With the announcement earlier this week that the DOJ had approved the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger, many are left wondering what’s next for ticketing. Will the merger mean higher fees for consumers? Will it kill the independent venues that help keep the rock n’ roll spirit alive? Will the world come to an end??? Let’s hope not, but let’s be honest you never know! Unfortunately only time will tell what’s in store for us. However that doesn’t mean there aren’t other options! Time Out Chicago recently explored the ways Windy City residents can avoid paying mucho money in service fees. We’re happy to say that Ticketfly’s ticketing for Double Door was mentioned as one of those options! We’re here for you Chicago!
Read the full article below:
Getting around Ticketmaster and Live Nation fees in Chicago
Posted in Music by Brent DiCrescenzo on January 28th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
The music biz is still reeling from the Deparment of Justice’s thumbs-up to the megamerger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. In an interview with the Tribune’s Greg Kot, Jam Productions co-founder Jerry Mickelson worried that the newly formed Live Nation Entertainment juggernaut could mean hard times for the competition: “This decision doesn’t help us to be able to compete. Concertgoers are equally upset about the potential for increased service fees.
So the next question is obviously, how can we fight back? Or at the very least, support the no-so-big guy on the block? When it comes to going to see U2, we’re out of luck in terms of viable alternates. However, many Chicago venues already use more consumer-friendly ticket services. Here’s a rundown:
The Schuba brothers sell tickets via their websites for shows at both Lincoln Hall andSchubas—except, ironically, those gig promoted by Jam. Service fees: $2.50 and $2, respectively.
Metro uses etix.com to handle its sales. Service fee: $4.22
darkroom similarly uses etix.com. Service fee: $1.74 (Though, in Ticketmaster’s defense, it should be noted that the website was not functioning when I first attempted to check the service fees.)
Double Door has jumped to upstart TicketFly, a conceptualized “social media” take on selling tickets. [Read more about the upstart TicketFly.] Service fees: $3.05
Another TicketFly-like option, especially for one-off events, is Brown Paper Tickets, a more DIY service that less traditional music venues, as well as comedy and theater events have started using.
Note: Abbey Pub, Beat Kitchen, Bottom Lounge, Subterranean, Empty Bottle (essentially, shows booked by House Call, MP and Empty Bottle) use TicketWeb, a subsidiary of Ticketmaster. Find the complete list of local venues using Ticketmaster branch of TicketWeb. Martyrs’ utilizes Musictoday, which also falls under the Live Nation umbrella.
This Bird Has Flown
We’re psyched to announce the newest addition to the ‘Fly family! The Social, downtown Orlando’s go-to spot for live music, welcomes both local musicians and national acts in a neighborly setting (love the exposed brick!). The venue cites lower fees and more control over their ticketing as the main reasons for leaving Ticketmaster. Be sure to check out their calendar for upcoming awesomeness, you may need to consider a slight detour during your next trip to Disney World!
Read the official announcement in the Orlando Sentinel below.
The Social to part ways with Ticketmaster, team with Ticketfly
February 3, 2010, 2:53pm
Good news for fans of independent concert promotion: The Social is cutting its ties with Ticketmaster and moving to Ticketfly, a young company working to bring ticketing into the social networking age.
The company, recently profiled in the New York Times, has a client list that includes The Knitting Factory chain, The Double Door in Chicago and other theaters and clubs in markets such as San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
Here’s the announcement from the folks at the Social:
“The Social is leaving Ticketmaster. Although, we experienced a good working relationship with Ticketmaster, we decided it is time for us to move on to a new ticketing company. This transition will help us remain true to both the needs of you, our patrons, as well as of our business.
Moving forward, our new ticketing company is Ticketfly. We are excited about the new partnership as it will save you money with fewer fees and allow us more control over our own ticketing.
As we transition over the coming months, many of our currently announced shows will remain on sale with TicketMaster. However, ALL of our future shows will be sold through Ticketfly.
You can purchase tickets online at Ticketfly.com. As always, thank you for your business.