
How Social Media Burnout Affects Musicians With TikTok and Instagram in place as career-making platforms, artists need to learn when its time to log off.
By
Bryan Parys
September 9, 2022
Image by Kelly Davidson
While many musicians daydream about touring the world, the reality and challenges of touring life are well-documented. One doesnt need to read too many interviews with famous bands to catch anecdotes about the levels of exhaustion that can exist alongside the allure of stage lights, green rooms, and adoring fans. Thats why tours are scheduled with breaks and nights off-the need to slow down or pause for self-care is built in.
Social media engagement on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have become a new kind of touring, in the sense that they provide direct point of access between artists and audiences. Emerging artists are constantly trying to create that elusive viral moment, while established artists work hard to maintain their momentum. What was once an artist's choice to be digitally present has become a nearly universal expectation.
But the lines separating online from offline are notoriously blurry-as a creator, there is pressure to create infinite content to populate the infinite scroll. In fact, theres a strong chance that many musicians are using their nights off from tour to work on their next TikTok video. Enter the idea of digital burnout-the exhaustion and mental strain that can plague the extremely online.
Christopher Wares
Christopher Wares, assistant chair of the Music Business/Management Department, says that social media management is both an art and a science, and becoming proficient can be a steep learning curve. Below, Wares discusses digital burnout and, much like dealing with many kinds of mental health issues, how self-care and awareness go a long way toward maintaining a healthy balance.
While the term digital burnout sounds somewhat self-explanatory, could you help explain what it means in the context of musicians? Social media has become the primary means of building and maintaining a fanbase, driving streams and sales, music discovery, as well as unlocking marketing and financial support from labels and brand partners.
Digital burnout in this context refers to the mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion as a result of prolonged stress and pressure to constantly create social media content, in addition to all of the other responsibilities of being a professional musician (e.g., songwriting, recording, production, performing live, going to school, working at a job, promoting new releases, etc.).
The reality is that artists can create and publish content that is authentic to their brand and aligned with their values without having to use features or participate in trends that go against those.
- Christopher Wares, assistant chair of the Music Business/Management Department
This kind of burnout affects artists at every level or stage in their career. Emerging artists need to be active on social media to start building their fanbase, as well as experiment with different types of content to develop their brand, persona, and even sound. It can also play a key role in helping them advance to the next stage of their career. TikTok reported that in 2020 alone, over 70 artists that broke on the platform received major label deals.
Established artists need to stay engaged on socials to interact with their fans, stay relevant, and most importantly, promote releases. Moreover, a roundtable discussion organized by the Music Managers Forum in 2022 revealed that many labels are now using social media follower and engagement statistics to determine marketing budgets.
In your experiences with students, what are some examples/indicators of digital burnout that you've observed? Youd be surprised how many students I talk to that have voiced concerns about this issue. Some factors that have led to digital burnout have included ineffective time and priority management, not setting healthy boundaries, not seeking support, engaging with cyberbullies or online trolls, ineffective use of tools, lack of work-life balance; poor health habits (e.g., sleep, diet, exercises), etc.
Other indicators Ive noticed have been not posting on social media for long periods of time, deleting profiles (or even apps), severe anxiety about posting, extreme fatigue and lack of motivation, rationalizations about how TikTok or Instagram does not align with their values or artistic integrity, focusing on aspects of their career that are not generating any tangible results (a false sense of productivity), etc.
How would you describe the growing relationship between labels and social media platforms, particularly TikTok? TikTok has become an extremely powerful platform for music discovery, streaming, promotion, and fan engagement (for artists at every level). Labels are now evaluating whether or not to sign a new artist-as well as determining the marketing budgets for signed artists-based on number of followers or uses of music in user-generated content.
TikTok describes itself as occupying a central place in the creation, consumption, and interpretation of modern music. [It] is a playground where artists and creators can interact, combining their unique sensibilities and talents to propel trends to the forefront of culture.
The result therefore has been increased pressure-either self-imposed or from labels/management-to be active on these social media platforms and constantly create new content.
Some artists (and managers) have begun to speak out about the pressure to create viral moments on a regular basis. How realistic are these expectations? Much like there is no magic recipe for producing a hit song, the same is true for creating viral moments. The vast majority of songs released do not become hits, nor do the vast majority of social media campaigns go viral.
More from Berklee
03/07/2025
Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Al...
02/07/2025
Boston Conservatory and the Sphinx Organization Join Forces to Make Classical Ed...
30/06/2025
Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert The celebration will be held on July 10 in Perugia, Italy.
By
Colette Greenstein
June 30, 202...
27/06/2025
How Two Berklee Alumni Landed Songs in the Oscar-Winning Film Anora Joseph Capalbo BM '12 and Lyusi Simon BM '16 share how their collaboration spanned...
26/06/2025
Berklee in Puerto Rico 30th Anniversary Celebration Culminates in Awarding $3.74...
25/06/2025
Study Reveals Stark Gender Gap in Jazz Education A new report from the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and researcher Lara Pellegrinelli finds th...
25/06/2025
Jazz at the Fort Returns, Featuring Yoron Israel and High Standards The performance is part of Berklee's Summer in the City concert series.
By
Kelly Won...
19/06/2025
Chelsey Green Makes History as Recording Academy Board Chair The violinist, violist, vocalist, and Berklee professor is the first Black woman and youngest per...
18/06/2025
Bostons Dear Summer Mixtape Vol. 3 Features Berklee Artists, DJs, and Producers Created by Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainm...
