[@Tangletail]

Depends on the culture. Minstrels are generally assumed to just be men and women who sing and play instruments for a living i.e. regular musicians. Bards on the other hand are a cut above them, typically employed within courts for their magical ability for entertainment, however bards also have a slight reputation of being spies and diplomats also thanks to their magical abilities. Basically, bards are like secret agents. And the fact that most people [i]don't[/i] know the difference between a bard and a common minstrel feeds into that perception.

Also of course in other civilizations, bards play a more cultural importance, such as skalds or lore keepers. Churches and other religions would also employ bards as priests to give rousing sermons, as well as help guide and teach the common folk through tales and magic. Even in military bards have a purpose for long range communication through instruments like drums or horns, as they are the only type of soldiers who could play them well, as well as use them in battle (via spell focuses for their magic).