Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most effective.
Jack White played Fontainebleau Las Vegas on October 2, and the show poster doubled as a playable board game. Not an app. Not an NFT. Instead, it was an actual 18-by-24-inch game board. It also came with a 52-card deck, six wooden playing pieces, a custom wooden die, and a rulebook. Afterward, the venue even hosted a game night.
All 350 copies at the show sold out immediately. Now, they’re on eBay for double the $150 price.
It was unexpected. It was creative. And it gave fans something to do with the music besides just listen to it.
It also got me thinking. Have we become so focused on getting people to hear music that we’ve forgotten how to make them care about it?
Upload, Run Some Ads, and Hope
For some artists, the marketing plan begins and ends with uploading a song to Spotify. Meanwhile, others run a Meta campaign and hope somebody wanders into the room.
To be fair, there have never been more pathways to discovery. Streaming, playlists, social media, influencers, and digital advertising all matter.
But those are mostly mechanisms for putting music in front of people. The harder question is what happens next. In other words, are we developing fans, or just collecting streams?
We’ve become incredibly good at getting music heard. However, we haven’t gotten nearly as good at turning those listeners into fans.
A Listener Isn’t Necessarily a Fan
Spotify’s own numbers make the point. On average, super listeners make up just 2% of an artist’s monthly listeners, according to Spotify for Artists’ research. Yet they drive more than 18% of monthly streams.
It gets better. Super listeners are nine times more likely to share music with their network. Plus, they account for half of an artist’s ticket sales through Spotify.
Those are Spotify’s averages, based on its own definition of a super listener. Still, the lesson applies well beyond one platform. After all, a small group of people who genuinely care can matter more than a big crowd that barely notices.
Think of it as a ladder. First, someone hears a song. Then they save it or follow the artist. Next, they buy a ticket or a T-shirt and tell a friend. Eventually, they’re invested in the artist’s world.
Spotify can measure how often someone listens. The tougher question, however, is how we measure — and build — how much someone cares.
Creativity Beats Budget
Jack White’s board game is a reminder that a clever idea can accomplish what a big ad buy can’t. Sure, he has resources most developing artists don’t. But the principle scales down.
For example, create a scavenger hunt around the lyrics from a new release. Hide signed merch or concert tickets at local businesses. Host a secret acoustic show for fans who solve a puzzle. Let fans vote on the artwork for the next single. Or turn a song’s storyline into a game.
None of that requires an enormous budget. In fact, some of it barely requires time. Instead, it requires imagination, a little planning, and a willingness to try something different.
Give Fans Something Worth Talking About
The goal isn’t another promotional gimmick. Rather, it’s an authentic experience that strengthens the bond between artist and audience.
And here’s the bonus. White’s board game isn’t just merchandise — it’s a conversation starter. Fans post pictures, talk about game night, and introduce their friends to the music. As a result, the experience becomes part of the marketing.
That ties right back to Spotify’s data. If your most invested listeners are nine times more likely to share, give them something worth sharing.
Maybe the question isn’t how to get another million people to hear your music. Instead, maybe it’s how to get a thousand people to care enough to tell somebody else about it.
Radio Could Learn Something Here, Too
This isn’t only a music industry lesson. After all, radio has spent decades selling the size of its audience — cume, reach, and frequency. Big numbers on a one-sheet.
But advertisers aren’t just buying ears anymore. Instead, they’re buying action. They want to know who showed up, who clicked, and who bought. In other words, it’s not about the masses. It’s about an actionable audience.
That’s the same lesson hiding in Spotify’s data. Two percent of listeners driving half of an artist’s Spotify ticket sales isn’t a reach story. Rather, it’s a quality story.
Give Loyal Listeners a Reason to Participate
Radio has always had its own super listeners. They’re the P1s who know every jock by name and would drive across town for a station event. Better yet, those are the same people who respond to an advertiser’s offer.
Radio used to excel at creating experiences for them. Secret shows, artist appearances, oddball promotions, and stunts people talked about for years. In fact, I’ve watched one clever stunt land a station on the front page of the local paper. Even today, some stations still do this exceptionally well.
The fix isn’t necessarily more money or another technology platform. Instead, give your most loyal listeners a reason to participate, and you’re not just building loyalty. You’re building the actionable audience advertisers are paying for.
Sometimes radio just needs a better idea.
Stop Chasing Streams. Start Building Fans.
Jack White didn’t reinvent music marketing. Instead, he simply reminded us that music is supposed to be fun, interactive, and personal.
So keep uploading to Spotify. Keep running your Meta campaigns. And keep exploring new ways to reach audiences.
Just don’t confuse exposure with engagement — or engagement with loyalty.
We’ve spent the last 20 years perfecting how we deliver music. Now, maybe it’s time we put some of that creativity back into how people experience it.
Because a stream lasts a few minutes. But a fan can last a lifetime.
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