Spotify rolls out easier concert ticket purchases

Spotify said on May 21 it is launching a new feature called Reserved that gives some users a better shot at buying concert tickets before the general public. The company said the rollout starts with eligible Spotify Premium subscribers in the United States who are 18 or older. The feature was announced in a company post tied to Spotify’s investor day on Thursday. Spotify said more markets will follow. The new offering does not amount to open in-app ticket sales for all users. Spotify said it will identify an artist’s “most dedicated fans” and hold two tour tickets for them during a limited purchase window before public onsales begin. Bloomberg reported Spotify is working with Live Nation Entertainment on the program, while Spotify said the first phase will apply to select newly announced tours starting this summer. (newsroom.spotify.com) ### So what exactly is Spotify rolling out? Reserved is a fan-targeting ticket access program, not a universal checkout button. Spotify said eligible users who qualify will receive an email and an in-app notification giving them a chance to buy up to two tickets during a dedicated window, typically around one day. The company said availability will vary by artist, tour and location. (newsroom.spotify.com) Spotify framed the product as a way to reduce the scramble around presales and codes. In its announcement, the company said fans would face “no racing against thousands of other fans” and “no hunting for codes” if they receive an offer. ### Who gets access, and how does Spotify decide? Spotify said the first group eligible for Reserved will be Premium subscribers in the U.S. who are at least 18 years old. (newsroom.spotify.com) The company said selection will be based on engagement signals including streams, shares and other Spotify activity, along with location. Spotify also said it will monitor activity to make sure the users getting access are “real human fans and not bots.” That means not every listener of a major artist will get an offer. Spotify said there will be “significantly more superfans than there are seats available on a tour,” so some users who are heavy listeners still will not be selected. ### Does this mean fans can buy tickets entirely inside Spotify? TechCrunch reported that Spotify is facilitating access to the sale, but users will still complete the purchase on a partner website. (newsroom.spotify.com) That is consistent with Spotify’s broader live-events setup, which already shows event listings inside the app through ticketing partners including Ticketmaster, AXS, Eventim, Ticketek and See Tickets. Spotify for Artists says fans can already discover events in search, artist profiles and the personalized Live Events feed. Spotify has been building toward this for several years. The company previously launched its Live Events feed and has described concert discovery as part of its effort to connect listening activity with live attendance. Spotify for Artists says the platform lists hundreds of thousands of events through partners and has used those listings to drive ticket purchases. (techcrunch.com) ### Why is Spotify tying tickets to listening behavior? Spotify said the goal is to direct more tickets to fans rather than scalpers. In its May 21 post, the company said limiting access to validated fans should help ensure more tickets “go straight to fans instead of scalpers.” Bloomberg, in its investor-day coverage, described ticket perks as one of several growth initiatives presented by Spotify’s co-chief executives Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström. (newsroom.spotify.com) The company also tied eligibility to settings users can control. Spotify said users should enable their preferred location in the Live Events feed, turn on notifications for live concerts and events, and keep the app updated so they do not miss an offer. ### What happens next, and who should watch for it? This summer is the first concrete milestone. (newsroom.spotify.com) Spotify said Reserved will begin with select newly announced tours in the United States and then expand to more tours “of all sizes,” with additional markets to follow. Fans who want access should watch for email and in-app notifications, while artists and managers will be watching which tours choose to dedicate inventory to the program.