With unprecedented ticket demand restricting even the most passionate fans from concert access, the world of music fandom has been clamoring for a system that accurately identifies and rewards real fans with priority access. Notable fan-centric platform Fave has answered the call, partnering with a growing roster of major industry players and fan-run organizations to tackle ticketing, amongst other fan problems, head-on. Already backed by Warner, Sony, and HYBE, Fave is navigating an influx of attention from music-world’s heavy hitters who believe the small-but-mighty startup has crafted the much-needed verification system that will alleviate the gargantuan rift between fans and the corporations gatekeeping their activity.  

After testing their patented technology and culturally-relevant strategy through partnerships with establishment entities like the Billboard Music Awards, as well as with one of the biggest fandoms in the world, BTS ARMY, alongside fan-run organizations like Euphoria Dance, Fave officially put their plan into motion this week by launching its highly-anticipated Fan Verification™ system. 

Through Fan Verification, fans showcase the depth of their ongoing fandom-related activity by logging everything from streaming activity, to merch collections, to fan art, to concert attendance, to crazy fan stories, and more. In so doing, users progress in status from Fan, to Verified Fan, and finally to Verified Superfan as reflected in their unique Fave Fan IDs. Each tier unlocks further access to highly coveted rewards and experiences provided by artists, brand partners, and even other generous superfans looking to recognize their fellow fans. 

Whereas other platforms have merely asked for a name, an email address, and a pulse to demonstrate one’s “proof” of verified fandom, leading to widespread frustration and dissatisfaction, Fave is empowering users to share an accurate reflection of who they are as a fan. In the past, artists and industry entities have struggled to spot and reward deserving fans due to incomplete databases and well-intentioned yet highly chaotic manual outreach that exhausts them in just a single campaign, but finally, Fave has provided an effortless system for getting these items and experiences into the right hands. 

“On Fave, top-fan status and access to exclusive experiences are not just reserved to the people who can afford it or got lucky in some random giveaway - neither of those correlate to how passionate and deserving of a fan you are,” says Fave founder and CEO Jacquelle Amankonah Horton. “Instead, fans earn these experiences through the authentic, heartfelt activities they’ve already been doing.”

As such, anyone looking to achieve Verified Fan status through disingenuous means, such as bots, scammers, or fake fans, will be hard pressed to falsify the process and patented technology on Fave, particularly given that the platform also adds a layer of manual human review to double-verify a fan’s authenticity before they’re officially granted their status. 

At a time when fans feel increasingly like dollar signs, unseen as individuals and at the whims of unfriendly industry mechanisms, Fave has created a safe, centralized platform for fandoms, as well as a powerful tool for artists looking to reward and closely communicate with their most loyal followers. The app will unveil major partnerships and meaningful rewards in the coming months, as the team continues to expand more and more opportunities for their yet unparalleled Fan Verification system that they believe is the key to empowering far more win-win scenarios, safety, and staying power for fandom communities. Fans who have come aboard have quickly realized that Fave’s system is likely how they can finally be seen.

About Fave

Recognizing that passionate fans are the backbone of the music industry, Fave (faveforfans.com) has a singular vision: improving and empowering the fan experience. In addition to their game-changing Fan Verification system, the app provides a centralized location for fans to engage with other like-minded fans, monetize their creative efforts, and exchange fan-made goods on a Marketplace that does for fandom what Etsy did for crafting.  

Launched in April 2021, the platform plans to open its doors to virtually all music fandoms in the near future as it continues to find new ways to create value for passionate fans. 

In addition to being recognized by Fast Company as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Social Media Companies of 2022, the app has received investments from HYBE, Sony Music, Warner Music Group, Concord Music, Quality Control, Female Founders Fund, Betaworks, and Techstars, among others.

Fan badges will encourage and reward deep fan engagement around  “Permission to Dance: The City- Las Vegas” (even for fans who can’t make it).

Fave, the social platform and online home for superfans, has announced new Fan Badges, kicking off in style to allow fans to commemorate the upcoming BTS shows in Las Vegas on April 8-9 and 15-16. The badges will be available to BTS fans attending the group’s live Vegas performances and the many festivities happening around the city across two weeks, and to those following the action from home. 

