Former Spotify Global Head of Music Nick Holmstén and Avicii's ex-manager Ash Pournouri have officially launched Belong, a New York-based startup that verifies music fans and aims to channel the money they spend back to artists. The company matters because it seeks to tackle a long-standing industry problem: fans generate enormous financial value through streaming, ticket and merchandise spending, but artists typically capture only a fraction of it and lack meaningful data on who their most devoted supporters are.

Belong verifies each member as a real person via bank-grade "Know Your Customer" checks rather than relying on social media handles or follower counts, then builds a "Know Your Fan" profile combining streaming, social and purchase history. Each artist can issue a branded digital "Passport" stored in a fan's phone wallet, unlocking perks such as face-value presale access and exclusive experiences. The company emerged from stealth this week backed by investors including a16z speedrun, Blitzscaling Ventures, Prevail Capital and Backwards Capital, alongside advisors and board figures Troy Carter, Hans Vestberg (board chair) and Chris Zarou.