You would assume the original purpose of artist presales was to give every loyal fan a head start to secure a ticket, allowing them to avoid scalpers, long queues, and the potential horror of dynamic pricing. Surely presales are an opportunity for artists to reward their most devoted fans, ensuring they have first access to live events?
However, the current presale system fails most artists and fans. It’s frustrating to see how little thought the music industry gives to its most dedicated supporters. Can you think of any other industry that so consistently fails to prioritise its loyal customers and to protect them from bad actors?
Most fans want one thing above all others, to see their favourite artist live. The commercial value of giving them priority access speaks for itself, yet artists continue to hand over control to third-party platforms and their suppliers. These platforms hoard fan data, and their suppliers can sometimes prioritise their own short-term wins over helping artists to build long-term businesses.
The root of the problem is simple: artists and their teams do not know who their fans are
The root of the problem is simple. Artists and their teams do not know who their fans are. They don’t have the systems or the fan data to identify who they are, where they are, and what they want. Many can’t even message their fans directly without the help of one of their suppliers.
As a result, most presales have become chaotic. Everyone, including bots, scalpers, casual listeners, and superfans potentially all start on an equal footing. All it takes to join most presales is an email address, leaving the door wide open for bad actors. When the clock hits 9am, everyone scrambles for the same tickets, and genuine fans are left disappointed time after time.
In June, Lana Del Rey decided to change the game. For her Fenway Park show in Boston, she gave presale access exclusively to her most engaged fans in North America. By centralising her fan data, she had a complete overview of her audience and could set specific criteria for who qualified for presale access. This meant she could reward her most loyal followers, selling out the show in less than an hour and almost entirely eliminating scalping. There was no general sale, and only real fans got access to tickets. Isn’t that how it should be?
Oasis have acquired a treasure trove of first-party fan data that most large corporations would die for
Then came Oasis, staging one of the biggest live comebacks in decades. With demand far outstripping supply, they could have easily followed the usual industry playbook, but they chose a different route. Powered by Openstage, they made fans come directly to them for tickets, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get a ticket without coming through their front door.
Fans were screened by security software to prove they were human and then had to verify themselves as true fans. Oasis combined this data with their existing databases to create a weighted ticket lottery that prioritised engagement, location, and other fan metrics they deemed important.
Given the demand, the result was always going to be a sold-out tour. But the difference is they did it on their own terms, re-recruiting an army of grateful fans who now have a deeper connection with the band. They have acquired a treasure trove of first-party fan data that most large corporations would die for. Ticketmaster have reported record presale code-to-ticket purchase ratios, while Live Nation have seen a significant drop in tickets available on the secondary market.
The scale and complexity of what Lana Del Rey and Oasis have achieved serves as a blueprint for the rest of the industry
Obviously, an artist being able to identify which fans should have priority access to tickets and ensuring they get them is simply good business. The scale and complexity of what Lana Del Rey and Oasis have achieved serves as a blueprint for the rest of the industry. They’ve opened a door for other artists to follow, empowering a much-needed transformation to help artists to build thriving long-term businesses where their fans receive first-class customer service.
The next step for our clients is to take this approach to the next level. Rather than vying for attention on rented channels, re-advertising, and hoping to repeatedly crack the attention gauntlet, our clients want to own and control the relationship with their fans, making it easier for them to reach, engage, and sell to their fanbase, and potentially reshape the distribution of tickets forever.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
The current presale system fails most artists and fans
Rob Sealy, chief strategy officer for Openstage, discusses how artists can take control of their presales and reward their most loyal followers
06 Dec 2024
You would assume the original purpose of artist presales was to give every loyal fan a head start to secure a ticket, allowing them to avoid scalpers, long queues, and the potential horror of dynamic pricing. Surely presales are an opportunity for artists to reward their most devoted fans, ensuring they have first access to live events?
However, the current presale system fails most artists and fans. It’s frustrating to see how little thought the music industry gives to its most dedicated supporters. Can you think of any other industry that so consistently fails to prioritise its loyal customers and to protect them from bad actors?
Most fans want one thing above all others, to see their favourite artist live. The commercial value of giving them priority access speaks for itself, yet artists continue to hand over control to third-party platforms and their suppliers. These platforms hoard fan data, and their suppliers can sometimes prioritise their own short-term wins over helping artists to build long-term businesses.
The root of the problem is simple. Artists and their teams do not know who their fans are. They don’t have the systems or the fan data to identify who they are, where they are, and what they want. Many can’t even message their fans directly without the help of one of their suppliers.
As a result, most presales have become chaotic. Everyone, including bots, scalpers, casual listeners, and superfans potentially all start on an equal footing. All it takes to join most presales is an email address, leaving the door wide open for bad actors. When the clock hits 9am, everyone scrambles for the same tickets, and genuine fans are left disappointed time after time.
In June, Lana Del Rey decided to change the game. For her Fenway Park show in Boston, she gave presale access exclusively to her most engaged fans in North America. By centralising her fan data, she had a complete overview of her audience and could set specific criteria for who qualified for presale access. This meant she could reward her most loyal followers, selling out the show in less than an hour and almost entirely eliminating scalping. There was no general sale, and only real fans got access to tickets. Isn’t that how it should be?
Then came Oasis, staging one of the biggest live comebacks in decades. With demand far outstripping supply, they could have easily followed the usual industry playbook, but they chose a different route. Powered by Openstage, they made fans come directly to them for tickets, making it nearly impossible for anyone to get a ticket without coming through their front door.
Fans were screened by security software to prove they were human and then had to verify themselves as true fans. Oasis combined this data with their existing databases to create a weighted ticket lottery that prioritised engagement, location, and other fan metrics they deemed important.
Given the demand, the result was always going to be a sold-out tour. But the difference is they did it on their own terms, re-recruiting an army of grateful fans who now have a deeper connection with the band. They have acquired a treasure trove of first-party fan data that most large corporations would die for. Ticketmaster have reported record presale code-to-ticket purchase ratios, while Live Nation have seen a significant drop in tickets available on the secondary market.
Obviously, an artist being able to identify which fans should have priority access to tickets and ensuring they get them is simply good business. The scale and complexity of what Lana Del Rey and Oasis have achieved serves as a blueprint for the rest of the industry. They’ve opened a door for other artists to follow, empowering a much-needed transformation to help artists to build thriving long-term businesses where their fans receive first-class customer service.
The next step for our clients is to take this approach to the next level. Rather than vying for attention on rented channels, re-advertising, and hoping to repeatedly crack the attention gauntlet, our clients want to own and control the relationship with their fans, making it easier for them to reach, engage, and sell to their fanbase, and potentially reshape the distribution of tickets forever.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
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