”We are so excited to launch fan badges in Fave and allow a myriad of amazing fan activity to be shared and memorialized together as a fandom, from ‘I was there’ badges, to inside joke badges, to major moments that catch the world’s attention. These badges build the story of a fandom and each fan’s engagement within it, bringing fans together across their most memorable experiences. Some badges unlock cool rewards, too. We have had so much fun working directly with the incredible ARMY to create and customize these badge experiences, and I can’t wait for BTS fans to get the first taste,” says Jacquelle Amankonah Horton, Fave’s founder and CEO. 

True to Fave’s mission of elevating the fan perspective, the platform has partnered with the local BTS ARMY fan group, “BTS Vegas,” to highlight local spots unique to the fandom and city, such as the Parkway Tavern Flamingo, the site of a BTS photo shoot in 2019. The fan group also designed one of the badges available, based on physical pins they made—and those pins themselves are available as one of the rewards. Most badges will be awarded by downloading the Fave app and creating a Fan Moment, a feature in Fave to share stories about milestones along your unique journey as a fan, and others can be redeemed through social media. 

For example, badges also will highlight the exclusive official events HYBE and their partners are throwing around the city. By fans documenting their Moments in the app from corresponding activations during PTD Vegas, including the Party in the City, Fountains of Bellagio, BTS Hotel Rooms and more, they’ll unlock more and more Badges. 

Fave, with dedicated sections for fans of Taylor Swift (“Swifties”), Bruno Mars (“Hooligans”) and BTS (“BTS ARMY”), has already become a hub and marketplace for fans’ creative expression, providing a space for fans to create, connect with and support each other while at the same time providing the artists themselves with an invaluable connection with their fanbase. Among a suite of new features the app has been launching this year, the introduction of Fan Badges, the platform takes their unique fan-centered perspective even further, allowing fans to create momentos and capture key memories, all while having a blast doing it. 

Badges will help fans tell the story of everything from a coveted concert ticket to a specially concocted donut. They include:

Vegas Concert Badge: Kick off the concert by showing a picture of your ticket for the concert or livestream and be eligible for rewards for in-person concerts and livestreams (a free meal at

Parkway Tavern Flamingo, a free clear bag at Bbq.Chicken, or a fan-made pin)

HYBE Badges: for showing a picture attending any of the exclusive HYBE BTS events.

FOMO Badge: for fans experiencing major FOMO over not being able to attend the concerts in person, be eligible to get a fan-made playing card set 

Welcome to Vegas Badge: post a picture on Twitter of you arriving in Vegas and be eligible for Uber codes and stickers

KPOP Store Badge: show off something you got at any KPOP Store between April 6-18.

Donut Badge: snag a BTS-themed donut from Saint Honore bakery, April 6-18.

More badges to come, including badges for recreating some BTS photoshoots, watching BTS live on Vlive, etc.

About Fave

Fave (faveforfans.com) unites fans in a single online space to create, hang out, and support the artists they love, as well as each other. Launched in April 2021 with the Taylor Swift fandom (aka “Swifties”), the platform incorporates an immersive video feed, groups tailored to specific fandoms, a leaderboard that shouts out the most engaged fans, and a points system that lets dedicated fans unlock perks and recognition — with many more features to come.

Fave plans to become the hub and a marketplace for fans’ creative exchange and expression, akin to what Etsy did for crafting — and enable fans to monetize as members of the creator economy.

Fave was recognized by Fast Company as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Social Media Companies in 2022. Fave has received investment from HYBE, Sony Music, Warner Music Group, Concord Music, Quality Control, Female Founders Fund, Betaworks, and Techstars.

Fave, the new social platform where superfans can fan out to their heart’s content, is bringing Bruno Mars’ once-scattered superfans together in a big way, both online and in person. The introduction of the Hooligans, as they’re known, is the third major fandom introduction since the platform’s launch this spring.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to now welcome the Hooligans - Bruno Mars' incredible group of loyal superfans - to Fave. Having learned so much and been so grateful for the support from the BTS ARMY and the Swifties, the Hooligans introduce another opportunity for us to create a haven for fans to connect, create, and get rewarded,” said Jacquelle Amankonah Horton, Fave’s Founder and CEO. “Through the entire process of choosing which fandom to introduce next on our path to keep refining our fan experience, Bruno and his team really stood out in their desire to give his fans a place to deeply connect and have fun together. It's going to be another fun ride!" 

