Every trend and sound you’ll read today is pulled straight from Hugo, our AI that catches what’s going viral first.

Graham has founded one of the world’s leading music growth agencies. We asked him how to cut through the noise and build a real fanbase this year.

More Streams has helped everyone from indie acts to global stars like Justin Bieber. We asked founder Graham Richardson about why artists still need agencies, which platform he’s betting on for 2026, how AI could reshape campaigns, how to turn listeners into loyal fans, and the biggest lesson he’s learned from running hundreds of campaigns.

Q&A

Question 1: In an era where tools like TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and AI give artists direct access to fans, what’s the biggest reason artists still turn to agencies like More Streams?
Answer: The barrier to entry has never been lower—anyone can post a song on TikTok or YouTube—but that means the noise has never been louder. Tools are accessible, but turning them into real fan growth is a skill built over years. Just like handing someone a paintbrush doesn’t make them Picasso, handing artists these platforms doesn’t guarantee effective storytelling. What we bring is the expertise to cut through the noise, combine engaging content with a cohesive narrative, and ultimately build a fanbase that sticks. Platforms change, but the fundamentals of attention and storytelling are timeless.

Question 2: Which platform do you think will be the place to break music in 2026: TikTok, Reels, Shorts, Spotify, something else?
Answer: The platform that gives artists the most free reach will always be the one to watch. Right now, TikTok and Instagram Reels are still the biggest drivers, because they’re competing head-to-head for attention and are forced to reward creators with more organic visibility. TikTok’s reach has cooled compared to a few years ago, but it’s still strong; Reels are currently offering more reach than the main Instagram feed for the same reason. Beyond that, if a new platform emerges and starts offering “free samples” of reach to attract users, that’s where the next breakout stories will happen. And of course, it depends on audience: a 19-year-old artist is going to find their people on TikTok, while a 50-year-old artist might still be best served on Facebook.

Question 3: What’s your personal take on AI in music marketing: do you see it mainly improving targeting, or actually shaping the creative side of campaigns too?
Answer: Right now, AI’s strongest potential is in scale—things like generating hundreds of ad variations, A/B testing, and optimizing for what statistically performs best. Targeting will certainly improve as the tech matures. The harder challenge is creative. For brands, it’s fine if an AI generates something “good enough.” For artists, though, ads also have to feel authentic and aligned with their voice. That tension—between what’s most viral and what feels true to the artist—isn’t something AI is good at solving yet. I keep a close eye on the tools, but for now, the human judgment of how to balance commerce with creative integrity is still essential.

Question 4: More Streams speaks about building loyal fanbases, not just one‐off viral moments. What are some of the tactics you use (or measure) to convert someone who finds a song into someone who keeps listening, follows, or engages with future releases?
Answer: Virality is easy to measure, but loyalty is harder—and more valuable. One of the most effective tools we push is still email. It’s not sexy, but 40% of emails get opened compared to 3% of Instagram posts getting seen. If someone opts into your list, even just seeing your name in their inbox weekly keeps you top-of-mind. We often use TikTok or Reels as the top of the funnel, then offer something exclusive—like unreleased demos or first access to tickets—in exchange for an email sign-up. From there, we track clicks, replies, and ongoing engagement. Of course, we also monitor repeat listeners on Spotify and social comments, but the real conversion happens when a casual listener joins a direct channel where the artist can nurture that relationship.

Question 5: You’ve worked with everyone from rising indie acts to global stars like Justin Bieber. Looking back on all those campaigns, what’s the single biggest lesson you’d pass on?
Answer: The biggest lesson is to be brutally clear about your goal. Do you want massive awareness—millions of streams and viral visibility—or do you want deep engagement—fans who buy tickets, merch, and vinyl? Both are valid, but they deliver different outcomes. Labels, for example, often want big awareness numbers because they believe they can convert that into fans later. But if you’re an indie artist building a career, 1,000 loyal email subscribers in one city is often worth more than 10 million scattered streams worldwide. Too often, artists chase one metric, achieve it, and then wonder why they don’t have the other. The campaigns that work best are the ones built around a clearly defined priority—awareness or engagement—and then executed relentlessly against that.

