Importing fan data into Openstage consolidates all your contactable fans in one place - whether they come from mailing lists, ticket sales, or pre-save campaigns. This article walks through how to prepare, upload, and validate a fan data import using a CSV file.
⚪ Note: This article covers importing fan data. For importing sales and transactional data, see Import Sales Data.
Before you start
Every fan record must include either an email address or a phone number.
Only import fans who have opted in to marketing communications. If you are unsure of marketing permissions for a list, make your first campaign with that audience an opt-in or data clean campaign.
Make sure data is uploaded to the correct artist account. Importing fan data into the wrong account causes inflated fan numbers, increases the risk of fan complaints, and raises unsubscribe rates.
Step 1: Prepare your data
Use a blank sheet in a spreadsheet program such as Excel or Google Sheets and export it as a CSV file. Before importing, make sure the file meets the following requirements:
Every fan record includes an email address or phone number.
Phone numbers are formatted in one of the following ways:
E.164 - for example, +12345678910
RFC966 - for example, +12-34-567-8910
E.123 national - for example, 12345678910
Marketing permissions are included as a field for GDPR compliance where available.
Dates are formatted for the UK, or select US date format within the import window.
Step 2: Upload
Navigate to Fans and click Import Fans.
Select Upload Multiple Fans to import a CSV file, or Create a Single Fan to add one fan manually without a file.
When uploading multiple fans, use the Import Tag field to apply a tag to all fan records in the upload.
Step 3: Map Fields
Match each column in your CSV to the correct Openstage field - for example, email, name, and city. Create any custom tags needed to organize your fan base, then click Import.
Step 4: Validate
The system validates your data across three stages: Validating, Ready to Upload, and Errors. Review and resolve any errors before proceeding.
Common errors include:
Misspelled email addresses (for example, @gamil.com or icolud.com)
Incorrect country codes
Fields mapped to the wrong tag
Step 5: Complete the import
Click Upload Fan Records to complete the import. Your fan records will be added to Openstage and processed shortly after.
⚪ Note: If numbers do not add up after import, check for duplicates or invalid records. For help, contact support@openstage.live.
Import Key
Fan Data
Source Data Field | Example | Openstage Field |
First Name | John | first_name |
Last Name | Smith | last_name |
Full Name | John Smith | full_name |
Email Address | ||
Phone | +448165157859 | phone |
DOB | 01/11/2011 | birth_date |
City | London | city |
Country | United Kingdom | country |
Country Code | GB | cc |
Postcode | NW4 3PR | location |
Latitude | 51.548804 | latitude |
Longitude | -0.131376 | longitude |
Subscriber to email | True/false | subscribed_email |
Subscriber to SMS | True/false | subscribed_sms |
OPTIN_date | 01/11/2025 12:09:23 | email_marketing_consent_date |
OPTIN_IP | 192.168.1.1 | email_marketing_consent_evidence |
Transactional Data
Source Data Field | Example | Openstage Field |
Purchase date | 01/11/2025 12:09:23 | transaction_created_at |
Product name | Data Basses Greatest Hits Vinyl | transaction_description |
Quantity | 50 | transaction_volume |
Price | 469.20 | transaction_value |
Currency | GBP | currency |