How to use data to grow your fanbase as a musician

Staring at spreadsheets probably isn’t why you got into music. But if you want to grow a real fanbase, you’ll need to embrace the nerdy stuff. A few minutes with your streaming, social, or website data can show you what’s working—and where to lean in.

Here are five simple ways to use your data to promote your music more effectively and grow your fanbase.

1. Let your top-performing song lead the way

Say you just released a new EP and want to promote it with an Instagram ad—here’s a step-by-step guide if you’ve never done that before.

Before you throw money at it, check your streaming platform dashboards—for example, take a look at your Spotify for Artists stats to see:

• Which track is getting the most organic streams?
• Are listeners finishing songs or skipping them?
• Which songs, and what playlists, are they landing on?

This tells you where the momentum already is. Instead of promoting the song you wish was the biggest, promote the one people are already connecting with. That’s your best bet for getting more traction, more algorithmic love, and ultimately more fans.

This also works for platforms like Bandcamp—where you can check your stats to see which track is being streamed the most and which one’s actually selling. If one song is standing out on multiple platforms, that’s probably your anchor track for promo.

2. Focus on your strongest regions

Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp, Supertape, and Instagram all offer location data. Look at those.

You might find that a majority of your listeners are coming from somewhere unexpected—like Germany, Brazil, or Japan. That’s not just interesting—it’s something you can act on.

If your streams or sales are leaning toward a certain region:

• Run geo-targeted ads there.
• Translate captions or create region-specific content.
• Focus tour dates or release plans around those areas.

3. Watch where your traffic comes from—and when it spikes

Check your visitor data for your website.

What’s bringing people in—and when?

• Did being added to a playlist lead to a big jump in traffic?
• Did your email newsletter drive more clicks than expected?
• Did a Reel or TikTok video boost your Bandcamp visits?

Spikes are your best clue that a specific campaign or post actually worked.
Instead of guessing, you can pinpoint what moved the needle—and try repeating it.

4. Use past wins to plan your next release

When something connects, take a second to figure out why.

Maybe a certain track got picked up by an algorithm, or that run of cassettes sold out faster than you expected.
Ask yourself:

• What was different about this particular track?
• Did the visuals or branding help it stand out more?
• Was there something unique about the timing?
• What other strategies were different—pre-save, playlists, different ads, press?

Even a one-off success can teach you something.
If a post or song caused a spike in streams or sales, don’t just chalk it up to luck—look at how you can build on it.

5. Use live data to plan your next show or tour

Platforms like Bandsintown and Songkick give you a window into your live audience—showing where people are tracking your shows or RSVPing to see you.

Even if you’re not actively touring, this info can help you plan smarter when the time comes.

• Where are people tracking your shows?
• Which cities have the most followers?
• Is your audience growing more in one area than another?

Let’s say most of your Spotify listeners are in New York—but your Bandsintown data shows a good amount in Chicago. That’s probably a city you should consider playing. Or, if your last show announcement only got traction in one region, maybe that’s where you plan your next show.

The idea isn’t just to go where you hope fans are—it’s to go where they’ve already raised their hand.

Final thoughts

If you’re trying to grow a fanbase, your data can do a lot of the heavy lifting—if you pay attention to it. You don’t need a full analytics team. Most of the platforms you’re already using give you the tools—you just have to know where to look.

Supertape brings it all together, with built-in tracking for traffic, platform growth, and audience stats. So instead of jumping between tools, you can see what’s working—and focus your energy where it counts.