Check out More Streams: https://www.morestreams.com/
Connect with Graham: https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-richardson/

Hugo’s early access waitlist is still open.

Built by Parasition, Hugo is an AI platform designed to make music marketing measurable and predictable. Instead of scraping text, he analyzes over 100,000 TikToks daily — watching and listening to identify trend formation in real time.

From there, Hugo maps the songs most likely to break, the creative angles that will resonate, and the optimal timing to launch campaigns.

Join the waitlist here: https://hugo.love/

YouTube Music just redesigned its Now Playing screen, adding a cleaner look and moving the “Up Next” queue next to the track. For people in music, this means listeners can see what’s coming next without leaving the screen. This boosts chances of them sticking around for the next song and driving deeper plays. It’s a small but powerful update for campaigns built around sequencing and discovery.

— #1. Golden | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 54 m weekly streams

— #2. back to friends | sombr // 40 m weekly streams

— #3. Ordinary | Alex Warren // 33 m weekly streams

— #4. Tears | Sabrina Carpenter // 32 m weekly streams

— #5. Soda Pop | KPop Demon Hunters Cast // 28 m weekly streams (NEW)

— #1. Taylor Swift // Pop

— #2. Bad Bunny // Latin trap

— #3. Drake // Pop

— #4. Sabrina Carpenter // Pop

— #5. The Weeknd // Alternative R&B

— #6. Justin Bieber // Pop

— #7. KPop Demon Hunters Cast // KPop

— #8. Fuerza Regida // Regional Mexican

— #9. Ariana Grande // Pop

— #10. Billie Eilish // Alternative Pop

Views: 35,500,000 | Likes: 7,000,000

This Lorax college dorm video shows how pure chaos can be the most powerful hook. What starts as a guy in full Lorax costume crouch-walking into a dorm turns into one of TikTok’s funniest ongoing bits.

— #1. Curiosity overload. Viewers immediately wonder why someone is dressed as the Lorax and breaking into a dorm, and you have to watch to figure out what’s happening.

— #2. Relatable reactions. The college girls laughing and trying to process the situation makes it feel unscripted and easy to share with friends.

— #3. Committed performance. The actor goes all in, screaming, staying crouched, fully embodying the bit, which makes it way funnier than a half-hearted prank.

— #4. Great capture. Clean lighting and smooth filming keep the focus on the chaos so nothing distracts from the moment.

Starting September 20, Munich’s Oktoberfest is technically a folk festival, not a music event, but it might as well be. Each of the 14 giant beer tents hosts live bands from morning to night, filling the festival grounds with brass, folk, and party anthems. The atmosphere is electric, and every year its sing-alongs go viral across social media, making Oktoberfest a global celebration of music, culture and chaos all at once.

Pinned comments are one of the easiest ways to turn casual viewers into listeners. Most people scroll straight to the comments before checking your bio, so use that space to guide them. Drop your streaming link, a pre-save link, or a quick line about the song’s backstory.

Also, always make sure your sound is properly linked so anyone who reads the comment can find the track. Replies to pinned comments can also become new videos you can use to boost engagement and extend reach.

— Goals first, always. Graham Richardson’s biggest lesson is simple: decide whether you want reach or deep engagement — and build your campaign around that single goal.

— Pick the right part of a sound. Aya Nakamura’s Comportement shows how choosing the catchiest section of a song fuels looping power and trend adoption.

— Chaos captures attention. The Lorax dorm invasion proves that weird, high-commitment bits still dominate TikTok feeds and get people sharing.

— Clean setups perform. Giovanni Toccami’s campaign shows how a minimal background, good lighting, and a small movement up front can turn captions into scroll-stoppers.

— Platforms keep pushing discovery. YouTube Music’s new “Up Next” layout makes it easier to hold listeners longer and for them to discover new tracks. This is very artist-friendly and something we’re thrilled about.

Thanks for reading this week’s Echo, and a special thanks to Graham for the awesome interview! The newsletter’s insights come from our AI, Hugo. Check him out and join the waitlist at https://hugo.love/.