Today in Focus Fake fans, fake buzz? How your favourite band got big
22 snips
May 5, 2026 
Eamonn Forde, music journalist and author who decodes the industry machine, and Shaad D'Souza, culture writer who tracks trends and controversies, dig into manufactured hype. They unpack how marketing firms create fake fan activity and the backlash that follows. They also explore modern PR tactics, streaming, playlists and how algorithms shape which bands break through.
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Agencies Can Fabricate Viral Fanhood
- Chaotic Good and similar agencies manufacture social sentiment to make artists appear to be viral.
- They create numerous fake TikTok fan pages and post clips frequently, charging clients around $2,000 a month to amplify songs inorganically.
SXSW Podcast Sparked The Backlash
- A Chaotic Good founders' live podcast admission at SXSW triggered scrutiny when journalists traced many 2025 breakout artists back to the agency.
- Fans and Redditors then dug up client lists and accused bands like Geese of being industry plants.
Post Widely At Moment Of Opportunity
- Use narrative and UGC campaigns strategically to seed stories rather than rely on single posts.
- Chaotic Good advises posting widely across many TikTok accounts at key moments like tour onsales to drive awareness and ticket demand.