13/06/2025
Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Recognized by the Music Biz A...
13/06/2025
On Chick Coreas Birthday, a Newly Uncovered Archival Release The Visitors, composed by Corea and performed by vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Kirill Gers...
11/06/2025
Boston Conservatory Heads to Tanglewood This Summer Student dancers and musicians from Boston Conservatory at Berklee will debut a new work by choreographer K...
10/06/2025
Berklee Professor Regie Gibson Named First Poet Laureate of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey honored Gibson as the inaugural Poet Laureate for the state in...
10/06/2025
Summer Songwriting Programs: Boston or LA? Berklee Lets You Choose Your Coast Whether you head east or west, Berklee offers aspiring songwriters the chance to...
07/06/2025
Berklee Professor's Fulbright Project Addresses Suicide Loss Through Art Ray Seol's cross-cultural production Another Season draws from personal grief...
05/06/2025
Bob Clearmountain to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commence...
04/06/2025
Betsie Becker Named Executive Director of Berklee NYC A veteran arts and education leader, Becker brings a strategic vision for academic innovation and commun...
03/06/2025
Antonio S nchez '97 to Deliver Keynote at Berklee College of Music's Gra...
03/06/2025
Alf Clausen, Composer for The Simpsons, Dies at 84 Alf Clausen '66 won two Emmys during his 26-year career on the iconic animated series.
By
Tara Bellu...
30/05/2025
How Musicians Can (and Should) Use AI-According to Berklee Experts At Berklee's first AI and Music Innovation event, artists and educators explored how ar...
30/05/2025
The Most Underrated Hip-Hop Producers, According to J. Rawls The producer whos worked with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, the Roots, and Common, joined a panel on camp...
23/05/2025
Berklee Global and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Host Emerging Talent Intensi...
23/05/2025
Berklees 2025 Commencement, Through the Lens of a Graduate Photographer Matthew Ryu shares a look at Berklees 2025 commencement from a graduates POV.
By
Ma...
22/05/2025
Berklee Online Holds Annual Berklee Onsite Music Conference May 30-31 Kamilah Marshall, a backing vocalist for Taylor Swift, will give the keynote presentatio...
22/05/2025
Music Marketing: 5 Practical Strategies for Independent Artists Five ways help you build visibility, engage your audience, and grow your fanbase-including one...
20/05/2025
From Death Becomes Her to Dead Outlaw, Boston Conservatory Actors Are Killing It...
19/05/2025
Berklee's Summer in the City Returns with Free Concerts Throughout the Bosto...
16/05/2025
Berklee Announces Jonathan Mahoney as the New Dean for Pre-College, Online, and ...
15/05/2025
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara at Commenc...
15/05/2025
John Yao Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship for Interactive Jazz Project The Berklee professor and trombonist will debut Let's Make Some Noise, an immersive bi...
13/05/2025
Berklee Artists Take Center Stage at Top Music Festivals Thanks to the Berklee Popular Music Institute, students will perform at Lollapalooza, Governors Ball,...
12/05/2025
Building a Home Recording Studio? Here's What You Need. Experts break down the home studio setup and share tips to create a pro-level recording space on a...
11/05/2025
Berklee Honors Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles at 2025 Commencement This years honorary doctorate recipients were recognized for their profound influence as art...
10/05/2025
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2025 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
09/05/2025
Berklee Online Signs Transfer Articulation with Conservatorio Nacional de M sica The new agreement allows CNM students in the Dominican Republic to transfer i...
09/05/2025
Berklee Popular Music Institute Announces UK Festival Debut and Tour Dates For the first time, BPMI will bring Berklee-affiliated artists and students to the ...
08/05/2025
Student Spotlight: Grigori Balasanyan The Armenian composer, who was named Boston Conservatory at Berklees 2025 student commencement speaker, talks about his ...
02/05/2025
Students, Alumni, and Faculty Represent Berklee at International Computer Music ...
02/05/2025
Four Boston Conservatory Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards Fifteen alumni from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music contributed to nomin...
30/04/2025
Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara to be Honored at Boston Conservatory at Berklee&...
30/04/2025
Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee College ...
25/04/2025
Listen to Kim Perlak and Francisco Mela's New Album, Recorded in a Single Af...
24/04/2025
Berklee in Puerto Rico Program to Host 30th Anniversary Concert The event will feature Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning artist Miguel Zen n BM '98, cuatro...
24/04/2025
Detach Yourself from the Herd': Fito P ez Inspires at Berklee In a session hosted by the Mediterranean Music Institute, the influential Argentine musician...
23/04/2025
Berklee Abu Dhabi's Jazz Night Kicks off Global Celebration of Music and Cul...
19/04/2025
Berklee NYC and NYC Media Launch Season 3 of Inside Power Station @BerkleeNYC This season features faculty member Arun Pandian as the new host and interviews ...
18/04/2025
Berklee Student Yukai Yang Named 2025 Yamaha Young Performing Artist The drummer secured a spot among the elite winners in this years competition.
By
Maddie...
18/04/2025
Boston Conservatory Alums Bring Real Women Have Curves to Broadway The Latin American immigrant community takes center stage in a new musical featuring Tatian...
17/04/2025
In Return to Berklee, Lucius Looks Back and Moves Forward From mood boards to live demos, the alumni band gave students an exclusive look at the process behin...
17/04/2025
Edward J. Lewis III Named Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Lewis has more than 20 years of industry experience, leading fundraising initiati...