The superfan fallacy: Key takeaways from our final webinar of 2024
On December 17, 2024, Water & Music hosted our final webinar of the year, in which we examined the uncomfortable truths behind music's "pivot to superfans."
Artists and executives alike are promoting superfandom as a potential saving grace, especially in a climate where streaming growth is slowing and content oversaturation is accelerating. But the reality is far more complicated than what most narratives suggest.
Nearly 200 members joined our webinar to hear from three leading voices — each of whom offered a distinct critical perspective on the emotional, legal, and technological challenges facing the industry's push toward superfan monetization:
- Monia Ali, writer of the newsletter Fandom Exile, on the hidden costs of stan culture
- Andy Blair of Reverb Data, exploring the legal realities of fan data control
- Hanna Kahlert from MIDiA Research, challenging assumptions about fan platform development
Below are the full webinar recording and slides, followed by key insights and case studies from our discussion. A curated reading list is included at the bottom for those wanting to dive deeper.
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