Fighting Ticket Scalping in the Live Music Industry with Randy Nichols
In this episode of The Live Music Industry Podcast, host Matt Ford speaks with Randy Nichols, a respected artist manager and advocate, about the complex and controversial world of ticket scalping. Drawing from his extensive industry experience and his work with NITO (National Independent Talent Organization), Randy unpacks the history of ticket scalping, the hidden forces driving inflated ticket prices, and the policy changes needed to protect artists and fans in the live music ecosystem.
The conversation explores how private equity-backed ticket scalping operations disguise themselves as consumer rights advocates, pushing legislation that benefits scalpers while harming artists, promoters, and genuine fans. Randy emphasizes that ticket scalping reduces fans’ ability to support artists through merchandise, concessions, and repeat attendance, harming the overall live event economy.
What You'll Learn This Episode:
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How ticket scalpers manipulate government agencies to shape policies that protect speculative ticket sales while claiming to fight Ticketmaster.
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Why Ticketmaster differs from other resale platforms by requiring barcodes and seat numbers, helping limit speculative ticket sales.
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The impact of junk fee transparency initiatives by the Biden administration, and why displaying fees upfront alone does not address the underlying pricing issues in ticketing.
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Insights into the Ticket Act in Congress and why NITO and NEVA oppose it due to loopholes that would allow scalpers to continue exploiting fans.
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How political motivations, including Trump’s and Democrats’ evolving stances on ticketing issues, influence policy outcomes in the live music industry.
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The need for practical solutions, including limiting bots, capping resale prices, and maintaining fair ticket transfers without enabling predatory scalping practices.
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The challenges and opportunities of implementing government-issued ID requirements to combat scalping while balancing privacy and practicality.
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Why splitting up Live Nation and Ticketmaster may not solve the root issues without addressing exclusive ticketing contracts and the financial incentives that drive venue agreements.
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The potential industry-shifting impact of eliminating fees on primary ticket sales to damage the secondary scalping market, protect fans, and improve the ticket-buying experience.
Why You Should Listen
Randy argues that the live music industry must prioritize building fair ticketing systems that enable fans to access tickets at reasonable prices while protecting artists and independent promoters. The discussion highlights the need for policy advocacy, transparency, and community education to counter powerful lobbying by scalper-backed organizations.
For venue operators, independent promoters, artist managers, and fans, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at the systemic challenges in the ticketing industry and provides actionable insights on how to fight for fairer, fan-first ticketing practices. Randy’s perspective reminds listeners that while technology and policy are critical tools in addressing scalping, artists and their teams must be willing to rethink show pricing structures to create a better fan experience.
If you care about the future of live music, fair ticket pricing, and fan access, this episode will equip you with the knowledge and context needed to understand why ticket scalping remains a pervasive issue and what steps the industry can take to fight back.
