[olalonde]

> Dynamic pricing isn't the issue here, the issue is that the extra profits generated by dynamic pricing are going to ticketmaster rather than to artists.

If that's a problem for artists then why do artists chose to do business with ticketmaster? Selling tickets isn't exactly high tech...

[daniel_reetz]

Artists don't choose to work with Ticket master. Pearl Jam and the Justice Department tried to beat them some time ago. It's a great story to check out if you're curious about how this industry works.

[skeeter2020]

I don't think most people know how the touring business works, or in general the music industry. TM has built an integrated monopoly that means if you want to play the one big venue your city likely has, you need to work with TM, which now means you likely have LN producing your entire tour.

[whiddershins]

Pearl Jam fought Ticketmaster in the 90s and it forced them into a weird career route. This has been going on that long.

[skeeter2020]

After merging with Live Nation it is so much worse. The TM monopoly now extends all the way down to producing the tours

[rglover]

If I had to bet, Ticketmaster has lock-in agreements with venues (especially arenas) that only allow tickets to be sold through them exclusively.

[lelandfe]

This is correct. Most large venues have these lock-in contracts. They’re defined under terms like “primary ticket provider” or “ticketing partner”

Eg. https://www.barclayscenter.com/news/detail/seatgeek-to-becom...

[olalonde]

We could say they choose Ticketmaster indirectly by choosing the venues that have exclusive Ticketmaster deals. Couldn't they pick non Ticketmaster venues if they thought those venues offered them a bad deal?

[stryan]

Between TicketMaster and LiveNation (same company) the number of non-affiliated venues is slim these days. Kikagaku Moyo just did their farewell tour and refused to use any TM venues forcing them to pretty much only play at smaller indie venues.

[londons_explore]

You can also set up a stage in a massive field...

[bombcar]

The number of venues that are non-Ticketmaster is relatively small, especially for larger acts.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/liv...

The reality of the matter is that a artist has much more to worry about than what Ticketmaster handles, and they provide a service that is useful, especially when it can all be rolled up into the "venue costs".

[skeeter2020]

A typical city only has a single venue large enough for a group by Blink-182, Springsteen or Garth Brooks. They are almost universally TM affliated venues, and now with the LiveNation combo promote their own artists on LN-produced tours.

[FireBeyond]

Absolutely. That's of course when they don't just own the venue outright, themselves, which they often do.

[jxf]

Sometimes the artist doesn't get a choice (e.g. a particular venue wants to use Ticketmaster because Ticketmaster will let them bolt on venue fees).