Listeners vs. Fans: How to Build a Fanbase That Sticks Around in 2026

Post Malone and Olivia Rodrigo have comparable streaming numbers however really various touring years. The space boils down to what takes place after somebody presses play. Artists and market voices share what it requires to develop a fanbase that appears and stays.

This short article was composed by Sonia Chien in cooperation with How Music Charts. Music Trends on Digital Music News is powered by Chartmetric

If you’re constructing a profession as an artist in 2026, the course to discovering a neighborhood of fans that remains bought your work for the long run may appear slightly challenging in the very best of minutes, and perhaps quite frustrating in others.

To this end, Chartmetric talked to two-time Emmy-winning author, manufacturer and teacher Michael Whalenwho has actually dealt with artists like Stephen SondheimFiona AppleBrian Wilson and Carole Kingand likewise runs a YouTube channel about artist growth and advancement. He revealed a great deal of compassion in this department.

“Take a breath and take a look at what you are anticipating yourself to do, “stated Whalen.”You’re expected to compose outstanding music, record it, produce it, promote it, make videos, comprehend circulation, response messages, and stay up to date with every platform that somebody firmly insists is vital. Feeling overwhelmed by that looks like a relatively sensible action.”

If this strikes home, this piece is for you. Along With Mr. Whalen, we speak with Luisa Houseworks of electronic artist network woman: pressure about constructing fanbases that in fact stay, some artists that have actually handled to do so, and think about some bite-sized locations to begin, any place you remain in your profession advancement.

What’s the distinction in between a listener and a fan?

As lots of artists who have actually gone viral on social networks have actually found the difficult method, your Spotify month-to-month listener count isn’t precisely a sure-fire method to approximate who’s really going to rock as much as your programs.

In his exceptional writeup for Digital Music News “The Quiet Death of Playlist Chasing”Whalen calls Spotify month-to-month listeners “among music’s most misconstrued numbers.”

“I believe the confusion has actually grown since we’ve considered that number a lot authority. Individuals take a look at an artist’s profile and right away choose how effective that artist is. You see a huge number and believe, ‘Wow, something is occurring there.’ Something most likely is occurring, however you require to ask a couple of more concerns to understand what it implies.”

Even huge artists like The Pussycat DollsMeghan TrainorZayn and Post Malone have actually fought with Blue Dot Fever and cancelled trips this year, in spite of high Spotify month-to-month listener counts. Let’s compare the numbers for Post Malone and Olivia Rodrigo2 artists with comparable streaming data, however who had a significantly various 2026 when it pertained to exploring.

While Post Malone’s streams have actually pulled ahead of Rodrigo’s in September 2026 by a number of million, Post Malone cancelled 6 prepared United States reveals and all Asian, Australian and New Zealand dates this year, pointing out taping an album rather (though the majority of hypothesize this was likely a reason for low ticket sales). With 7 million less listeners, Rodrigo has actually currently offered out all 85 trip dates for The Unraveled Tour.

What’s the distinction in between the typical Post Malone listener versus Olivia Rodrigo listener? Rodrigo’s listeners appear to lean towards being more active, indicating they’re taking the next action beyond streaming discovery to end up being a part of her neighborhood, get merch and see her programs.

can provide direct exposure remarkably,” explained Whalen for Digital Music News. “What it can not ensure is objective. The listener needs to choose to take another action, which next action might be the most essential minute in the whole artist-development procedure.”

Online platforms (both streaming and social networks) are the window to discovery, and how fans can discover you to take the next action. When they look through the window, it’s up to you to ask some concerns of yourself. How do you wish to satisfy them, what do you desire them to discover, and how far do you wish to be familiar with them, too?

What type of interaction do you wish to have with your audience?

“You do not need to do whatever even if the market makes you seem like you should,” states Luisa Houseworks, DJ and host of the woman: pressure podcast.

“There isn’t one formula that works for everyone. Some artists are really active. They share their procedure, DJ blends, radio looks, programs and parts of their daily imaginative life. Other artists are more personal or vanish for extended periods of time, which’s part of their identity.”

Houseworks offered the example of IDM duo Autechrewho aside from a sporadic site interact with fans practically solely personally at live programs: as highlighted by this timeline of their Wikipedia views, which increased in connection with the quantity of programs they were playing because period.

While Autechre do undoubtedly take advantage of their status as a tradition act that began in a pre-internet world, that does not suggest more recent artists can’t work out comparable sort of autonomy. One advantage of a decentralised web culture is that it opens a great deal of possibilities, which independent artists are significantly utilizing to their own choices.

Independent Irish singer/songwriter Síomha (She-uvah), for instance, just recently erased her Spotify and all mainstream social networks profiles, choosing to concentrate on Patreon and Bandcamp.

“It’s no longer ‘fuck the system’. The system is fucking itself. It’s not working, and I’m relieved to inform you I’m out,” she stated in a current Substack post“I took my music off Spotify, and think what? Life went on. Eliminating myself from social media appears like the next natural action.”