Fave was created to be a home for superfans, a place where they can consolidate their online fandom and, as a result, be their true selves without the noise and external judgement they face on traditional social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Since inviting the Swifties on board in the spring and the BTS ARMY in August, users have been overwhelming in their sentiment: Fave is the place they’ve been waiting for.

And now the Hooligans have their own dedicated hub on Fave, bringing together those superfans online in a home for them to immerse and engage with each other. This week, Fave provided a couple of fans with an exclusive real-world opportunity, as well. Winners of a 70’s style video contest were given the opportunity to fly out to Atlanta and attend a Silk Sonic listening party hosted by Instagram and Atlantic Records on the group’s latest album’s release day. Fans competed by uploading video clips to the site and drumming up votes and engagement.

"Our team has been impressed and excited by the vision of Fave along with what they've accomplished so far. We knew we wanted to see the Hooligans jump into the platform - and to throw in something extra for An Evening with Silk Sonic album release on November 12. We can't wait to welcome these deserving Hooligans to the listening party and much more with Fave ahead,” said Jenna Rosenberg, VP of Digital Marketing at Atlantic Records.

The Fave team is already organizing more fandom-specific events happening on the platform in the coming weeks as more and more Hooligans join the fun. To give the fans what they want, Fave worked closely with Atlantic Records to identify Bruno’s top superfans -- bringing on board Lauren, the owner of Instagram account @BrunoMarsFans, the only fan account that Bruno himself had followed, which she’s run since 2014 and has nearly 33,000 followers.

“The Fave app is now my go-to for all things fandom related! It makes connecting with your fandom fun and easy. From creating your own content, interacting with other fans, shopping fan-made merchandise, Fave has it all. I can't wait to see what other fandoms will join the app,” Lauren said.

Users of all fandoms can share concert videos and stories, partake in virtual dance contests, and work their way up Fave’s leaderboards, which reward the most engaged fans and help turn some superfans into superstars in their own right. Ultimately, fans can be themselves on Fave all while being in the running for exclusive content and experiences not found anywhere else.

To sign up, visit www.FaveForFans.com to get the app download link and select the fandom of your choice, or vote for your favorite fandom to see unlocked next.

Fave Welcoming BTS ARMY as the Latest Unlocked Fandom, Launches New Fan Marketplace  

Anyone who has spent time on the Internet has seen them: superfans so passionate they can hardly contain their adoration. Fave (faveforfans.com) has made it their mission to create a safe, creative, fan-centered space for those superfans. With Fave's latest update, fans of the K-pop band BTS, a fandom known as ARMY, will now have their own dedicated community within the app.

The multi-day launch will be full of opportunities for fans to get involved, such as live "cupsleeve" events around the US where fans will gather to immerse in BTS together, a virtual dance class to learn choreography to their hits, watch parties, celebrations for members' birthdays, and much more.

Some of those dedicated enthusiasts are already excited for the fandom's arrival to Fave, and are getting fellow ARMY members on the hype train."We're on several platforms, this is true, but imagine a place where we have our own VIP section with no unneeded drama, and having fun expressing our love for BTS in the several ways we as ARMY know how!" wrote BTS fan influencer Dani. 

Fave will also feature a Fan Marketplace, something BTS fans have been excited about since the early whisperings of the ARMY's inclusion. The marketplace, which is launching in coordination with BTS' introduction to the platform, will provide an Etsy-like space to showcase fan creativity and sell goods and services from fans to fans, such as fan-made accessories or unique merchandise. This next step in the creator economy will make it easier for fans to monetize their own fandom passion and potentially make a living from it, now on the Fave platform. 

Artists and bands that choose to do so will be able to participate in a passive incremental revenue stream from fan-to-fan sales within the marketplace, making it a win-win scenario for all parties involved.

"We're thrilled to welcome the BTS ARMY onto Fave - one of the most passionate fandoms we've witnessed. They've proven how important it is to them to support fellow ARMY and empower each other, not only the artist they love, which aligns exactly with the mission of Fave. It's been humbling to see the depth of support and genuine excitement from ARMY across the world from Fave's impending launch, and we're grateful to partner with many of the fans directly to make this happen strongly. We can't wait to give them this dedicated home to let this fandom connect even more deeply and have a blast together." said Jacquelle Amankonah Horton, Fave's Founder and CEO.

