Uncharted

Uncharted: Music and Mayhem in the Music Industry, episode 007: The Linkin Park cyberstalker

There have been many studies into the different types of music fans. They can be broken down into four types.

At the bottom of the pyramid are people who aren’t fans at all. They don’t like you or don’t care about you or what you do. They may not even know who you are, so for the purposes of this discussion, they don’t matter.

The next level are casual fans They sort of like you or your music, but they can take or leave what you’re selling. They have zero investment in your career.

Going up another level, we have true fans. They love you enough that they’ll spend money on you. They’ll stream your music faithfully, buy physical product like CDs or vinyl from time-to-time, probably own a t-shirt or two, and will go to your shows and have a very good time.

At the very top are the superfan. Superfans love, love, love you. They’re evangelists. They follow your ever move. They’ll buy everything you have to offer. They’ll get involved and donate to your charitable cause. And they go to all of the shows. Superfans may make up 10% of your total fanbase but are the source of the majority of your income—like 60, 70, even 80% They are the top of the fan pyramid.

From there, though, we can cross over to the dark side. This is where we find the fantasists, the deluded, the obsessed, the trolls, and the insane. They are dangerous people, a threat to you and the people around you. They show up when you least expect it.

And if they break into your online world, that’s a whole new level of terror. Have I got a story for you…this is what happened with the Linkin Park cyberstalker.

Get Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry wherever you get your podcasts. Both Uncharted and The Ongoing History of New Music will be heard back-to-back overnights five days a week on these Corus news stations:

Showtimes (all times local)

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  • Edmonton: 630 CHED (1-2am)
  • Calgary: QR77 (770 AM and 107.1 FM) (1-2am)
  • Winnipeg: 680 CJOB (1-2am)

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 39863 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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