We’re almost done with 2025, yet Western music streaming platforms still haven’t rolled out paid tiers for superfans. These are the people who go above and beyond. They’ll buy every album variant, travel for multiple shows, spend freely on merch. The industry has been talking about serving this group for years. So where are the special “super premium” perks?
Is it a lack of creativity? Executives struggling to define what would actually get someone to pay more?
HiFi Is No Longer Special
Spotify finally launched lossless HiFi audio this year, but the move felt more like playing catch-up. Apple Music and Amazon Music already offer high-quality audio at no extra cost. What used to be a “premium” perk is now baseline. That’s part of the problem. The bar keeps rising, but the ceiling for what counts as “superfan value” hasn’t been built yet.
Industry Slowdown, Superfan Hopes
The pressure to find new revenue is growing. Streaming growth has slowed from the double-digit highs of the pandemic era. Price hikes buy some time, but they don’t solve the bigger problem. Casual listeners aren’t spending more.
Research suggests as much as 20% of subscribers could convert into superfan-tier buyers. That’s over 160 million people globally. In the U.S., about 18% of listeners already qualify as superfans. The ones who shrug at price hikes because they want the extras. Yet, there’s nothing for them.
The Tencent Example
If you want to see what’s possible, look at Tencent Music in China. Their superfan tier offers high-quality audio, early ticket access, exclusive digital albums. They even offer collectible merchandise. Western fans say they want the same things, especially early access and exclusives. Instead, what they get is the same basic streaming experience with a few price hikes layered on top.
The Recession Question
Financial experts are warning that the U.S. could experience a recession soon. The global economy still hasn’t fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic. Now it’s getting hammered by the chaos Trump’s tariffs are causing. Is now really the time to ask superfans for even more money?
The industry argues that music has proven recession-resistant. Analysts point out that live music grew 7% even during past downturns. People cut back on restaurants or travel, but they keep their music subscriptions. Superfans, in particular, treat concerts and merch as “essential” spending. They’ll sacrifice elsewhere to stay connected to the artists they love.
Let’s be clear that superfans aren’t recession-proof. They’re facing rent hikes, student debt, inflation like everyone else. Their spending is resilient, but not infinite. Right now, live events, merch, even streaming services are all stretching our wallets to their breaking point.
Dependence or Diversification?
If artists funnel their best fan engagement into Spotify or Apple, they risk losing direct access to marketing, and fan relationships. That’s why so many rely on hybrid models. Patreon for exclusives, Shopify for merch, Bandcamp for special releases.
Superfan tiers could unlock more revenue. Only if they’re one piece of a bigger ecosystem, not the whole thing. Or maybe it’s the uncomfortable realization that artists are already more dependent on superfans than they’d like to admit. Give them even more power, and entitlement issues aren’t far behind. Just ask anyone who’s worked in K-pop.
Streaming platforms love to talk about superfans, but they haven’t delivered the tiers those fans want. The hesitation speaks volumes. Can streaming platforms design tiers that deepen the relationship instead of exploiting it? Until they answer that, “super premium” will remain a buzzword rather than a business model.
