Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans • Hacker News Board

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#141

Post by rchaud » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:25 PM UTC

cassianoleal wrote: post #63

joshl32532 wrote: post #10

This is the problem with public listed companies that need to "maximize shareholder values" and look for infinite growth. I just want Spotify for music (playlist, recommendation, lossless audio). I don't need their podcast, audiobook, ChatGPT, concert tickets etc. This just makes their app bloated for features I will never use.

It also likely makes it harder for people ho are not users of Spotify to get tickets - which is almost certainly the goal.

Less than 10 years ago I could stroll into a local record store in my city and buy paper tickets to concerts directly from them, zero markup, zero "processing fees". And the ticket itself would be a souvenir because it often had a unique design or typeface. Now it's just a hideous barcode.

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#142

Post by afavour » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:26 PM UTC

falkensmaize wrote: post #130

willio58 wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hop on plex amp. Take control of your music. I realize that sounds like an Ad but I’ve been using it for a few months and I feel like I’ve rediscovered my joy for music again.

Given that Plex just bumped their lifetime subscription price to $750, I can no longer recommend them. They are clearly more interested in becoming another streaming service, and are I think trying to push out their core users who probably make them very little money.

Their site says $250? https://www.plex.tv/plans/

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#143

Post by rchaud » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:28 PM UTC

dbbk wrote: post #107

joshl32532 wrote: post #10

This is the problem with public listed companies that need to "maximize shareholder values" and look for infinite growth. I just want Spotify for music (playlist, recommendation, lossless audio). I don't need their podcast, audiobook, ChatGPT, concert tickets etc. This just makes their app bloated for features I will never use.

I'm sorry what? Artists do not make money on streaming, they make it in touring. Spotify integrating concerts into the same product surface is the MOST logical thing they could do.

Touring costs a fortune for bands. They don't even keep most of the money, the record label takes a big cut and there's Ticketmaster after that, and now Spotify I guess. Selling paper-thin T-shirts, vinyl and lapel pins for absurd markups at the merch booth is how they make money.

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#144

Post by hiq » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:30 PM UTC

babypuncher wrote: post #137

browningstreet wrote: post #71

I’ve almost entirely given up on managing music. Just done with it. I listen to soma.fm and radioparadise.com .. I read one music magazine and listen to some of the music recommendations from there, but following any of it, over time, is a lost cause for me. I was just remarking to someone how music apps are the least interesting, personal, and innovative of all the things I live with. Examples: we still can’t manage…

I just never stopped downloading music. We have modern download stores selling CD-quality music completely DRM free. I like knowing that no matter what happens short of an actual apocalypse, I will never lose access to any of my music. I recently learned that two tracks on one of my favorite recent albums are straight up missing on streaming services. This only strengthened my resolve to stay the hell away from them.

Same here, music is too important for me to give up this kind of control. I probably miss out on the discovery system of streaming services, but there are enough other sources (e.g. radio paradise).

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#145

Post by orangecat » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:33 PM UTC

mike-cardwell wrote: post #72

lbreakjai wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why should anything be done? If people are willing to pay five times the face value for a ticket, then it signals that tickets are priced too low. Let the market price itself. Harry Styles is playing in my city, he's apparently very popular, but there's still plenty of tickets available for as low as 47€ for tomorrow.

> Why should anything be done? Because there is demand for it. A lot of people like going to live music and theatre events and scalpers make it more difficult and more expensive for them. Why shouldn't anything be done? Because capitalism is God?

A lot of people like going to live music and theatre events and scalpers make it more difficult and more expensive for them

Scalpers make it possible to get a ticket at market price, instead of maybe being able to get it for less and maybe not being able to get it at any price. It's not at all clear that the latter is better.

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#146

Post by Jtarii » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:36 PM UTC

lbreakjai wrote: post #29

827a wrote: post #5

For those against this: I'm curious to hear your take on how you'd stop/mitigate scalping.

Why should anything be done? If people are willing to pay five times the face value for a ticket, then it signals that tickets are priced too low. Let the market price itself. Harry Styles is playing in my city, he's apparently very popular, but there's still plenty of tickets available for as low as 47€ for tomorrow.

>Why should anything be done?

For the same reason anything is ever done about anything -- because it upsets a large enough portion of your community.

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#147

Post by rchaud » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:36 PM UTC

tylergetsay wrote: post #54

The music industry works the way it does because a large amount of people involved are effectively working for free. Promoters, photographers, DJs, interns, writers, assistants, even some artists early on accept low or unpaid work because the industry offers networking, access, drugs, etc

The music industry got rid of all that years ago when the big labels swallowed the small indies and imposed their corporate culture everywhere. There are no A&R men skulking through dive bars using drugs and girls to sign bands. The bands are now supposed to approach the labels with their Spotify listen counts and social media follower numbers ready.

Rick Beato has a good video on why so many new generation superstars like Gracie Abrams are nepo babies who all the time and money in the world to chase music as a career.

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#148

Post by gonzalohm » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:37 PM UTC

browningstreet wrote: post #71

I’ve almost entirely given up on managing music. Just done with it. I listen to soma.fm and radioparadise.com .. I read one music magazine and listen to some of the music recommendations from there, but following any of it, over time, is a lost cause for me. I was just remarking to someone how music apps are the least interesting, personal, and innovative of all the things I live with. Examples: we still can’t manage…

How would you like to manage those things? I listen to a lot of music and I'm pretty happy with Spotify. When I want to discover new music, I pick an artist I like and start the artist radio. I always get good new recommendations

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#149

Post by lbreakjai » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:41 PM UTC

mike-cardwell wrote: post #72

lbreakjai wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why should anything be done? If people are willing to pay five times the face value for a ticket, then it signals that tickets are priced too low. Let the market price itself. Harry Styles is playing in my city, he's apparently very popular, but there's still plenty of tickets available for as low as 47€ for tomorrow.

> Why should anything be done? Because there is demand for it. A lot of people like going to live music and theatre events and scalpers make it more difficult and more expensive for them. Why shouldn't anything be done? Because capitalism is God?

I'm probably one of the least capitalism-minded commenters on HN, but this is a case where I'm happy to let the market sort itself out. It's not food, shelter, medicine, or housing.

I'm absolutely not convinced that the problem is as widespread as people make it out to be, outside of a few big names or events.

> Why shouldn't anything be done? Because capitalism is God?

Because it's just the system manifesting itself. There are winners and losers, and the winners are usually those with the most money.

I really find it odd to see people being this vocal for Taylor Swift tickets or Pokemon cards. If I use my capital to buy ten houses to rent, then I'm an investor. If I use it to outbid a city for electricity to feed my data center, then I'm a captain of industry. But the shiny charmander card is where people draw the line?

Re: Spotify will start reserving concert tickets for fans

#150

Post by mixmastamyk » Thu, May 21, 2026, 10:42 PM UTC

827a wrote: post #5

For those against this: I'm curious to hear your take on how you'd stop/mitigate scalping.

Have the tickets debut at a very high price and get cheaper towards event day. This encourages folks to wait and scalpers to lose money. Enables privacy, although other factors are working to eliminate it.