Link in bio for musicians: what to put there and how to track it

Your link in bio should lead with the one thing you most want fans to do right now, such as buy tickets for your next show or listen to a new release, followed by a sign-up for your mailing list, then your tour dates, music and merch. Keep it to a handful of clearly labelled options and change the top link with each campaign. Track it with a separate link for each platform and each button, so you can see which ones lead to sign-ups and ticket sales, not just clicks.

The link in bio is the clickable web link in your social media profile. For most artists it is the main bridge between people discovering you on social media and actually doing something: listening, joining your list or buying a ticket.

Key takeaways

• Put your current priority first: tickets during a tour, the release during release week, the presale list before an announcement.
• Always include a mailing list sign-up near the top. It is the link that keeps paying off after the campaign ends.
• Label buttons with specifics, like "Tickets: UK tour, November", not "Tour".
• Use a different tracked link for each platform and each button so you can see what works.
• Measure sign-ups and ticket sales, not just clicks.

What a link in bio is for

Most social platforms limit where you can put clickable links. Captions on Instagram, for example, do not make web links clickable, which is why "link in bio" became a standard phrase. Instagram now lets you add up to five links in your profile, and other platforms have their own rules about who can add a clickable bio link and how many.

Because space is tight, many artists point their bio at a single page that lists several links. Whatever you use, the job is the same: turn interest from a post into an action that matters.

What to put in your link in bio

In rough order of priority for most independent artists:

1. Your current campaign. Tickets for the next show, the new single, or a pre-save. Whatever matters most this week goes first.
2. Mailing list sign-up. "Get presale access" or "First to hear about new shows". This is the most valuable long-term link, because it turns a follower into a contact you can reach directly. See how to build an email list as a musician.
3. Tour dates. One link to all dates, ideally a page you control with each show's ticket link.
4. Listen. Your latest release or a smart link to all streaming services.
5. Merch. If you sell your own.

Five to seven options is plenty. Every extra button divides attention, and a long list of links makes the important ones harder to find.

Change the top link with your campaign

Your link in bio should not stay the same all year. Here is how it typically changes:

For releases, the pre-save step has its own tactics, covered in pre-save campaigns.

Link in bio page, multiple links, or your own website?

Whatever you choose, a page you control is worth having, because it lets you put a sign-up form right there rather than sending people elsewhere. A dedicated page for a tour or show, with dates, ticket links and a sign-up form, often works better than a list of buttons. See how to build a landing page for a gig or tour.

In Backline, you can build landing pages with a built-in sign-up form and create tracked links for each button and platform, so your bio link is also a place where fans join your list.

Making your link page work on a phone

Almost everyone who taps your bio link will be on a phone, often on mobile data. So:

• Make the first button the thing you want. Many people only look at the top of the page.
• Use clear, specific labels. "Tickets: Bristol, Leeds, Glasgow" is better than "Shows".
• Keep it fast. Avoid heavy videos and large background images.
• Put a sign-up form on the page itself rather than a button to another page. One fewer tap means more sign-ups.
• Remove dead links. An old pre-save or a sold-out show at the top tells fans the page is stale.

How to track your link in bio

Clicks alone tell you very little. You want to know which links lead to sign-ups and sales.

1. Use a separate link for each platform. Your Instagram bio, TikTok bio and YouTube channel should each point to the page with a different source, so you can compare them.

2. Add UTM parameters. UTM parameters are tags added to the end of a web link that tell your analytics where a visit came from. A typical set looks like this:

?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=bio&utm_campaign=autumn-tour

• utm_source is the platform (instagram, tiktok, youtube).
• utm_medium is the placement (bio, story, post).
• utm_campaign is the campaign (autumn-tour, new-single).

3. Track each button separately. Give every button on your link page its own tracked link, so you can see whether "Tickets" or "Presale list" gets more taps.

4. Use your ticket platform's tracking where available. Many ticketing platforms let you create tracking links or codes for each source. Use one specifically for your bio, so you can see which sales came from it.

5. Track sign-ups by source. Your sign-up form should record where each person came from, so "Instagram bio" shows up against their contact record.

What to measure

Check these after each campaign. If lots of people tap "Tickets" but few buy, the problem may be the ticket page or the price. If few people tap anything, the problem is upstream: your posts are not giving people a reason to visit.

Tell people what is there

"Link in bio" on its own is weak. Tell people exactly what they will find and which button:

• "Presale code for the November tour: first link in our bio."
• "New single out now, tap the link in bio to listen."
• "Last 50 tickets for Glasgow. Tickets link at the top of our bio."

You can also send people directly. Stories support link stickers, and if fans comment a keyword on a post, you can reply by DM with the link. The approach is covered in turning Instagram comments and DMs into ticket sales.

Common mistakes

• Leaving an old campaign at the top. A past release or sold-out show makes the page look abandoned.
• Too many links. Twelve buttons means none of them stand out.
• No mailing list sign-up. You get the click today but lose the fan tomorrow.
• Vague labels. "Music", "Shows", "Links" give people no reason to tap.
• Not tracking. Without separate links you cannot tell whether your bio sells anything at all.

Frequently asked questions

What should a musician put in their link in bio?

Lead with your current priority, such as tickets, a new release or a pre-save. Follow it with a mailing list sign-up, then tour dates, music and merch. Keep it to five to seven clearly labelled links and update the top one with each campaign.

How many links can I have in my Instagram bio?

Instagram allows up to five links in your profile. Many artists still use one link to a page with several buttons, because it works the same way on every platform and is easier to track. Whichever you choose, put your most important link first.

How do I track clicks on my link in bio?

Use a separate link for each platform and each button, and add UTM parameters so your analytics shows where visits came from. Also use your ticket platform's tracking links where available, so you can see which sales came from your bio. Track sign-ups by source too, not just clicks.

Is a link-in-bio page better than my own website?

A link-in-bio page is quick to set up and update, while a page on your own website gives you your own domain, branding and full tracking. A good middle ground is a simple landing page you control, with your current campaign at the top and a sign-up form built in. The important thing is that it loads fast on a phone.

Should my link in bio go straight to tickets?

During an on-sale or the final weeks before a show, yes, tickets should be the top link. At other times, a mailing list sign-up is usually more valuable, because it lets you reach that fan when the next show is announced. Change the order to match your campaign.