Spotify unveils 'Reserve Tickets' feature

Spotify said on May 21 that it launched Reserved, a new ticketing feature that sets aside concert tickets for some of an artist’s top listeners in the United States. The company said the program is open to eligible Spotify Premium subscribers age 18 and older and will begin with select newly announced tours this summer. Spotify said fans chosen for the program will receive an email and an in-app notification with a limited purchase window. ### What is Spotify actually launching? Reserved is a Spotify feature that holds up to two tour tickets for what the company called an artist’s “most dedicated fans.” Spotify said those fans will get a chance to buy before tickets go on sale to the general public, rather than joining a standard onsale rush. (newsroom.spotify.com) May 21 was the date Spotify announced the product through its newsroom during the company’s investor-day disclosures. The company described Reserved as starting in the U.S., with additional markets planned later. ### Who can get access, and how does Spotify decide? Spotify said eligibility is limited at launch to Premium subscribers in the U.S. who are 18 or older. (newsroom.spotify.com) The company said it will identify fans using signals including streams, shares and other Spotify activity. Spotify did not publish a numeric threshold for what counts as a top fan. (newsroom.spotify.com) Instead, it said it would monitor activity to make sure selected users are “real human fans” and not bots. TechCrunch reported Spotify did not provide an exact criterion beyond those engagement signals. ### How does the purchase process work? (newsroom.spotify.com) Eligible users will get an email and an in-app notification when a Reserved offer is available, Spotify said. The company said the purchase window will typically last around a day, and users can buy up to two tickets during that period. Spotify said the actual transaction will be completed on a ticketing partner’s platform, not inside Spotify checkout. (newsroom.spotify.com) Users who receive an offer may be able to choose date, location and seats for a show on the tour, subject to availability. ### Does this mean Spotify is selling tickets itself? Spotify said it is facilitating access to tickets rather than acting as the end seller. (newsroom.spotify.com) TechCrunch reported that purchases will happen on a partner website, which keeps the feature aligned with Spotify’s broader partner-based live-events model rather than a full return to direct ticket sales. (today.com) Spotify has been building live-event tools for several years. In 2022, the company said it worked with ticketing partners including Ticketmaster, AXS, DICE, Eventbrite and See Tickets to list concerts in major markets, and in 2025 it added venue-following and a personalized “Concerts Near You” playlist. (techcrunch.com) ### What problem is Spotify saying this solves? Spotify said Reserved is meant to reduce the scramble around high-demand ticket sales and direct more tickets to fans rather than scalpers. The company said there will still be far more superfans than available seats on many tours, so not every eligible listener will receive an offer. (newsroom.spotify.com) The company also said there are no added fees from Spotify for the Reserved access itself. Availability, Spotify said, will vary by artist, tour and location. ### What should users do next if they want a shot? Spotify said users who want to be considered should turn on live-event notifications, keep the app updated and enable preferred location settings in the Live Events Feed. (newsroom.spotify.com) The company said location matters because fans will not receive an offer for a tour stop that is not tied to their selected area. Starting this summer, Spotify said select newly announced tours will begin using Reserved in the U.S. The company said it plans to expand the feature later to more tours of different sizes and to additional markets. (newsroom.spotify.com)