Stop treating your strategy like a set of either/or decisions.
The way artists approach direct-to-fan (D2F) is changing. For years, the industry has treated D2F strategies like a series of choices:
- “Should we focus on streaming or sell direct?”
- “Do we go all-in on live shows or experiment with virtual?”
- “Is it better to grow on social media or build our own platform?”
But here’s the thing—you don’t have to choose.
The most successful artists and bands today aren’t picking one path over another. They’re stacking strategies, combining the best of each world to maximize fan engagement, sales, and—most importantly—control over their careers.
In this post, we’ll break down how this mindset shift works and how you can use it to grow your fanbase, boost sales, and own your data.
The Either/Or Trap (And Why It’s Holding You Back)
Direct-to-fan doesn’t have to be a binary choice. But many artists and teams still approach it that way. They worry that focusing on direct sales will hurt streaming numbers. Or that hosting a live show means ignoring fans who can’t make it in person. This kind of thinking splits your efforts—forcing you to choose between fan engagement and sales, between reach and intimacy.
But the truth? You can do both. The key is integrating your strategies so they support each other. That’s where the real magic happens.
A Real-Life Example: How Infinity Song Stacked Their Strategy
Let’s talk about Infinity Song, who recently pulled off the perfect example of this mindset shift in action. Instead of running a traditional live show—selling tickets through one platform, streaming it elsewhere, and maybe pushing merch after—they created a fully connected experience using Single and Shopify.
Here’s what they did:
- Sold $20 tickets directly to fans through Single
- Streamed the full 2-hour concert live on their Shopify store
- Embedded a live chat on the streaming page so fans could connect during the show
- Captured fan data from every viewer who tuned in
- Dropped exclusive merch mid-show, right when the energy was highest
Why did it work so well?
Because everything was stacked. Fans didn’t have to jump between platforms. Every touchpoint—tickets, streaming, merch, and community—was in one place, making it simple for fans and powerful for the artist.
Infinity Song didn’t just sell more tickets and merch; they also walked away with valuable fan data, allowing them to deepen those relationships for future projects.
How to Apply This Stacking Strategy to Your Next Project
This doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, the best D2F strategies are the ones that feel natural and seamless.
Here are three simple ways to start stacking your efforts:
- New Music? Let your fan club hear it first. Reward your core supporters with early access and build excitement before the public release.
- Planning a Tour? Drop presale codes to your fan community before tickets go on sale to the general public. It builds exclusivity and boosts early ticket sales.
- Launching New Merch? Let your fans vote on designs before they hit the store. It creates buy-in and ensures you're selling what fans actually want.
The point isn’t to reinvent the wheel—it’s to make sure the pieces of your strategy aren’t working in silos. When your merch, music, tours, and community efforts are connected, every part of your business benefits.
Feeling Inspired?
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