Why Artists Must Own Their Data: Guest Post by WME’s Co-Head of Music Kirk M. Sommer

“Data” may be a wonky word but it has become as valuable as gold in the music business, where it often refers to contact information for fans (email addresses, phone numbers and often much more). Ironically, many companies refuse to share fan data with the very artists whose careers they are promoting. Kirk M. Sommer, WME’s global co-head of music, shared his opinions on the issue.

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In today’s music industry, one of the most urgent, overlooked questions is this: Who owns the artist’s relationship with their fans?

For far too long, the answer has been anyone but the artist. Despite writing and recording the music, building their brand via social media and touring, and carefully cultivating their fanbase, most artists today don’t actually control the data that underpins their careers. Fan information is scattered across platforms, from ticketing services to social media, streaming, and merch stores, creating a fragmented, inaccessible web of insights that should belong to the artist. This disconnect is costing artists billions in potential revenue, weakening fan relationships, ultimately starving development artists and threatening long-term career sustainability.

Data is more than just numbers. It tells the story of an artist’s audience: where they live, how they engage, what they value. Today’s superfans, who spend significantly more on live shows and merchandise, represent an estimated $3.3 billion incremental opportunity by the end of the decade (according to Goldman Sachs). The artists, who obviously have amassed these superfans through creative ingenuity and hard work, can’t even identify who their top supporters are.

It’s common for artists not to own the email lists collected through their own ticket sales, merch transactions or a third party. Streaming services offer only surface-level stats. Some social platforms throttle reach and require constant investment to stay visible. This situation is, frankly, absurd. Artists create the value, yet have the least access to the insights that can help them grow and sustain healthy careers.

Today’s artists are in themselves global brands, and they’re beginning to think like it. Brands like Warby Parker and Allbirds have built billion-dollar companies by owning and leveraging their customer data. They don’t just sell a product, they build a relationship. Amazon does the same through personalized discovery and dynamic pricing, and Nike uses its SNKRS app to deliver targeted product drops based on consumer behavior. Sephora has created a loyalty loop through ongoing, direct communication with its customers. The lesson across all of these examples is clear: when the people who create the product own the relationship with their audience, they can better attract, engage, and retain them over time.

If artists had access to the same kind of granular data like contact info, purchase behavior, geographic clusters and sentiment, they could build smarter marketing campaigns, plan more strategic tours, and offer tailored experiences to fans who actually want them. The opportunity to segment and differentiate between casual listeners and high-value supporters would lead to meaningful increases in revenue. It would also dramatically reduce wasted marketing dollars and allow for more thoughtful, personal connection.

We already see examples of how this plays out. The New York Times recently reported that its conversion rate is 40 times higher for users whose contact information it possesses. That level of impact is not theoretical, it’s measurable, and it’s within reach for artists if they control the data. Forward-thinking record labels are harnessing super fans via artists’ online stores, which is proving to be a powerful means to activate an artist’s fanbase for a multitude of activities, enriching the fan experience along the way.

But for the most part, the music industry has become dependent on what I call rented land:  platforms that offer artists exposure, but little to no control. When artists build their businesses on these platforms, they don’t own the ground they’re standing on. They don’t own the communication channels. They don’t even own the data generated by their own fan engagement. In this model, real fan relationships become abstracted, reducing the artist’s ability to connect, to monetize, or to evolve.

To thrive in this environment, artists need first-party data. That means full access to the information they and their fans generate, from ticket sales and attendance to merch purchases and streaming patterns. Without it, they are operating without visibility. With it, they can shape their careers with clarity and intention.

There are hopeful signs. Bandcamp and Vault.fm have long championed artist ownership of fan data. SoundCloud’s “Fans” feature now allows creators to see and message their most engaged listeners. Bandzoogle, Music Glue, and Seated allow for direct sales and full control of fan info. Even TikTok and Apple Music have made meaningful strides in offering deeper insights through their respective “for artists” platforms.

But these are still isolated examples. Most artists still face a fragmented landscape. Different platforms hold different pieces of the puzzle, and stitching it all together is expensive, complex, and often out of reach. Many are forced to choose between creating their own tech stacks, which risks alienating fans through platform fatigue, or continuing to operate in the dark.

Access to data should be non-negotiable. Artists deserve a centralized, interoperable system that brings all their fan information into one place. This system should talk to other platforms and help power smarter marketing and commerce. Building this infrastructure will require new models, shared standards, and a collective commitment to empowering creators. Honestly, it’s a huge opportunity for an enterprising entrepreneur.

The question is no longer whether artists should own their data — it’s how fast we can get them there. In an era increasingly defined by algorithms and artificial intelligence, artists need to reclaim the one thing that can’t be faked, fabricated, or replaced: the relationship with their fans.

They built it. They nurtured it. And they should own it.