Eli5: why do bands have to use Ticketmaster?
In: 8635
If you are a manager for a band and do not want to use Ticketmaster, you have to go out of your way to find venues that aren’t owned by Ticketmaster or a subsidiary and don’t have an exclusivity contract with Ticketmaster. Then for each of these that you find you need to spend time negotiating and signing contracts. These independent venues have their own quirks that result in challenges and frustrations in touring.
Or you can sign a single contract that will allow you to tour at all of the best venues anywhere in the world. Not only is it easier to do it gives you access to the best venues. The better the venue the more tickets you can sell and at higher prices.
So it comes down to this proposition for the band:
“Do you want to make a lot more money, play at all the best venues and not deal with constant headaches or do you want to make a lot less money, play in dumpy third-tier venues and deal with all kinds of frustrations and things not working right?”
The biggest acts don’t even have that choice. They simply can’t find venues that can support the number of fans that want to see them which don’t have exclusivity contracts or are not owned by Ticketmaster.
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