How To Build Your First 100 Fans, According To Music Marketing Experts

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentHow To Build Your First 100 Fans, According To Music Marketing ExpertsByOlivia Shalhoup,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Olivia Shalhoup covers entertainment marketing and social strategy.Follow AuthorJun 01, 2026, 05:57pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.CHIBA, JAPAN - JULY 2: Japanese fans party at "Live 8 Japan" at Makuhari Messe on July 2, 2005 in Chiba, east of Tokyo, Japan. The free concert is one of ten simultaneous international gigs including Philadelphia, Berlin, Rome, Paris, Barrie, London, Cornwall, Moscow and Johannesburg. The concerts precede the G8 summit (July 6-8) to raising awareness for MAKEpovertyHISTORY. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)Getty ImagesEvery superstar was once courting their first one hundred fans. Before the sold-out arenas, the platinum certifications, and the devoted standoms, there was a handful of people who showed up first. The way an artist treats those early supporters often determines whether they’ll ever reach the next stage of their career.To find out exactly how emerging artists should be thinking about fan acquisition at the very beginning, I asked four music marketing experts the same question: What is the one most important marketing move or tool artists should rely on to build their first 100 fans? Their answers ranged from tech-enabled fan capture to something classic like showing up and shaking hands. But a common thread ran through all of them: the first 100 fans aren’t found through algorithms — they’re earned through intention and devotion. SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 08: Yoonchae, Megan, Lara Raj and Sophia of Global Pop Group KATSEYE attend Fan Meet & Greet hosted by Target at Pike Plaza Store at Target Pike Place on December 08, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images for Target)Getty Image...