Musicians would be nowhere without their fans, but that doesn’t change the fact that some music fans are just plain annoying. As someone who has been guilty of every single thing on this list, please learn from my mistakes and refrain from indulging in these seven irritating habits of music fans.

Turning fandom into a competition

If you see someone wearing a T-shirt or displaying a poster of your favorite band, do not consider it an open invitation to start quizzing them about every single ludicrous fact you pride yourself in memorizing. While being able to recite every Beatles album in chronological order, list all of their singles (along with the B-sides) and rehash the date and time of each member’s birth can be impressive, it doesn’t make you a better fan than someone who just really likes the song “Hey Jude.” Sharing interesting facts for the sake of conversation is one thing, but being the “Bet You Can’t Name Five Songs” guy is another. Know the difference.

Claiming ownership of your favorite bands

It’s totally cool and all that you heard that band before they were on the radio, but the thing is, no one cares. Take about five or ten seconds to be super proud of yourself for having an awesome taste in music, then move on.

Also, don’t you dare complain that a song or artist “isn’t good anymore because everyone likes them now.” Any true music fan wants success for their favorite artists. It’s okay to like things other people like. You’re still a special snowflake, I promise.

Pretending to love songs and bands you’ve never heard of

Music has been around almost as long as mankind itself, so there’s bound to be a whole lot of songs out there. iTunes has a catalog of over 26 million songs, which still doesn’t cover every song in existence. That being said, there’s absolutely no shame in admitting you’ve never heard of a certain band or song. You will look like more of an idiot when the other person figures out you’re lying than you would have from just telling the truth. If you don’t believe me, watch Jimmy Kimmel’s “Lie Witness News- Coachella 2013” segment and see for yourself.

Closing yourself off to different types of music

We all have certain genres we like more than others, but it really pays off to try listening to something new every once in a while. Take it from a self-proclaimed indie music nerd who just recently discovered a newfound love for EDM: You may end up surprising yourself.

Recording entire concerts on your cellphone

I’ve ranted about this before, and I’ll keep ranting until it finally sinks in: The entire point of attending a concert is not having to watch it through a screen. You did not pay $50 for a concert ticket just to stare at your phone the entire time. More importantly, I did not pay $50 for a concert ticket just to be forced to stare at your phone the entire time because you’re holding it directly in my line of sight. Take a couple of pictures or record the chorus of your favorite song (because we all love a good Instagram post) and then ditch the technology.

Judging others for their music tastes

This one took me a couple years to figure out, but listening to classic rock doesn’t make you more “unique” or “cultured” than someone who listens to exclusively Top 40 music. Enjoying Nickelback or Justin Bieber isn’t one of the seven deadly sins. Let people like what they like, because at the end of the day, it doesn’t affect you at all.

Forgetting to support your favorite artists

We’re all college kids, we’re all poor. I get it. If you are ever in the position where you can afford to pay for music, do it. Artists have bills just like everybody else, and their music is their livelihood. Whether it’s purchasing their album, going to their shows, buying their t-shirts or even just liking the band on Facebook, any type of support helps – especially for up-and-coming artists struggling to make a name for themselves. Music has given us all so much, so don’t forget to pay it forward every once in a while.