Music streaming’s next chapter will be defined by superfans, local scenes, and active participation rather than passive listening, according to executives from SoundCloud, Audiomack, and Tuned Global. The remarks came during a panel titled ‘The Future of Streaming in the Superfan Era,’ moderated by Janishia Jones, CEO of Encore Music Tech Solutions. Panelists Brian “Z” Zisook (Audiomack), Jordan Pettinato (SoundCloud), and Con Raso (Tuned Global) outlined a shift away from catalogue size and algorithmic personalisation toward tools that let fans actively participate and shape their experience.
Defining the Superfan
Zisook drew a sharp distinction between casual followers and superfans. “We often conflate words like fans, followers, listeners and audience as the same thing, but they all actually mean something different,” he said. “Someone could follow an artist, but that could simply be for timeline entertainment. They have no vested stake in that artist.”
“Superfans are an extension of that, meaning that they’re supporting [an artist] with [their] time and money. So, beyond just whatever it costs per month to subscribe to a DSP, they’re going out of their way to purchase merch. They’re going to see you when you are performing in their city. They’re joining your fan club. They want to buy a physical version of your album so that it’s tangible and they can hold it.”
Industry research indicates roughly one in five listeners qualifies as a superfan, and that group accounts for the majority of music spending. Zisook noted that superfans go beyond a standard digital service provider (DSP) subscription, investing time and money in merchandise, live shows, fan clubs, and physical albums.
Platforms Add Patronage and Community Features
Raso pointed to Tuned Global’s Social Radio solution as an example of participatory streaming, where listeners, artists, and DJs host live shows combining music mixing, commentary, and audience interaction. “The most useful thing a platform can do is enable communities to form organically, with superfans driving those groups, rather than platforms trying to manufacture them,” he said.
Jones highlighted Line Music in Japan, a Tuned Global client, which lets superfans display artist badges on their profiles. Users can elect to be a superfan of only a limited number of artists, and badges signal fandom to both the artist and the wider community.
“Line allows superfans to display badges of artists they love. Superfans can elect to be a superfan of someone, but you can only elect to be a superfan of so many people. So you’re going to have to choose who you are really being a fan of. And then badges [displayed on your profile] represent the amount of your fandom. Line Music has a dedicated team that manages benefits for those superfans, including merchandise and meet-and-greets. The badges serve a social function as much as a transactional one, signaling fandom not only to the artist but to the rest of the community. There’s this real engagement that’s occurring between the artist and the fan, and the fan really just wants to not only use that badge to show their fandom to the artists themselves, but it really is about community. So they want to show that badge to everyone else in the community and really vie for that as well.”
Audiomack launched its Supporters feature in 2021, a patronage tool that lets fans purchase a support badge priced from 99 cents to $25. The revenue sits on top of standard streaming royalties, and artists can offer extras such as merchandise discount codes, unlisted YouTube links, and presale ticket access. “This is revenue that is bucketed on top of traditional royalties,” Zisook said.
Across these models, common elements include badges, leaderboards, and patronage features that give fans a public way to back an artist and unlock rewards.
Revenue Concentration and Superfan Economics
Data from SoundCloud illustrates the weight of superfan spending: 6% of Lil Uzi Vert’s fans on the platform generate approximately 78% of his royalty income.
Jones noted that the broader streaming economy remains skewed. “Less than half a per cent of artists on Spotify earn more than $10,000 a year through streaming, despite the platform paying out 65 to 70 per cent of revenue to rights holders,” she said.
