. After about 10 performances, you get into a stride; you fire on all cylinders, start building confidence, start loosening up and finding your flow. You get better at music.
And your now growing audience will notice.
The power of live connection
We are social creatures, not digital ones. We bounce off each other, thriving on connection. Live music has energy that matches our needs for social connection and collective interests. A real audience is one you can perform live to – who will feed off the energy, and send it back to you in a way that makes you feel powerful and reenergised.
Do you feel the same way after deleting and re-recording the same content for the 12th time that day?
No way. Social grinding isn’t for everyone. The organic, grassroots growth of live performance is built on genuine human connection, and creates a foundation that is far more stable and passionate than any fanbase built through viral luck.
And even record labels and industry observers still see live performances as the essential engine for authentic growth – because online metrics are easily spoofed with bots, and AI has made fools of us all when it comes to content generation.
But you can’t fake a real crowd bouncing to the music, seen with your own eyes. In the age of artificial everything, authenticity is a rare and valuable currency.
Go all-in on reality.
Finance and networking
So, you’ve got all the PR and content benefits from public performance – but it’s also a financial and networking goldmine for independent artists.
You get a cut of ticket sales, or set your own price. Busking gets you cash in a hat. You can physically sell the merch that has a decent markup you can live off. These revenue streams, however modest, are HUGE compared to the trickle of income from streaming. And you’re in control of it – not black box algorithms.
More valuable than cash though is the networking that happens at a gig. It’s where you’ll land a local support slot, your first festival appearance, a residency at a club, or even just a killer busking spot that’ll get you paid on the day.
The music industry is still a people business at heart. Playing a show puts you in the same room as venue bookers, sound engineers, producers, other bands, and dedicated music fans.
Shaking someone’s hand after a great set is worth a thousand cold emails.
These are the relationships that lead to your next career leap – a support slot with a more established act, a big collab, or an introduction to a local journo. The sound engineer might know a producer looking for new artists, or the last act might have been so impressed by you that they want to cut a record together.
These organic, in-person connections, built through shared experience and proven talent, is what lasting careers are built on.
But you need to be out there making them.
Forget the algorithm – you’ve got mail!
The truth is, a lot of artists are wasting their time chasing algorithms. If you’re not willing to be a 24/7 content creator, your limited reach on Instagram or TikTok is not going to make you a star.
And even if you nail the content game, your carefully built audience can vanish with the smallest change to the algorithm. Unless you want to pay to promote your posts, you’re set to fade into obscurity in the digital world.
We know we’ve given a lot of advice on music promotion on TikTok, YouTube, and all the other doomscrolling platforms. But in 2025, it’s all but out of your hands.
Want more reach? Play live, get filmed, and let the audience make your content for you.
Want more control over your digital communications?
Use email.
Big names have known for years that the way out of chasing the algorithm dragon is newsletters and email. An email list is a direct and owned line of communication – to a warmed-up, invested lead.
When you drop a new song, music video, or announce a tour date, you can tell them directly. No Instagram posts necessary. No more to-camera videos of you trying to flog your wares. Just a simple email that the recipient actually wants to get.
The conversion rates from a dedicated email list are consistently and significantly higher than from social media.
Okay – the stats in the links above are old. But the social media audiences have not come back. In fact, social media reach has shrunk even more in the last decade as is now essentially in the single digits of total audience percentage.
Live performances are the most effective way to build an email list – by taking email addresses at merch stands, giving out QR codes, or offering something in return for an email address (like exclusive content, discounts or custom content).
You need to think hard about how you use digital tools now. You simply can’t rely on the trillion-dollar social media machine to be on your team. Make your own luck.
It’s all in the mix
So, should artists abandon social media and only play live? No – that’s not what we’re saying! Social media obviously has its uses, but it’s either your full-time job, or you are so noteworthy that the algorithm loves you.
Use the power of live performance as the bedrock of all you do. Use digital tools to amplify its impact. And let your audience speak for you online. This is one of those cases where you can be reactionary instead of proactive – and just ride the wave your fans make for you.
Use their content to fill your own feed and shout them out. Use it to drive traffic to a specific landing page, where fans can join your email list. Announce your next live shows, share behind-the-scenes moments from on tour, and express genuine gratitude to the people who came out.
Your digital presence should be the mirror held up to your real-world journey.
Your authentic story. Show the world that you are an active, engaging, and talented performer worth investing time and money in.
Performing in public is the best music PR, because it’s real.
In a time when more people are questioning the authenticity of the digital content they consume, real experiences are more valuable than they’ve ever been.
Give them what they want – and do it for real.
Urban Rebel – pop music PR
Urban Rebel does pop music PR for the most exciting emerging talent and established acts.
Contact us: call +44 (0) 161 298 6650 or send your message to [email protected].