Archive - The Fanbase Builder

Branding by contradiction

Decide who you are, and who you’re not

Aug 25 • Carlo Kiksen

When should artists say yes to an unpaid gig?

Playing for exposure isn’t automatically a bad deal.

Aug 18 • Carlo Kiksen

What do you sell as an artist?

Aug 11 • Carlo Kiksen

Better ways to spend €100 than on ads in 2026

What’s changed in the shopping list.

Aug 4 • Carlo Kiksen

July 2026

Don’t clone your own voice

Google just turned voice cloning into a one-tap Gemini feature.

Jul 28 • Carlo Kiksen

Entertain media with creative PR

Journalists read the same pitch every day: new single, new album, new tour.

Jul 21 • Carlo Kiksen

Not all listening is the same

Listeners have different intentions, while most artists market to only one of them.

Jul 14 • Carlo Kiksen

FOMO works and that’s a problem

Exclusivity tactics can tip fan passion into compulsive behaviour.

Jul 7 • Carlo Kiksen

June 2026

Fans turn waiting into its own event

Fans create a block of time between the present and the anticipated.

Jun 30 • Carlo Kiksen

Why artists can’t ignore vanity metrics

Streams, likes, and followers are branding assets.

Jun 23 • Carlo Kiksen

What if synthesisers only worked in the USA?

The US restricting Claude usage for non-Americans is a major threat.

Jun 16 • Carlo Kiksen

Create simple DAW tools for fans using AI

Ableton’s new Extensions SDK speak the same language as AI coding tools.

Jun 9 • Carlo Kiksen

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