Universal Music Group on the difference between going viral and building a fanbase | Danny Ingram, Director of Creator Marketing

Behind every viral song there's a lot of work going on - and a spike in views doesn't always mean good news for the artist. In this episode, we're joined by Danny Ingram, Director of Creator Marketing at Universal Music UK, to unpack what really happens when a track starts to trend. Expect to learn why a meme-driven moment can inflate numbers without driving streams, when the team steps in to amplify something organic rather than trying to manufacture it, and why Google Trends data is one of the metrics they watch most closely. We also get into how labels work with artists who don't want to behave like creators, why YouTube and younger audiences are a gap many marketers are overlooking, and what consumer brands could learn from the way the music industry trusts its creators. Got a question or a suggestion for the SocialMinds podcast? Get in touch at socialminds@socialchain.com.