That stated, there’s nobody right response: great deals of artists are mixing-and-matching, explore a mix of options together with tradition platforms. UK-based electronic artist Logic1000 (Samantha Poulter), for instance, simply launched her latest album Verification! at the start of this month.

In part due to a function from Christine and the QueensPoulter’s track “The Only One” has actually been doing some numbers on TikTok. It’s what she’s doing in addition that’s laying the foundation for a core fanbase that keeps coming back to her work, consisting of long-form storytelling through her Substack newsletter Treatment ~a release launch listening celebration in London– for which she provided a ticket free gift to her subscriber list– and a collab with More Girls Behind Decksa workshop series presenting women to DJing.

Houseworks encourages that it’s finest to decide about the level of interaction you desire as early as possible, as fans will end up being familiar with that design (however that stated, do not hesitate to change equipments if the time comes).

What do you wish to construct?

A reputable DJ, manufacturer and studio-runner in the regional scene of El Paso, TX, Houseworks handles the woman: pressure podcast, which hosts the noises of a worldwide network of female, trans and nonbinary electronic artists.

“Curating the podcast has actually revealed me how essential artist-led areas still are, specifically due to the fact that discovery does not need to depend just on an algorithm,” Houseworks informed Chartmetric.

Through thewoman: pressure network, established in 1998 by Susanna Kirchmayr (artist name:Electric Indigomembers of the network can access each other’s music through its ever-expanding database. Houseworks likewise keeps a shared folder of music that artists can dig through, with whatever from techno, home, speculative and leftfield. Due to the fact that the network likewise includes reporters, independent radio operators and other market experts, it produces other methods for the music to spread out through media and broadcasting.

“That’s most likely the most significant thing I’ve gained from curating: developing an audience is not constantly about reaching the biggest variety of individuals,”stated Houseworks.”It’s not always about ending up being viral. The most important thing you can do is make it simpler for a curious listener to discover the next individual, continue to take part in your scene, and appear on your own and individuals around you.”

Whether underground or mainstream, artists of all levels have chances to make the type of options that bypass transactional relationships to produce opportunities of care in between artist and listener. Take Midwest Princess Chappell Roanwho throughout her profession has actually been regularly appearing for the LGBTQ+neighborhood and putting great deals of TLC behind the audience experience.

She’s put her cash where her mouth is byworking with regional drag queen openersmaking thoughtful place options(e.g. ones that have gender-neutral restrooms, and security that know they will be servicing a young queer crowd), motivating fans to dress up forprogram styles and introducing a continuouseffort supporting LGBTQ +companiesHer fans appear, with sold-out arena reveals as high as 30,000 capability for herVisions of Damsels & Dangerous Other Things Tour in 2025.

“I utilized to state her fan base was not as broad, however it was really deep,”Kiely MosimanRoan’s representative informed the New York Times.”Like, if you listen to Chappell Roan, you’re a substantial fan of Chappell Roan. “

Who is your audience?

“We invest a lot time envisioning the audience we want to have actually,”explained Whalen.”There is genuine worth in learning more about individuals who have actually currently gotten here. If a couple of individuals keep returning, take note of them. That is a relationship you have actually handled to produce through your work, and it should have care. “

By asking simply a single person who follows your music a number of concerns, you can find a lot. How did they discover your music? Which tracks are they going back to the most? When do they listen, and what are they most taking pleasure in about the neighborhood you’re constructing?

If you choose to utilize social networks moderately, Whalen recommends periodically putting out a brief study or survey with a simple concern to respond to.

“I would much rather have a helpful discussion once a month than train individuals to disregard me a number of times a day.”

Together with getting curious about individuals providing time to your tasks, you can likewise let fans get curious about you. Even if you’re going through it, you can share that, as indie pop vocalistBrye did when her music devices was taken out of her van while on trip.

The post landed her over 80%of the trip’s ticket sales, completely eclipsing the 100 tickets she had actually offered prior, in spite of having 400,000 TikTok fans.”I got truly fortunate that, in my anguish, I published a video resembling,’ I have not offered any tickets,’and after that exploded, so everyone resembled,’Oh, wait, I understand you, and I’m gon na go, ‘”she informed Inc.

Beyond sharing the procedure, Houseworks encourages going to the locations where individuals who delight in the sort of thing you make currently are, and

making one connection.

That might be a radio program, podcast, record shop, little occasion, cumulative, online database or another artist’s &audience. Send out an e-mail, send a mix, go to a program, purchase somebody’s music or inform another artist you played their track,”stated Houseworks. “A great deal of chances begin with individuals just understanding you exist and remembering you. “

In basic, the smallest actions can frequently take you the outermost range. If you discover yourself entering a spiral about whatever that may take place in your whole profession, attempt simply sending out one e-mail, Whalen recommends, and keep an open mind about what may be a natural part of advancing, even if not the most apparent.

“The work of determining your objectives and dreams counts. Does making a living while you establish. My own experience definitely hasn’t been one narrow course. Various chances can support you and teach you things that ultimately appear in your music.”