Abu Dhabi: 'Streams just a vanity metric', say music executives at Bridge summit

Going viral won’t sustain a music career, speakers at the Bridge Summit warned, emphasising that long-term consistency, a clear artistic “superpower”, and fan retention matter more than chasing quick hits.

At the Bridge Summit on Tuesday, three veteran music executives dismantled one of the industry’s most persistent myths: that hitting a million streams is a sign of success. In reality, they said, the number has become a distraction — and often a trap.

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Producer Julian Bunetta, artist manager Gordan Dillard, and Ten2 Media co-founder George Karalexis told emerging artists that the fixation on metrics has warped priorities and created a culture where quick virality is mistaken for career momentum. “The idea of hitting a stream number is becoming more of a vanity metric than an actual, tangible success metric,” Karalexis said.

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‘It’s a long game’

Opening the session, Dillard set expectations bluntly. “You need to focus on your superfans. It’s a long game. It takes a lot of consistency, a lot of disappointments,” he said, stressing that artists must build communities grounded in authenticity rather than algorithm-chasing.

Bunetta expanded on that point, saying many artists can “gamify” their way to a million streams — often through luck or a viral trend — but gain nothing lasting from it. “You can get to a million streams, but that doesn’t mean it’s meaningful in any way,” he said. “It’s not about hitting a number. It’s about building a world slowly over time with intention.”

Music alone is no longer enough

All three speakers argued that in today’s environment, where attention spans are shrinking and fan access is increasing, the surrounding narrative matters almost as much as the songs themselves. “You’re having to market all these different things about yourself — brand singularity, visuals, aesthetics,” Bunetta said. “People almost have to fall in love with you first. Once they fall in love with you, then they start streaming.”

Dillard said artists need to rethink how they present themselves. “They didn’t have the access to you that they have now. There’s too much access,” he said. “Artists are having to show more of themselves online to build authenticity.”

Find your ‘superpower’

If there was one theme the panel kept returning to, it was differentiation. “If you don’t know your superpower and you don’t have great songs, you should probably do something else,” Karalexis said. “Know what you’re great at — that’s how you play the long game.”

Dillard illustrated the point with a story from his work with Doja Cat. “You have good music, but how do you tell the story? We put money into visuals because that was the opportunity,” he said.

The catalogue game

Quick viral spikes are easy, the panelists said — but few artists survive them. “People go viral all the time and they’re not prepared to follow up,” Karalexis said. “Music is now just one piece of a larger ecosystem.”

Bunetta pointed to artists whose biggest hits took years to surface. “Consistency and quality over time allows you the best chance to be discovered,” he said, noting that Lizzo’s breakout hit was “three years old before it became a hit.”

Dillard added that many of today’s highest earners have modest but fiercely loyal listener bases. “Some artists stream a million with small, dedicated fan bases — we don’t even know who they are,” he said.

Karalexis put it bluntly: “Catalogue is probably the most important part of the music industry. Labels and equity firms are buying catalogues — that’s where the money is.”

Reality check

During the Q&A, a Dubai-based artist promoting her new track Christmas in Dubai asked how to boost its reach. The panel didn’t soften the truth. “You’re pushing a Christmas song — you start that in September,” Dillard said, adding that seasonal songs offer limited long-term impact. “What else do you have beyond the Christmas song? No one’s listening to Christmas music in January.”

He advised her to build non-seasonal material first: “When you have a platform, then the Christmas songs become the thing.”

The real formula

After an hour of dismantling myths, Bunetta closed with the line that drew the strongest reaction. “Tools don’t build a great house. Thoughtfulness builds a great house. The tools are just tools.”

Karalexis added the final takeaway: “Consistency over frequency. Build a foundation. Know your superpower.”

• Abu Dhabi

Haneen Dajani

haneen@khaleejtimes.com

Haneen Dajani is special correspondent in Abu Dhabi with over 15 years of reporting experience. She’s also a passionate athlete, full Ironman finisher, and mountaineer who loves to embark on unusual challenges.