Spotify is going to help fans get tickets to their favourite artist's show with a new feature called 'Reserved,' which promises to set aside concert tickets for those the streaming platform determines as the artist's "truest fans".
“Getting concert tickets today can feel like a race you’re set up to lose,” Spotify shared on Thursday. “You show up at the right time, refresh endlessly, and still miss out. Too often, the experience is stressful, unpredictable, and disconnected from what should matter most: whether real fans actually get tickets. We think there’s a better way.”
If it feels like a battlefield every time one of your favourite artist announces an Australian tour, then this feature might just be your saving grace. Here's how it works...
How will it work?
The new feature will see the streaming platform hold two tickets for each eligible Premium subscriber that it has identified as one of an artist’s “most dedicated fans.” You will need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber to be eligible, and those who are selected will then get a limited window to buy up to two tickets before they go on sale to everyone else.
How does it determine who deserves ticket?
Spotify hasn’t explained the exact formula, but they said they’ll use data like how much a person streams an artist, how often they share songs, and other engagement on the platform to identify “superfans.” In simple terms, the people who listen to an artist the most and interact with their music regularly are more likely to be chosen for access to reserved tickets.
Is it a fair system?
In theory, this could be a huge benefit for dedicated fans, especially considering how quickly concerts sell out these days. But, it does ask us to examines who deserves to have tickets to an artist's concert? What kind of exclusivity, privilege and the power should a paid streaming service should have over an artist's fanbase?
There's already a competitive nature to the online discourse surrounding 'true fans' and their claim over concert tickets when popular artists like Harry Styles tour. Feeling like you have to prove your love of an artist to a streaming platform through constant listening only benefits Spotify, who will naturally benefit from inflated performance metrics. While Spotify says they will "monitor the activity of Premium users to ensure these are real human fans and not bots," there's nothing really stopping people from continuous streaming for this purpose.
At the same time, this could potentially drive up the streams for new and emerging artists, especially if they've just announced tours – which is arguably when they need the support the most. We already know that Spotify's royalties for artists are atrociously low, and moves like recent deal to monetise AI music only serve to further entrench the disadvantages faced by emerging artists. Encouraging listeners to support newly touring artists in order to secure tickets could help revive an industry that needs support in this current moment.
While the new feature may benefit those few fans who do end up with tickets to their favourite artist's concerts, could it serve to grow our Australian music industry as a whole? The feature will debut in the United States, giving international music industries a chance to see the benefits and drawbacks before it lands elsewhere. And if other streaming platforms follow in Spotify's footsteps? We're entering a whole new age of what it means to be a fan.
Is the feature available for Australian Spotify accounts?
Not yet. Spotify's Reserved feature is currently only available in the United States – but Spotify has confirmed that more international markets will follow. However, there hasn't been any specific announcements about when Australia will have access to the feature.
