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Lisnr's Smart Tone tech, which aims to eliminate venue queues by using sounds generated by concertgoers' phones to authenticate entry, has won the backing of Ticketmaster
By Jon Chapple on 05 Jul 2017
Lisnr, the creator of an ‘ultrasonic communication protocol’ used to send data via sound, has received a boost to its ticketing ambitions through a new partnership with market leader Ticketmaster.
The Cincinnati-based start-up debuted its Smart Tone Ticketing platform last October at the city’s TechStars FounderCon 2016 event. FounderCon attendees were sent their Smart Tone tickets via email as a web link, which, when activated, generates an inaudible (18.75kHz–19.2kHz) tone decoded by door staff using an app.
Now, Lisnr’s technology will reportedly be used to power entry for Ticketmaster venues worldwide. The roll-out of the new service, dubbed Ticketmaster Presence, is expected to take around four years to complete, although it has already begun in select venues.
Commenting on Smart Tones’ other benefits – the technology can, like Bluetooth-based beacons, be used to track concertgoers as they move around, allowing venues to deliver tailored messages and offers to their smartphones – Ticketmaster’s Justin Burleigh tells VentureBeat: “We used identity as our north star: our guiding light to develop a product that makes each individual fan experience the greatest it could be.
“This means using identity to drive customised experiences based on who you are and where you are, eliminating fraud, resulting in a safer environment and delivering more personalisation based on the specific event you’re attending.”
Smart Tone tickets are also tethered to users’ mobile devices (bringing to mind a system made famous by disruptive start-up Dice), which fits with Ticketmaster’s recent track record of eliminating ticket resale when requested to by the artist.
A video announcing the TM–Lisnr tie-up is below:
Lisnr has secured more than US$14 million in investment since its founding in 2012, including from Jay Z’s Roc Nation and college-sports marketing agency Learfield.
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