Fave enjoys the support of HYBE, who already boasts a robust K-POP fandom platform for fans of BTS with more than 10 million downloads, and is a current Fave investor. "Through its investment in Fave, HYBE plans to seek new opportunities in the fan-to-fan platform business while expanding synergy in the fandom business" said Tae-Ho Kim, CEO of HYBE's Weverse Company, at the time of their investment. "We expect Fave, which has know-how and technical skills in the U.S. fandom platform market, to bring synergy to HYBE's platform business."

While Fave is fan-driven and partners closely with fan influencers, artists can also use the platform to gain direct feedback from fans and encourage their creativity. "I hope to watch ARMY thrive even further together by allowing ARMYs to have a place to showcase their amazing creativity and fan stories about how much BTS means to them, provide many methods for fans across the globe to feel connected, and so much more. This is just the beginning," Horton said. "We can't wait to evolve Fave in partnership with these fans as we continue."

LAUNCH EVENT SCHEDULE:

8/18 ARMY Log on Launch Day:  

- ARMY Log, a spinoff of Bangtan Log, where fans will share how they became an ARMY, how they discovered BTS, what they love about the fandom/BTS, and more
- ARMY Log will be a recurring series with new topics every month

8/21 Dynamite Celebrations:

- Many activities to celebrate the one year release of Dynamite 
- Channels dedicated to favorite Dynamite performance, Dynamite covers, Dynamite fanart, Dynamite edits, and more
- Collaboration with Euphoria Dance NY to teach the choreography of Dynamite virtually to fans
- Dynamite Dance Challenge Channel where fans show off what they learned from the virtual Dynamite dance class

8/23 Eat ARMY:

- A spinoff of Eat Jin where ARMYs will create videos trying out new recipes and make mukbang style videos
- A recurring series with new recipes each month

8/24 Album Discussion: 2 Cool 4 Skool: 

- Fans can discuss their favorite track, conduct lyric analysis, discuss performances, music videos from the album 2 Cool 4 Skool 
- An ongoing series for BTS music that includes collaborations, solo projects, covers, SoundCloud music, and more

8/27 BTS Karaoke Night: 

- ARMYs can join in on a BTS Karaoke night, where fans can create the playlist of BTS tracks to stream on Fave
- Post karaoke night, fans can go on Fave and continue the jam session by sharing covers of the songs they missed or other tracks they want to belt out

8/31-9/1 Jungkook Birthday Festivities: 

- In celebration of BTS member Jungkook's birthday, fans can share everything they love about Jungkook, including but not limited to favorite tracks, projects, interview moments, performances, quotes, and more
- Fans can also share how they are celebrating Jungkook's Birthday by mentioning cupsleeve events they attend, streaming parties they host, fan art and fan edits they create, and more

Run BTS: 

- Fave will host watch parties for BTS content such as Run BTS
- Occasionally recreate certain activities and challenges that occur on these shows on the platform
- Over the coming weeks, Fave will also be able to host watch parties for BTS performances, interviews, exclusive content, and more

The digital era has taken fandom to new levels. Yet most fan experiences often leave fans wanting more, with no way to channel their full creativity or connect deeply with fellow fans. Participation is limited to one-way broadcasts, digital stickers, tips, or a few comments. And artists struggle to turn fan engagement into meaningful insights, inspiring connections, or real revenue.

Fave (www.faveforfans.com) fixes this, uniting fans in a single online space to create, hang out, and support the artists they love, as well as each other. With early beta kicking off in April 2021 with the Taylor Swift fandom (aka “Swifties”), the platform incorporates an immersive video feed, groups tailored to specific fandoms, a leaderboard that shouts out the most engaged fans, and a points system that lets dedicated fans unlock perks and recognition--with many more features to come. Fave plans to become the hub and a marketplace for fans’ creative exchange and expression, akin to what Etsy did for crafting—and enable fans to monetize as members of the creator economy.

Fave recently received its first funding round from major investors and music industry heavyweights, including HYBE, Sony Music, Warner Music Group, Concord Music, Quality Control, Female Founders Fund, Betaworks, and Techstars. Fave will also be the first company to work with Universal Music Group on a new strategic innovation partnership program. 

