Creators 101

“Create platforms for your superfans to have the megaphone. Make them aware of things prior to release, or give them opportunities to opt-in on some kind of bundle or physical product: ticket or special shows , or streaming rooms. You should be rewarding your core fans.

“There’s no real trick to that besides creating a genuine relationship with a fan, where they feel so compelled and connected to you. You have to make them feel like they’re part of the process. Your success is the whole team’s success. But you don’t want to over-leverage your fanbase, to where they need to do something for you for your career to work. Ultimately, organic growth is the best thing , if you can harness it. And it doesn’t have to be millions of followers or plays. As long as the base is growing and new people are coming into the fray and you are retaining the fans that came in the beginning, there’s no quick-fix schemes . Fans can sniff out authenticity.”

—Karl Fricker, VP of A&R, RCA Records

“ Who are you making content for ? Why should they care about what you’re putting out? Once you understand your core fanbase, you’ll understand what moves them. If your fans feel like they’re being catered to, they’ll wanna support you and they’ll wanna engage with you.”

—Adam Small, A&R, Saweetie

“You really have to maintain loyalty to your early adopters. Identify via social media, your shows, who are your superfans. Put a lot of energy into rewarding those people. The classic example of this is Taylor Swift. She’s constantly, every release cycle, going out of her way for her superfans. Listening parties, sending gifts. She has a keen ability to sniff out who the people are who scream loudest from the mountaintop about her. Make those people feel cared about. Treat those people with an incredible amount of care. If they feel appreciated and rewarded, they’re going to proudly beat their chests about you and spread the gospel of you as an artist.”

—Seth Faber, Head of Artist and Label Strategy, Stem