How To Maintain Fan Engagement Over The Holidays as an Independent Musician

As a creative, you know the grind never stops. During the holiday season, it’s important to keep your fans engaged in any way you can. Before you panic at the idea of more work while you’re trying to chill by the fire, these are some fairly simple methods that won’t break the bank or your time, so you can enjoy the holiday season and keep the hustle going without breaking a sweat. Without further ado, let’s dive in! Here are some tips and tricks to help you maintain fan engagement over the holidays…

How To Stay Connected With Your Fans This Holiday Season

Repost Highlights From The Past Year

A new year means a whole archive of moments worth resurfacing. Think shows, behind-the-scenes clips, funny mishaps, studio sessions, anything that reminds your fans why they love following your journey. If you toured this year, definitely dig up those crowd videos, travel moments, or performance clips and give them a second life.

Short-form is still king, so Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts are perfect places to post these recap-style throwbacks. You can even turn them into a mini “Year in Review” series with quick captions like “Things I’ll never forget in 2025” or “Moments that made the year”.

And don’t forget: your fans probably captured some gems too. Ask them to send in their favorite videos or tag you in their posts, then repost the best ones. UGC is one of the easiest ways to boost engagement and show love back to your community. (If you want a deeper dive on using fan content strategically, check out How To Use User-Generated Content To Market Your Music)

Create Your Own Year-in-Review Recap

The holidays are the perfect time to look back on everything you accomplished this year, and your fans love being part of that reflection. Instead of waiting for Spotify Wrapped or Apple Music Replay to do it for you, create your own recap that highlights the moments you want to celebrate. This can be as simple or creative as you want. Consider things like:

• A quick Reel or TikTok rounding up your favorite shows, studio clips, or behind-the-scenes moments
• A carousel of milestones like new releases, playlist adds, collaborations, or cities you performed in
• A “Top 5 Moments of the Year” countdown
• A roundup of your favorite fan comments or duets
• A mini vlog about the biggest thing you learned or overcame this year

No need for it to be edited like a full production. Fans connect with these because they feel genuine and personal. If you want, you can add a short caption or voiceover that shares how you personally feel about the year as a whole. This type of recap also helps build momentum going into January because it reminds people of everything you accomplished right before you start rolling out next year’s plans.

Create Holiday-Themed Short-Form Content

Short-form video is still where fans are most active, especially on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. The holidays are the perfect opportunity to make content that feels festive, fun, and shareable.

Consider trying things like quick holiday challenges or trends with your music, a mini “Vlogmas” series showing behind-the-scenes moments in the studio or at home, or teasers for upcoming releases wrapped in a holiday theme. Seasonal covers or mashups are also a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Cozy, personal clips thanking fans or sharing a favorite memory from the year make fans feel appreciated and connected.

Even simple clips work, as long as they feel genuine. Plus, you can repurpose content across platforms to reach more fans without extra work. Adding captions, festive graphics, or popular seasonal sounds can help your short-form content get discovered. This type of content keeps fans engaged while giving them something light and entertaining to enjoy during the busy holiday season.

Host a Holiday Livestream or Mini Concert

The holidays are a great time to go live and connect with fans in real time. Whether it’s a short acoustic set, a Q&A, or a mini virtual concert, livestreams give your audience something interactive and memorable. If you’ve got the time, you can perform a few holiday-themed songs, share behind-the-scenes moments from your studio or home setup, or even take fan requests. Platforms like TikTok LIVE, Instagram LIVE, Twitch, and YouTube are perfect for this because fans can comment, react, and engage while you’re streaming.

Consider adding a small incentive to encourage viewers to join, like a giveaway during the stream, exclusive early access to a release, or a chance to appear in a fan spotlight. Livestreams don’t have to be long or heavily produced, either. Fans (me, included!) love authenticity, and a relaxed, festive vibe often works best.

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Collaborate with Other Artists for Holiday Cross-Promo

The holidays are the perfect excuse to team up with other artists and give your fans something extra special. Even small joint efforts can make such a big impact. Even if you do something like swap holiday playlists, create a fun short Reel or TikTok together, or hop on each other’s livestreams for a mini performance or Q&A, these are all great collab opportunities. Seasonal duets, remix chains, or co-hosted virtual events can add a fun, festive twist that keeps fans excited and engaged.

Working with other artists not only introduces you to new audiences but also keeps your content fresh and unexpected for your current fans. Plus, fans love seeing their favorite artists support each other, especially during the holidays, and the energy of a creative partnership can make your seasonal content feel even more memorable.

Giveaways

A holiday giveaway is a simple way to boost engagement and remind fans that you appreciate them. People are already in a generous, festive mood during this time of year, which makes it the perfect moment to run something quick and fun. Giveaways still perform really well on social platforms. They encourage both your existing fans and new followers to interact with your posts, which helps your content show up more often in their feeds. You can keep it small or go all out, depending on what feels right for you.

Here are some easy ideas to help you out:

• Limited edition merch
• Early download access to an upcoming single or EP
• Signed vinyl or CDs
• A holiday bundle with merch, a handwritten card, stickers, or small treats
• A charity donation in the winner’s name
• A one-on-one video chat or virtual listening session
• Exclusive access to an unreleased demo

If you want to spread your reach even further, run the giveaway through Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts. Live giveaways on TikTok or Instagram also work really well because fans can interact in real-time. All in all, the holidays are all about giving back and showing some love. A simple giveaway can do that while also keeping your fans active and engaged.

Holiday Discounts On Merch

The holidays are one of the best times to boost merch sales because people are actively looking for fun, personal gifts. Even a small discount or free shipping offer can make a big difference and encourage fans to snag something for themselves or someone they love.

Think about spotlighting items that make good gifts, like hoodies, vinyl, bundles, or anything limited edition. If you want to get creative this year, you can also experiment with seasonal bundles or “mystery packs” that include a mix of smaller items. And if you’re interested in offering something more sustainable, we put together a full article with eco-friendly merch ideas. It covers everything from recycled vinyl to Seedball Matchboxes and other unique, environmentally conscious options your fans will actually want.

Make sure you promote your discount across all your platforms and remind fans that holiday shipping deadlines sneak up fast! A little urgency goes a long way this time of year.

Send A Holiday E-Card To Your Email List

Email marketing is still one of the most direct ways to reach your fans. A holiday e-card is a simple, personal way to stay connected while spreading some festive cheer. You can use it to share a thank-you message, a sneak peek of upcoming music, merch drops, or even a quick holiday playlist.

If you already have an email list, this is the perfect time to put it to work. But for newer artists, check out resources like Email is Not Dead: How To Build a Real Fanbase in the Age of Algorithms, How to Improve Your Holiday Marketing Emails, or 2 Email Automations to Get More People to Come to Your Next Event to get started. In the meantime, for creating the e-card itself, there are plenty of free and easy tools to help you out. Open Me, EcardWidget for Shopify, and Adobe Creative Cloud Express all have templates you can customize. You can even make it a little more engaging with a short video message, a GIF, or a Spotify playlist link to give fans something interactive.

A thoughtful holiday e-card is such an easy way to keep your fans feeling appreciated and can definitely help maintain engagement well into the new year.

In Conclusion…

The holiday season is a great chance to connect with your fans, have fun with your music, and share a little festive cheer. Whether it’s creating special content, collaborating with other artists, or sending a personal note to your audience, small gestures go a long way.

Enjoy the season, keep it authentic, and use this time to set the tone for an exciting year ahead.

Cheers & Happy New Year!

🥂