Dear Pennies & Pens,
I attended Beyond the Algorithm: The New Age of Fan Experience during Music Biz 2026.
Speakers
- Lynn M. Scott, VP of Label Services & Client Success, Vydia
- Whitney Asomani, VP of Marketing, gamma
- Adrian Binns, Director of Global Artist Relations, Deezer
- Victoria Tsigonis, Sr. Marketing Services Director, FUGA / Downtown Music
While the conversation covered algorithms, marketing, and audience data, one question emerged again and again:
What actually makes someone a fan?
It sounds like a simple question, but the more the panelists spoke, the more obvious the answer became. It was never really about algorithms. It was about people.
Followers Aren’t Fans
One of the clearest distinctions made during the discussion was the difference between followers and fans. Followers click the follow button to see what happens next.
Fans stay. They buy albums. They travel for concerts. They introduce their friends to an artist. They proudly wear the merchandise, learn the choreography, and continue showing up long after the excitement of a new release fades. Those are two very different relationships.
In a digital world where follower counts are often treated as the ultimate measure of success, it was refreshing to hear panelists emphasize something much harder to measure: genuine connection.
Fans Want to Belong
One idea became impossible to ignore. People are looking for their tribe.
Panelists spoke about the importance of patience, authenticity, and allowing communities to grow naturally instead of chasing instant gratification. Rather than trying to manufacture viral moments, artists should focus on helping people understand who they are and giving them a reason to stay connected over time.
It wasn’t the only time I heard that message during Music Biz. Whether the discussion focused on artist development, live experiences, or fan engagement, the message remained remarkably consistent: lasting fandom is built through trust, not shortcuts.
Experiences Matter
One of my favorite moments came when Adrian Binns shared a story about Deezer hosting an event for K-Pop fans.
During the event, everyone joined a dance challenge together. He joked that if something like that had existed when he was a teenager, it probably would have changed his identity.
As a K-Pop fan, I smiled immediately. Dance challenges, fan chants, random play dances, and community events have been part of K-Pop culture for years. They are more than entertainment. They create shared memories.
The same idea surfaced in several other Music Biz sessions as well. Whether panelists were discussing pop-up events, exclusive fan experiences, or live music itself, they kept returning to the same point: people remember how an artist made them feel. The experience becomes part of the music.
Technology Can’t Replace Human Connection
For all the conversations about algorithms, platforms, and technology, I found it interesting that the most memorable advice sounded remarkably human.
Treat people like individuals. Be authentic. Give more than you take. Create something worth belonging to. Technology can introduce someone to an artist. It cannot make them care.
My Takeaway
Walking away from the session, I realized the conversation was never really about algorithms at all. It was about relationships.
Throughout Music Biz 2026, different speakers approached fan engagement from different angles. Some talked about data. Others discussed live experiences, artist branding, or direct communication. Yet many of them arrived at the same conclusion.
Fans are not created by a platform. They are created when artists consistently give people a reason to care, a reason to return, and a reason to feel like they belong. That felt less like a marketing lesson and more like a reminder.
Music may introduce us to an artist. Human connection is what keeps us there.
And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping it real never goes wrong.