The need for Fave is clear, to music companies, to artists, and to fans. “Today’s social platforms kill it at one-way interaction. They give creators a method to communicate with an audience, but there’s very little for the fans to react back with, participate in, and next to no exciting ways for the fans to talk to each other beyond the comments,” explains Jacquelle Amankonah Horton, Fave founder and CEO. “People are connecting with this art in a deep way. But the methods they can use to express that passion is a micro-fraction of what they actually feel.”

It’s those feelings and how people long to express them that have inspired Horton’s own passion for building a home for fandom, not abstract notions of “fan monetization” batted around by music business executives and analysts. Horton has worked closely with several fan communities to hear what they want, what they need, and what tools would help them. 

She came by the interest in fandom naturally as a superfan herself. Horton got deeply, madly into Eminem as a tween, following each step in his career and plastering his name across her room and school backpack. Thanks to this obsession, “I know how far fans go to immerse themselves,” she reflects. “Right now, there’s no good outlet for getting recognized for that love. Even though I was a huge fan, I couldn’t just go and buy a $100 ticket to a show or a $70 sweatshirt. My favorite artist got no benefit from my passion. That makes no sense!” It was a lost opportunity on both sides. 

Fast forward a decade or so: Horton spent five years at YouTube driving creator and fan engagement products during a seven-year stint at Google. She saw the thrill fans felt when they encountered their favorite creators at in-person events, trying with all their might for a moment of contact, a quick selfie. But the online channels to express and share this thrill seemed remarkably lackluster, templating interactions into comments, likes, or small digital purchases. Horton decided to change this, drawing on her own youthful fan obsessions, the existing communities of superfans, and fan influencers to build something that spoke to fans’ needs. 

The industry fascination with “fan monetization” has often considered fan perspectives as an afterthought, preferring top-down approaches modeled on old-school fan clubs and existing relationships. Artists face ever-growing pressure to produce content at a breakneck pace to secure fan attention. In her push to expand the fan engagement model, Horton has turned to the leaders in specific fandoms to guide Fave and its features. “We have a methodical approach. We reach out to fandom leaders who are active on social media or moderators in other online spaces, saying not ‘just come and post here,’ but ‘we’re creating this dedicated place for you; how can we make it amazing?’ We’ve embraced the idea that superfans are our partners in building Fave, not just testers. We genuinely want to be a part of these communities to showcase their value, contribute to the culture, and empower and reward the best fan content through fun experiences.” 

With fans driving the platform, Fave offers unique insights for artists and their teams. “We aren’t replacing other channels, but rather extending the conversation from their latest album drop, for example, to an amazing new video or a call for feedback or participation from fans whenever they are considering something creative,” Horton says. “We want artists to rely on this community as a focus group, a place they can get structured feedback back from people they are serving and who care the most.” Along with interactive offerings, contests, and other tools, Fave is rolling out an analytics dashboard to help artists and their teams to track their activities and gauge their success on the platform, adding a helpful and informative dose of data to the qualitative experience of relationship and community building. 

It’s a much-needed new approach, as Fave’s early investors and industry support demonstrate. “Through its investment in Fave, HYBE plans to seek new opportunities in the fan-to-fan platform business while expanding synergy in the fandom business,” notes Tae-Ho Kim, CEO of HYBE’s Weverse Company, their K-Pop fandom platform for fans of BTS and others with over 10M downloads as of Aug 2020: "We expect Fave, which has know-how and technical skills in the U.S. fandom platform market, to bring synergy to HYBE's platform business as a whole."

Beyond her insight into fan communities, Horton has a deeper, more personal perspective on superfan motivation and its potential positive impact. Her intense engagement as a diehard fan of Eminem helped her find her own power and strength, to speak her own truth. It also underlined the importance of pursuing your passion, even when everyone seems skeptical or dismissive, just as her musical idol did. 

“Eminem’s songs often tell a real and raw story. When I was young, I aspired to be able to say something as clearly as he did and with that level of conviction,” recalls Horton. “As a Black woman who’s the mother of a young child and who works in tech, I’ve drawn on that energy while launching an ambitious vision as a founder/CEO. I’ve stepped into shoes I’ve wanted to walk in for so long. I want to say to others out there, ‘You can do this if you don’t look like the investors, if you don’t have a computer science degree, if you have a toddler. You can push through.’ That's really the mission of Fave, harnessing what you’re passionate about,” and sharing it with the world.