The Artist's Guide to Instagram Live (Even If You Hate Being on Camera)

In a world where AI can fake everything, going live is the one thing you can't fake. And almost nobody's doing it. Want to join Patrick for a live webinar? He hosts one every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Register here: asf.today/webinar 100 million people watch Instagram Live every day, but the biggest studies in the industry don't even bother tracking it because so few creators use it. That's a massive opportunity hiding in plain sight. In this episode, I break down why Instagram Live is the most underutilized marketing tool for artists, how to get started with just your phone, and the advanced tools that let you level up when you're ready. In this episode: Why Live is the ultimate "proof of real" in the AI age The stats: 10x engagement, 3.5% post reach vs front-of-Stories-tray placement Why music's biggest artists are doing collabs nonstop (and how Instagram Live's guest feature is the same mechanic) The graduated fear ladder: Practice Mode, Close Friends, then Public Tactical: phone setup, pinned comments, scheduling, the 3-second hook The gear ladder from free to $36/mo How to go live from your desktop for free with Instagram Live Producer StreamYard and Restream for multistreaming and rebroadcasts Tools and resources mentioned: Instagram Live Producer (free — go to instagram.com, click Add Post, select Live) StreamYard (from $36/mo — browser-based desktop streaming + multistreaming) Restream (free plan available — multistream to 2 platforms, paid from $16/mo) Adam Mosseri on Instagram (@mosseri) Related episodes: The Artwork Didn't Change. The Story Did. (Jan 9, 2026) The January Reset: One Metric, One Goal, One Plan (Jan 17, 2026) Context is Still King. If You Use It. (Jan 27, 2026) 4 Prompts That Pull Your Story Out (Feb 2, 2026) Why Your Art Isn't Selling on Instagram (Aug 20, 2025)