Words by Alena Underwood
With major artists currently on tour, concert footage is flooding social media. Thanks to platforms like TikTok and Instagram, fans can instantly share their experiences, allowing those who couldn’t attend to still partake in the fun. This shift has changed how we engage with music visually. I rarely watch traditional music videos anymore. Unless I’m really into a song, I might check one out occasionally. While artists continue to produce music videos, it feels like tour clips and live performance moments are becoming just as significant for fans. These videos capture the raw energy of concerts, offering a more immersive and immediate connection to the artist. In many ways, they serve as modern-day music videos: visual companions that help deepen our relationship with the music. As social media amplifies these moments, tour footage is evolving into a powerful form of storytelling—one that’s short, shareable, and deeply woven into how we discover and experience music today.
I first noticed a change with Beyoncé a few years ago. On January 21, 2023, she performed in Dubai at the grand opening of a new luxury resort. The event was exclusive and invite-only, meaning most fans didn’t even know it was happening. Adding to the excitement, it marked her first live performance since 2018. People were in a frenzy online! Despite a strict no-filming policy, fans in the crowd managed to record snippets of the show and they did not hesitate to share them across social media. Leaked clips of Beyoncé’s new vocal arrangement of “Drunk in Love” went viral, sparking a wave of vocal challenges on TikTok as users tried to replicate her runs. Hashtags like #DrunkInLoveChallenge and #BeyonceInDubai gained traction, further amplifying the moment. I bring this up because it illustrates how live performances are no longer confined to the venue—they ripple out across platforms, transforming into interactive content. Even when artists try to keep things private, fans are eager to document and distribute, turning concerts into collective, online experiences.
Artists are increasingly aware of this shift, and many now use social media strategically as part of their marketing. Take Sabrina Carpenter for example: she cleverly highlights moments from her Short n’ Sweet Tour to drive engagement online. During her performance of “Juno,” she sings: “Wanna try out some freaky positions? / Have you ever tried this one?” At that moment, she pauses and strikes a pose—mimicking a different sexual position at each show. This recurring bit builds anticipation, and as the moment nears, the entire stadium is ready with their phones out, eager to capture and share the reveal. Thanks to its virality, both Carpenter and her fans benefit: concertgoers get a shot at TikTok fame, while Carpenter reaches audiences far beyond the venue, potentially drawing in new fans. It’s a clear example of how artists now co-create experiences with their audiences. The fan is no longer a passive observer, but now an active participant in shaping how a performance is remembered, shared, and celebrated online.
In this evolving landscape, TikTok, YouTube, and other social platforms aren’t just changing how we share concert moments; they’re reshaping how music is consumed and experienced altogether. Concerts are no longer fleeting, in-the-moment events; they’ve become content hubs, carefully crafted and enthusiastically distributed by both artists and fans. As the lines blur between performance and platform, the role of the audience has shifted from spectator to storyteller. Whether it’s Beyoncé’s leaked Dubai set or Sabrina Carpenter’s viral choreography, these moments live on not just in memory, but in hashtags, challenges, and reposts. The music video hasn’t died: it’s been reborn, reframed by a generation that engages with music one clip, one trend, one share at a time. Rather than killing off the traditional music video, these platforms have sparked a new visual renaissance. It’s a fragmented, participatory form of storytelling where artists and fans collaborate to create viral moments that transcend the studio recording. As music and visuals continue to intertwine, the way we engage with music is more dynamic and communal than ever before.
This story first ran in NYOTA’s Art is Life Issue. Read more from the issue here and purchase a print copy here
