A marketing industry has emerged to manufacture social media buzz for indie artists, with companies like Chaotic Good Projects creating fake fan accounts and paying influencers to post organic-looking content. The practice, long associated with mainstream pop, has now infiltrated the indie scene, shattering the illusion of grassroots success.
Chaotic Good’s roster includes 2025 breakouts Geese, Oklou, and Mk.gee. The firm runs narrative campaigns, user-generated content campaigns, and fanpage campaigns—creating and maintaining social media accounts of fake fans who post enthusiastic content about the artists. Since a Billboard interview about these tactics went viral, many artists have faced accusations of confected success.
Other agencies offer similar services, including Byword, Creed Media, and Flighthouse. There is also an automated service, Floodify, which for under $200 places music on posts from hundreds of TikTok accounts, many owned by the service itself. Industry insiders say the practice is widespread among both indie and major label artists, and even unsigned acts sometimes create fake fan accounts to drive label interest.
Despite the prevalence of these campaigns, it remains unclear whether they actually work. The Guardian contacted Geese for comment but received no response.
