Former DJ, Jerome Howard, has created Phanzr.com, a website that helps artists connect directly with their fans while having the opportunity to obtain more data. Unlike similar sites such as SoundCloud etc., Phanzr is a music analytic site with a powerful platform that allows artists to personally reach out and interact with their fans on a personal level. These interactions include an artist being able to text and e-mail fans any information from where there next performances will be to what new music they will be dropping while obtaining more data about their fans such as gender, age and race even down to a fans specific location. Artists who join this site will also receive custom pages and custom links for promotional purposes and keep 100% of all digital sales of their content. Phanzr.com was founded November 2013, and with 350 users, was recognized as one of SXSW 2014 Start-up Spotlight companies. Howard believes that if the artist has the ability to control their data while communicating directly with those who support them, then that would create a better music experience for both the artist and the fan which will help the independent music entertainment industry as a whole.
This site will help artist identify their return on investment. With closer access to the data of the fans, Phanzr will help an artist see how their money is spent using actual data. “Often times you see artists selling or posting their music in various places. That could be by handing out demos; posting on various websites and to never see their mixtapes again or only view the number of plays/downloads (which can be misleading)” say’s Howard. Here with Phanzr.com, an artist will receive 100% from purchases within hours, be able to track where their content is being played and who all is listening. This control enables artists to identify market opportunities at the click of a button. Most importantly, Phanzr will provide data that will help artists to make more strategic decisions that will catapult them to success.
“All artists must understand that they’re a business. And like any other business, the better connection with fans increases brand loyalty. And all that data belongs to you. You shouldn’t give it away for free just to sell a single or album. It’s more valuable than you may think.” -Jerome
