JamFeed original research · Instagram statistics · 2026
A predefined sample of 37 music-related Instagram accounts produced 35 usable public-data reports covering 420 recent posts. Rock creators had a higher median engagement rate in this sample—but the difference narrowed sharply after excluding each account's strongest post.
Research completed: November 9, 2026 · Collection window: October 23–November 9, 2026 (UTC) · Analyzed: 18 rock accounts and 17 DJ accounts · Method: public-profile analysis of 12 posts per account
Rock vs DJ Instagram engagement: the short answer
In JamFeed's October–November 2026 snapshot, the median Instagram engagement rate was 1.62% for 18 rock-related creators and 1.24% for 17 DJs. When each account's single highest-performing post was excluded, the corresponding group medians were 1.18% and 1.09%. The descriptive gap therefore fell from 0.38 to 0.09 percentage points.
These figures describe only the 35 successfully analyzed accounts. They are not a representative industry benchmark and do not establish that rock content performs better than electronic music. The DJ cohort had a much larger typical follower base, and the two groups came from differently curated source lists.
Instagram engagement statistics for rock creators and DJs
| Metric | Rock creators | DJs |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts on predefined source list | 20 | 17 |
| Successfully analyzed accounts | 18 | 17 |
| Posts assessed (12 per account) | 216 | 204 |
| Median engagement rate | 1.62% | 1.24% |
| Median ER excluding top post | 1.18% | 1.09% |
| Median followers | 765,621 | 10,846,575 |
| Median share of Reels among 12 posts | 58% | 33% |
| Median reported posts per week | 0.65 | 1.50 |
| Available median Reel-view reports | 11 of 18 | 11 of 17 |
Source: JamFeed Instagram Account Analyzer for Musicians; dataset frozen November 9, 2026. ER is based on likes and comments per follower, not reach or impressions. Posting frequency is reported as provided by the analyzer; its calculation method is not publicly specified.
Five findings from the 2026 music creator sample
1. The apparent rock–DJ engagement gap is much smaller after one high-performing post is removed
The standard median engagement rate favored the rock cohort by 0.38 percentage points (1.62% versus 1.24%). On the analyzer's one-post-excluded measure, that difference was only 0.09 points (1.18% versus 1.09%). This comparison uses the median of account-level engagement rates, not a pooled post-level average or a follower-weighted rate.
The result matters because a viral clip can make a creator's normal level of interaction look higher than it is across the rest of their recent content. Excluding one post does not remove every outlier, however, and the analyzer does not publicly document the precise ranking rule it uses to identify the strongest post.
2. One unusually high rock-account result heavily distorts the arithmetic average
Rob Scallon received a reported 50.56% engagement rate across the analyzed 12 posts. That fell to 14.57% after the analyzer excluded the top post. The account's reported average likes per post were 399,675, compared with median likes of 11,130. These are striking differences, not evidence of fabricated activity; we did not independently audit the underlying individual posts.
Including this report, the rock group's mean account-level engagement rate was 4.74%, compared with 1.58% for the DJ group. The medians of 1.62% and 1.24% provide a less outlier-sensitive summary of this particular sample. For that reason, the remainder of this report leads with medians and shows individual observations rather than headline averages alone.
3. Several eye-catching engagement rates rely heavily on the strongest post
Some accounts shifted substantially when JamFeed removed a single post from the calculation:
| Account | Group | Standard ER | Excluding top post |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Scallon | Rock | 50.56% | 14.57% |
| Cole Rolland | Rock | 5.01% | 1.81% |
| Charlotte de Witte | DJ | 4.66% | 1.09% |
| Tom Morello | Rock | 4.37% | 1.77% |
| Alan Walker | DJ | 4.08% | 2.20% |
Not all profiles depended so strongly on a single result. For example, YUNGBLUD moved from 3.43% to 3.08%, and Peggy Gou from 2.62% to 2.34%. In this dataset, both the standard rate and the rate without the strongest post are useful descriptive signals; neither should be treated as a prediction of future campaign results.
4. Rock accounts had a higher median Reels share—but this does not establish a Reels advantage
Reels accounted for a median 58% of the analyzed content on rock accounts, compared with 33% on DJ accounts. That is a format-mix observation across each profile's 12 analyzed posts, not proof that rock creators get more engagement because they publish more Reels.
The profile-level results illustrate why format claims need care. Peggy Gou's sampled content contained 0% Reels, yet her reported standard engagement rate was 2.62% and remained 2.34% after the strongest post was excluded. Other profiles had substantially more Reels and lower ER. We cannot isolate format effects because the dataset does not provide controlled, per-format engagement outcomes for each creator.
5. DJs reported more frequent posting, but frequency estimates have caveats
The median reported posting frequency was 1.50 posts a week for DJs, compared with 0.65 for the rock group. This field is supplied by the JamFeed analyzer, whose detailed frequency algorithm is not publicly documented. Older pinned posts may influence some 12-post windows and create unusually low rates. In one rock profile, an older pinned post was visible among the analyzer's highlighted content.
