"Segmentation is everything to maintain your credibility."
We sat down with Interscope Records and Artist Management Agency Mutual Friends to discuss the power of enriched fan data. Watch the full conversation and catch our summary below.
1. Drop in your style
“The type of stuff that you should be doing as an artist from a marketing standpoint is stuff that people tell their friends about."
— Alec Ellin, CEO at Laylo
Zach Bryan dropped early access to unreleased music through Laylo. One fan got the link and shared it with a friend. Then another. Then another. This is the momentum you want to create as an artist: authentic moments that fans find out about and want to be apart of.
"Fans don't want to sign up for a newsletter. It's not cool, it's not exciting. There's no sense of urgency... that's really the unlock with drops, that sense of urgency and FOMO," Alec added.
Why it matters: When your drop hits, fans amplify it without being asked. The network effect at work.
2. Don’t confuse noise with loyalty
“We kind of knew who our loudest fans were before Laylo. We didn’t necessarily know who our biggest fans were.”
— Andrew Spelman, Artist Manager at Mutual Friends
Andrew explained how his team looked beyond social metrics and started identifying repeat behavior. Who opens every message? Who comes to every show? Consistency was a stronger signal than likes or comments.
Why it matters: Your most loyal fans aren’t always the loudest. Identify them through buying signals and engagement history.
3. Build segments that reflect identity, not just purchase history
“[Imagine Dragons] created playlists and Discord groups based on their quiz answers. It was just about identity and vibe. That’s what made people want to stay in it.”
— Spencer Swayze, Digital Marketing Director at Interscope Records
For Imagine Dragons, fans took a quiz and got sorted into segments based on personality. Each group got different playlists, messages, and even activities. It wasn’t about pushing product. It was about creating an experience that felt like them.
Why it matters: Personalization doesn’t have to be complex. It just has to feel honest.
4. Create FOMO around your fan lists
“For Alexander 23, we asked his fans, who wants to hear daily from us, weekly, monthly[...]? And we built lists based on that.”
— Andrew Spelman, Artist Manager at Mutual Friends
For Alexander 23, fans could choose how often they heard from the artist. The daily group got memes, inside jokes, and more frequent content. They also get direct merch. Fans who opted to hear less from the artist are now begging to be on the daily list.
Why it matters: Giving fans control makes your outreach feel more like a service than a sales pitch.
5. Fans are most engaged with live event drops
“Across all the drops we’ve done, we’ve noticed that live music is really the biggest unlock for capturing fan data.”
— Saj Sanghvi, CTO + Co-founder at Laylo
Seventy-five percent of all data capture on Laylo comes from drops tied to live shows, whether it’s a teaser or a presale. It’s now easier than ever for artists to market in-person events to the fans who matter most.
For rising artists like Cameron Winter and Audrey Holcomb, this has meant testing demand with one-off shows in key markets. These smaller moments give teams a low-risk way to collect data and shape what comes next.
Why it matters: Live events are the #1 way artists drive engagement. With drops, artists can build community and test demand without committing to a full tour.
6. Understand your fans so you can reward them authentically
“Rather than just thinking about who's showing intent to purchase something, we also want to be looking at what a user listens to, what they do in their spare time...a much broader scope. Who is this fan? So that we can not only push product to them, but also reward them and make the fan experience more exciting.”
— Spencer Swayze, Digital Marketing Director at Interscope Records
Spencer shared the importance of using fan data to build customer profiles. Instead of only watching for purchase intent, his team now considers broader fan behavior and interests. By taking time to understand the audience they're building for, they can create moments that feel earned.
Why it matters: Fans don’t want to be treated like ad targets. They want to be seen and surprised in the right way.
7. Activate the right fans through segmentation
“You want to segment your list to send the right message to the right fans at the right time, like hitting likely merch buyers when you're doing a merch campaign."
— Alec Ellin, CEO at Laylo
Once you’ve built a fan list, segmentation is what turns it into a real tool. With enriched profiles in Laylo, artists can segment based on real signals, like past purchases, location, and engagement, to make sure every drop feels timely and relevant.
Why it matters: Fans respond when it feels personal. Segmenting your list helps you create urgency for the right group while preserving trust with everyone else.
8. Capture fan energy when it’s at its highest: in person
“Pop-ups and shows are where we’re seeing some of the most engaged fans. That’s when you get real buy-in.”
— Andrew Spelman, Artist Manager at Mutual Friends
At a Cuco show, fans were invited to leave voicemails in a custom booth. Each message automatically triggered a follow-up DM from Cuco’s team, creating a direct connection with fans after the show. The interaction didn’t end at the venue: it carried over into a digital space with personalized messages so fans felt acknowledged and continued to engage.
Why it matters: Live events aren’t only about the performance. They’re also opportunities to collect contact info, create memorable touchpoints, and build long-term loyalty.
Final thoughts
Throughout our conversation with Interscope Records and Mutual Friends, one point kept surfacing: having access to fan data is only the beginning. What you do with it defines the kind of artist experience you deliver.
Fans can feel the difference between a message that was meant for them and one that wasn’t. The best teams use data not just to target, but to understand. They create pathways for fans to opt in to a real community that feels authentic to the brand they're building.
Ready to get creative with your next release? Drop everything with Laylo, it's free to sign up.
