Image credits: New Heights
Taylor Swift’s debut on Travis and Jason Kelce’s podcast shows how podcasts and superfans can drive record-breaking engagement.
Taylor Swift appears on ‘New Heights’
Taylor Swift has done it again. Last week, she appeared on New Heights, the American football podcast hosted by her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason. For two hours, she opened up about closing the chapter on her record-breaking Eras Tour, as well as buying back her masters (something she revealed she had been saving for since her teens).
Breaking records (again)
Her guest spot wasn’t just noteworthy, it shattered podcasting records which, at this point, seems hardly surprising given her level of stardom and loyal fanbase. According to Billboard, the episode peaked at 1.3 million concurrent livestream viewers on YouTube, the highest ever for a podcast on the platform. Not to mention, that’s a lot of people to be watching anything at one given moment. By August 19 (the time of writing), it has already pulled in almost 20 million views in just five days.
The momentum didn’t stop there. Spotify data provided by Burson Global showed a 3,000% increase in new listeners to the show, while female listenership was up 618% in the first 24 hours (both stats compared to the average from the previous 5 episodes). That’s the kind of increase that podcasters could only dream about.
Why fans tuned in
The reason behind the stagger numbers is simple: Swift delivered exclusive details about her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl. She revealed the album’s cover, tracklist, and release date which is scheduled for October 3.
She describes the album as “a lot more upbeat, and it’s a lot more fun pop excitement,” and serves as a deep dive into what was going on in her life while she was on The Eras Tour.
Sure, the album announcement was the big draw. However, the real story here is what it proves. It inherently shows that superfans will follow artists anywhere. Their support even transcends boundaries, with Swift’s fans willing to follow her into an American football podcast- a topic that is unrelated to music, and a topic that Swift herself admitted she knew little about before dating Travis. It remains clear that the power of Swift’s fanbase is simply undeniable.
The power of podcasts for artists
Swift’s appearance also serves as a marketing masterclass. It highlights the raw power of fandom and the untapped potential of podcasts as a music marketing tool.
As we covered earlier this year, podcasts are undoubtedly more popular within culture yet their potential is largely under-utilized within the music industry. In fact, 28% of weekly podcast listeners are music superfans (40% more likely than the general population).
Podcasts can reach those listeners who want more than just the music or creator they tune in for. They want the stories behind things and the deeper context which strengthens their connection to an artist or creator, and keeps them invested.
So, perhaps it is no coincidence that when you have a fanbase as loyal as Taylor Swift’s, that connection translates into numbers that few artists or creators can match.
Final thoughts
Swift’s New Heights appearance is a reminder: podcasts shouldn’t be an afterthought in music marketing. Perhaps more artists will now take note of the untapped potential that podcasts offer. They’re a direct way to engage with an artist’s most dedicated fans, and may even help you pick up some new superfans along the way.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source routenote.com ’