These numbers should not be interpreted as the posting schedule every rock musician or DJ ought to follow. They describe what the analyzer returned for this specific set of public profiles and dates.
Why this is not a genre-wide ranking
The two groups were selected for different editorial purposes before the research began: JamFeed's 20 rock influencer profiles prioritize varied creator types, while its largest-DJ-account table is deliberately weighted toward major global artists. The resulting median DJ following was approximately 10.85 million, versus 766,000 for rock creators—about 14 times higher.
The rock list also includes musicians, music educators and a critic, such as Anthony Fantano; it is not a genre-pure artist roster. There is no matched set of DJs and rock artists with equivalent audiences, territories, publishing histories or campaign budgets. Consequently, the observed difference is descriptive, not a causal effect of music genre. It is appropriate to say what happened in this sample; it is not appropriate to generalize the rates to all creators.
All 37 sampled Instagram profiles and their reported results
The following table preserves the original source-list order within each group. Each successful account represents 12 analyzed posts. Empty metrics on the two excluded accounts are intentionally shown as unavailable rather than zero.
| Group | Instagram account | Followers | ER | ER without top | Reels share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rock | Rick Beato @rickbeato1 | Analyzer error; no engagement estimate | |||
| rock | Sophie Lloyd @sophieguitar_ | Analyzer error; no engagement estimate | |||
| rock | Nandi Bushell @nandi_bushell | 1,204,061 | 0.97% | 0.83% | 83% |
| rock | Anthony Fantano @afantano | 1,368,170 | 0.77% | 0.41% | 83% |
| rock | Tom Morello @tommorello | 2,420,472 | 4.37% | 1.77% | 42% |
| rock | Larissa Liveir @larissaliveir | 1,747,085 | 1.46% | 1.38% | 75% |
| rock | Rob Scallon @robscallon | 793,885 | 50.56% | 14.57% | 75% |
| rock | Ichika Nito @ichika_mo | 1,161,438 | 0.71% | 0.58% | 75% |
| rock | Nita Strauss @hurricanenita | 737,356 | 0.53% | 0.42% | 33% |
| rock | Kiki Wong @kikiwongo | 725,747 | 0.79% | 0.53% | 8% |
| rock | BERNTH @bernthofficial | 604,142 | 4.22% | 1.60% | 67% |
| rock | Mia Asano @miaasanomusic | 1,198,694 | 0.31% | 0.12% | 25% |
| rock | Lzzy Hale @officiallzzyhale | 662,103 | 1.13% | 0.67% | 67% |
| rock | Jared Dines @j4r3dd1n3s | 680,671 | 2.25% | 0.49% | 92% |
| rock | Mary Spender @maryspender | 122,855 | 1.47% | 1.35% | 42% |
| rock | Yoyoka @yoyoka_drums | 211,423 | 2.31% | 1.50% | 58% |
| rock | Cole Rolland @colerolland | 213,086 | 5.01% | 1.81% | 58% |
| rock | St. Vincent @st_vincent | 832,695 | 1.77% | 1.01% | 33% |
| rock | YUNGBLUD @yungblud | 8,046,815 | 3.43% | 3.08% | 58% |
| rock | Steve Terreberry @steventerreberry | 246,908 | 3.26% | 2.35% | 17% |
| DJ | Alok @alok | 28,741,136 | 1.74% | 1.31% | 0% |
| DJ | Marshmello @marshmello | 27,828,108 | 0.47% | 0.41% | 58% |
| DJ | Martin Garrix @martingarrix | 15,328,031 | 0.95% | 0.85% | 25% |
| DJ | David Guetta @davidguetta | 12,457,610 | 0.44% | 0.40% | 67% |
| DJ | Skrillex @skrillex | 12,090,971 | 1.24% | 1.10% | 33% |
| DJ | Vintage Culture @vintageculture | 11,651,087 | 0.95% | 0.88% | 25% |
| DJ | Calvin Harris @calvinharris | 11,980,105 | 1.85% | 1.48% | 25% |
| DJ | Steve Aoki @steveaoki | 11,309,774 | 0.15% | 0.12% | 67% |
| DJ | Alan Walker @alanwalkermusic | 10,846,575 | 4.08% | 2.20% | 75% |
| DJ | DJ Snake @djsnake | 10,208,211 | 1.34% | 1.27% | 33% |
| DJ | Zedd @zedd | 8,025,073 | 0.32% | 0.25% | 17% |
| DJ | Tiësto @tiesto | 7,855,123 | 0.46% | 0.40% | 25% |
| DJ | Diplo @diplo | 6,577,892 | 2.93% | 1.71% | 75% |
| DJ | Charlotte de Witte @charlottedewittemusic | 6,447,243 | 4.66% | 1.09% | 50% |
| DJ | Kygo @kygomusic | 5,539,957 | 0.70% | 0.55% | 75% |
| DJ | Black Coffee @realblackcoffee | 5,102,126 | 1.98% | 1.65% | 8% |
| DJ | Peggy Gou @peggygou_ | 4,960,351 | 2.62% | 2.34% | 0% |
Two unavailable profiles: Rick Beato (@rickbeato1) and Sophie Lloyd (@sophieguitar_). The analyzer returned the same “at least 3 posts” error on October 23 and October 26. JamFeed retained both in the predetermined sample but excluded their metrics from group summaries. Because four other profiles later recovered from a similar initial error, these two exclusions may reflect a supplier-side issue rather than a true lack of recent posts.
