Investments in superfan platforms are on the rise as companies increasingly recognize the potential of tapping into dedicated fan bases. With the music industry shifting towards direct-to-fan engagement, platforms that promote deeper connections between artists and their most loyal followers are attracting significant investor interest.
One of them is music community platform Mellomanic, previously known as We Are Giant. After raising $8 million from Sterling Partners last year to power the launch of its platform, the company now says it has raised another $6 million to fuel its expansion.
The latest round, supported by new and existing investors including Sterling Partners and a range of family offices and individual music industry veterans, brought the startup’s total capital raised to $13.8 million.
Mellomanic says it has grown rapidly since January of this year, with over 400,000 monthly active users—an increase of 13,000%. The startup says the surge in users reflects the rising demand for spaces where superfans can connect with artists and each other through immersive experiences. Major record labels like Atlantic Records, Def Jam, Big Loud, Elektra, Sony Music Nashville, and Virgin Music Group have all partnered with the platform.
“We’ve learned so much about music communities and fan behaviors this past year, and wanted our name to reflect that.”
Andy Apple, Mellomanic
The platform is built around its Collectives, or genre-specific communities that help boost artist discoverability. Each Collective hosts curated listening parties, live streams, and virtual festivals, offering artists opportunities to maximize moments such as album releases and pre-release sharing. Current Collectives include We Are Alt, We Are Pop, We Are Hip Hop, and the recently launched We Are Country. Artists like Kameron Marlowe, Big Sean, Luh Tyler, JXDN, and Erin Kinsey have already featured in listening parties across these Collectives.
In addition to fan engagement, Mellomanic provides artists with new ways to monetize their work and take control of their fan relationships. By sharing unique fan data, artists can make more informed career decisions, the startup said.
The platform also acquires music licenses directly, allowing artists to live-stream performances without restrictions. Streams on Mellomanic are counted and reported to SoundExchange and performing rights organizations (PROs), just like traditional streaming platforms, with each user counted as a stream.
“We’ve learned so much about music communities and fan behaviors this past year, and wanted our name to reflect that. ‘Mellomanic’ pays homage to the melomaniacs, all types of superfans, embodying the spectrum of emotions that exist within different genres of music and their listeners,” Mellomanic CEO Andy Apple said.
“It’s been exciting to watch artists and labels leverage our immersive listening parties to release music in exciting, innovative ways, and it’s been special to see superfan communities engage in these live digital experiences that truly range from mellow to manic. Ultimately our goal is to continue providing impactful spaces for fans and artists to come together and celebrate special moments, empowering them to forge enduring relationships while building sustainable communities.”
Mellomanic’s focus on superfans comes as the music industry sharpens its focus on fan engagement to drive album sales and concert attendance, among others. To tap into this resource, music companies are embracing new strategies to nurture superfan communities.
On Tuesday (September 17), Universal Music Group laid out its strategy to better monetize superfans.
“Superfans, the most avid 20% to 30% of all music listeners, once drove more than 70% of recorded music spending,” UMG’s Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and President of Operations, Boyd Muir, said at UMG’s Capital Markets Day.
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