There’s never been more ways for artists to tap directly into their fan bases than present day. However, actually understanding those same audiences hasn’t scaled at the same rate with the times. My guest on Trapital this week, Denisha Kuhlor, is out to solve that pain point with her new music tech startup, Stan.

Denisha’s company wants to take a more scientific approach to understanding and growing an artist’s fanbase — from the casuals to the “stans.” Strengthening the artist-fan relationship will create better fan experiences, or as Denisha calls them, “moments of magic.”

One way to create that magic is through live performance, but not necessarily at music festivals, argues Denisha. She thinks artists are mistakenly prioritizing quantitative metrics (attendance and performance-fee sizes) rather than the qualitative. While this might provide a short-term boost, it hurts in the long term since artists aren’t connecting with the “stans” that are paying to see them and them only.

Denisha has observed this effect among Africa-based artists. The continent has produced a number of new stars, who generally “cut their teeth” performing at smaller, but more intimate venues like a club or even a wedding. Denisha has more insights into the rise of Africa’s music scene, the state of touring, and more. Here’s all our talking points in this episode:

0:55 The Downside Of Performing At Music Festivals
7:08 Followers Aren’t Your Fans
10:55 African Artists Model The Way For Growing A Fanbase
14:44 Benefits Of Instant Feedback Loops When Performing
16:38 Cardi B’s Unique Approach To Touring
22:17 Deeper Message In Kendrick Lamar’s Partnership With Cash App
25:05 What’s The Future Of African Music?
29:23 TikTok’s Influence In Africa’s Music Scene
31:48 Differences Between Performing In US Vs. Africa
35:20 ‘Elasticity” Of An Artist Like Future
38:53 Denisha’s Start-Up Stan Is Reimagining Fan-Artist Relationship
42:10 How An Artist Can Leverage Stan

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