Research methodology and limitations
Sample: Fixed before collection: all 20 accounts in JamFeed’s rock influencer list and the first 17 in its largest DJ account table. No unsuccessful accounts were replaced. The groups were not matched by follower count.
Collection: October 23–November 9, 2026 (UTC), across nine sessions using the public JamFeed Instagram Account Analyzer under normal usage limits. Of 37 profiles, 35 succeeded (18 rock, 17 DJ). Each report covered 12 posts: 420 analyzed post slots, not an independently archived post-level dataset. The collection log records 81 attempts, including retries. Some analyzed posts may predate the collection window.
Formula: Engagement rate (%) = (average likes + average comments) ÷ followers × 100. The analyzer also recalculated ER without its strongest post; the exact post-selection rule is unpublished. Group comparisons use unweighted medians of successful account reports.
Missing data: Rick Beato and Sophie Lloyd each returned the analyzer’s “at least 3 posts” error twice; its accuracy was not independently verified. Missing values were not replaced with zeros. Reel-view medians were available for 22 of 35 successful profiles; some later reports omitted this field or showed display inconsistencies. Public data exclude verified reach, impressions, saves, shares, demographics, paid promotion and conversions. The results describe this selected sample, not a causal genre effect. Data frozen: November 9, 2026 (v1.0).
What musicians, managers and music marketers can take from these findings
For a first-pass public Instagram audit, report both the ordinary engagement rate and the rate excluding the strongest post. The second number helps reveal how much the headline metric depends on a single hit. Next, look at median likes, median comments and the actual posts behind the result; a profile with one breakout clip can have a very different baseline from its 12-post average.
Use follower counts to contextualize the magnitude of interaction, not to rank creators of radically different size as if they were direct substitutes. Review Reels mix as a description of publishing strategy, not a guaranteed growth lever. Finally, request first-party Instagram Insights from a potential collaborator when decisions require reach, saves, audience location or paid-versus-organic context—none of which can be verified in this public-data snapshot.
For a step-by-step content strategy beyond this dataset, see JamFeed’s Instagram for Musicians guide.
Creators can run the same public-data check with JamFeed's free Instagram Account Analyzer, then compare the two ER measures over time. See the original rock influencer guide and DJ influencer guide for editorial context, or explore more JamFeed research.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Instagram engagement rate for rock music creators in 2026?
The median was 1.62% among the 18 successfully analyzed rock-related Instagram accounts in JamFeed's October–November 2026 sample. That is a sample statistic, not an estimate for all rock musicians. Excluding each account's highest-performing post reduced the sample median to 1.18%.
What is the Instagram engagement rate for DJs in 2026?
The median was 1.24% among the 17 analyzed DJ accounts. Their median ER after excluding the strongest post was 1.09%. The sample came from a list of major DJ profiles, so these figures are not a benchmark for smaller independent DJs.
Do rock creators get more Instagram engagement than DJs?
In this fixed sample, the median rate was higher for the rock group, but the groups differed substantially in follower size and selection method. The difference narrowed from 0.38 to 0.09 percentage points when the top-post-excluded metric was used. The data cannot establish a general advantage for either genre.
Which account showed the highest reported engagement rate?
Rob Scallon was the largest reported outlier at 50.56%, declining to 14.57% when the top post was excluded. This unusually high tool result has not been independently verified against individual Instagram posts and should not be treated as a typical musician benchmark.
Does a higher Reels share mean better engagement?
Not necessarily. Rock accounts had a higher median Reels share (58% versus 33%), but the export does not isolate the effect of content format. The correlation, if any, cannot be separated from audience size, creator mix and other differences in this study.
Is this an October-only 2026 dataset?
No. The study was initially planned as an October snapshot, but actual collection continued until November 9, 2026. This report therefore uses the more accurate October–November label and preserves account-level UTC check times.
Sources and citation details
Study: JamFeed Research, “Rock Creators vs DJs on Instagram: A 35-Account Engagement Study (October–November 2026).” Data collection completed November 9, 2026. Method: fixed 37-account selection; 35 successful public-data account analyses of 12 posts each (420 in total). This article is an original descriptive analysis based on exported JamFeed analyzer reports.
On-page research record: The complete predefined list and available account-level engagement figures appear in the 37-profile table above. The research design, calculation method, data gaps and unsuccessful analyses are documented in the methodology section.
Source lists: Rock Music Influencers on Instagram · Top DJ Influencers on Instagram. Measurement tool: JamFeed Instagram Account Analyzer for Musicians.
Dataset version 1.0, frozen November 9, 2026. All numerical claims on this page refer to the fixed sample and collection dates unless explicitly stated otherwise.
