And used it to drive sales, grow their list, and bring fans closer
Most artists drop documentaries on YouTube or Twitch and hope fans find it.
The Swell Season — with help from their team at ATC and Big Cookie — did something smarter. They turned a short film about their new album into a native livestream event on their Shopify store using Single. Then layered in a fan club signup, live Q&A, and exclusive merch drop.
Here’s how it worked — and why it delivered.
THE CAMPAIGN
Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová — the duo behind The Swell Season — are mid-world tour. But on Monday, they made time for something different:
They premiered The Forward Journey, a short film documenting the making of their new album. The whole thing was hosted directly on their store via Single, with a few smart hooks:
- Watch the film for free
- Submit questions for the Q&A - but join their fan club first
- Buy a limited-edition CD + hand-printed lyric book bundle — available for just a few hours during the stream
THE RESULTS
The campaign delivered across the board:
- Shop traffic spiked — thousands of fans tuned in
- Email list grew 41% — adding hundreds of new subscribers
- 8% viewer to purchase conversions — driven by limited bundles
And most importantly, fans loved it — filling the chat and Instagram with reactions, questions, and appreciation.
THE TAKEAWAY
This is the second time ATC + Big Cookie have pulled this off — after running a similar format for Black Country, New Road, who sold out exclusive vinyl during their livestream Q&A.
Thinking of doing something similar?
Here’s the play:
- A reason to tune in (album film, music video, Q&A, whatever)
- A store-based experience fans can land on
- A limited product offer that makes the moment count
- And ideally — a fan club to deepen the experience
READY TO RUN YOUR OWN CAMPAIGN?
Single helps artists turn moments like this into revenue — by giving you the tools to sell music, host video premieres, and build your fan club right on Shopify.
👉 Learn more about video campaigns
👉 Get your custom fan club plan
Whether you’re prepping a tour, dropping a film, or just looking to sell more direct, we’re here to help.
