Beyond Gate­kee­ping – How com­mu­ni­ties are taking control of mar­ke­ting

Fed up with the big gatekeepers and their algorithms deciding what’s relevant? More and more, communities are taking matters into their own hands – on Discord servers, in newsletters and fan groups that are closer to the artists than any label’s marketing.

This session shows how direct-to-fan strategies work when fans no longer just consume, but curate, recommend and help decide what matters culturally. We’ll look at real-life examples of how independent communication spaces are built – and why they often have a greater impact than any platform campaign.

You’ll take away: concrete approaches for building your own community, the success factors behind sustainable direct-to-fan relationships, and a new understanding of how engagement and reach are truly created today.

Following this year’s festival motto “Forever legit?”, it’s being decided here and now who’s currently taking on the role of gatekeeping – and it’s certainly no longer the traditional players.