Is there an English equivalent for the expression "Playing the flute to a buffalo"?

Cast pearls before swine

It was first used in the Bible (Matthew 7:6), so it originally had religious overtones, but you can use it in the secular sense too:

(idiomatic) To give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate it.

-- Wiktionary

You have the saying: Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig.

It is a quote by Robert A. Heinlein which has become quite common

TFD(idioms):

like talking to a wall
Of a conversation, completely futile due to a lack of response from another person, often because the person isn't listening.

Talking to Eddie when he's watching TV is like talking to a wall!

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.