case Study
Fiona bevan
3 single releases
STREAM SURGE Monthly rolling
About Fiona Bevan
Fiona Bevan is an accomplished songwriter who has penned hits for major artists including Ed Sheeran and One Direction. Despite her impressive songwriting credentials, Fiona had been releasing independently for several years with varying results and struggled to translate her talent into streaming success.
By her own admission, she lacked a strong release strategy and had never achieved healthy streaming numbers. With around 120 monthly listeners and 3,000 Spotify followers, her music simply wasn't reaching enough people, despite having a strong mailing list that successfully drove ticket sales for her live performances.
When we met Fiona, it became clear that while she had the quality and the live audience, there was a significant gap between her touring success and her digital presence. We believed strongly in her music and knew that with the right strategy, we could help her reach the audience her songs deserved.
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Our Strategy
Our challenge was to create a structured release strategy that would build momentum across multiple singles whilst targeting the right demographic for Fiona's folk-pop sound.
The Multi-Release Approach
Beginning in December 2024, we developed a comprehensive long-term strategy spanning four singles: "Little Feather" (our first collaboration, launched December 6th), "Dance Around It", "Curve Of The Earth", and "Sweet Spot", using our Stream Surge package for each release. This flagship service proved perfect for Fiona's needs, providing the strategic depth and sustained support required for building long-term streaming momentum across what has become an ongoing partnership now extending to her fifth release.
Demographic Targeting
Understanding that Fiona's audience skewed older (30-50 age range), we included Facebook advertising alongside Instagram - a strategic decision that proved crucial for reaching her core demographic.
Organic Foundation
We encouraged increased social media activity across all platforms, creating a strong organic foundation that would support our paid advertising efforts and build authentic engagement.
Data-Driven Retargeting
Using ads created by Fiona herself, we focused on collecting valuable audience data from the first campaign, then built sophisticated retargeting audiences for subsequent releases. This created a compounding effect where each new single not only performed well but also drove streams back to previous releases.
High-Engagement Focus
Rather than purely chasing stream numbers, we optimised for saves, playlist adds, and streams per listener - metrics that indicate genuine fan engagement and long-term value.
Results ACross 3 singles
⭐ Monthly listeners increased from 120 to 5,325 - over 4,000% growth
⭐ 46,596 total streams across the three singles:
"Dance Around It": 21,941 streams, 8,295 listeners, 2,293 saves
"Curve Of The Earth": 13,153 streams, 6,144 listeners, 1,330 saves
"Sweet Spot": 11,502 streams, 6,369 listeners, 909 saves
⭐ Spotify followers increased from 2,978 to over 3,960
⭐ Exceptional engagement metrics: Save rates and playlist adds significantly above industry average
⭐ Streams per listener approximately 3x normal rate for healthy streaming songs
⭐ Strong algorithmic playlist performance - consistent Radio and Discover Weekly triggers
⭐ International reach: Top Tier-A countries include UK, US, Australia and Canada
⭐ Real-world impact: Fans regularly approach Fiona at live shows saying they discovered her through our targeted ads
the compounding effect
One of the most significant successes of our strategy was the compounding effect across releases. Each new single not only achieved strong numbers in its own right but also drove additional streams to Fiona's previous releases, creating sustained growth across her entire catalogue.
This approach transformed Fiona's streaming presence from isolated single releases to a cohesive artist journey that keeps fans engaged and discovering her full body of work.
Algorithmic Success
Our targeted approach consistently triggered Spotify's algorithmic playlists, with Radio and Discover Weekly providing substantial additional streams beyond our direct campaign reach.
Audience Quality
The high save rates and playlist additions demonstrate that we weren't just driving casual listens, but building a genuinely engaged fanbase that connects with Fiona's music on a deeper level.
Streams have been healthy throughout and we've seen a huge increase since Laid Bare’s involvement.
And we've been able to secure these without relying on 3rd Party Playlists, something that Spotify favours.
Directing listeners to Fiona’s profile as well as the increased Saves & Playlist Adds helped secure support from Spotify’s Algorithmic Playlists.
Listeners in the month prior to the Campaign Start averaged around 120 per month
An earlier single was only on 14k streams after a 2022 Release
Save Rate since Campaign Start on the rise, and…
Monthly Listeners now up to over 5000
Streams are up considerably since Campaign Start
..combined with a healthy number of Playlist Adds, we can be confident of streams increasing even after the campaign ends!
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From Streaming to Stage
The ultimate validation of our "ads-to-real-world" methodology came through Fiona's touring success. While she was already an established live performer, our campaigns created tangible real-world impact, with fans regularly telling her at shows that they discovered her music through our targeted advertising.
This demonstrates the true power of strategic digital marketing - not just increasing numbers on a screen, but creating genuine connections that translate into real-world support for artists.
Geographic Insights
Our audience data has also provided valuable insights for future touring opportunities, with strong listener bases in key markets including North America and Europe, supporting Fiona's ongoing UK, Ireland, and Canada tour dates.
We target and secure Top Tier Spotify countries and locations, ensuring higher royalty rates and then use to help to plan future touring opportunities.
Top Cities
By the time show at Sweet Spot was released the preceding Single Releases were benefitting from the data collected so far.
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Industry Recognition
The transformation of a successful songwriter into a streaming success story showcases what's possible when quality music meets strategic marketing. Fiona's journey from 120 to 5,325 monthly listeners proves that with the right approach, even established artists can find new audiences and achieve sustainable growth.
Her success demonstrates our core belief: exceptional music combined with data-driven strategy and genuine audience building creates lasting impact that extends far beyond streaming platforms.