Ticket Masters: The Rise of the Concert Industry and How the Public Got Scalped [Paperback]

Dean Budnick (Author), Josh Baron (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 24, 2012

“A clear, comprehensive look at a murky business.” —The Wall Street Journal 

Your favorite band has just announced their nationwide tour. Should you pay to join their fan club and get in on the pre-sale? No, you decide to wait. But the on-sale date arrives, and the site is jammed. You can’t get on—and the concert is sold out in six minutes. What happened? What now?

Music journalists Dean Budnick and Josh Baron chronicle the behind-the-scenes history of the modern concert industry. Filled with entertaining rock-and-roll anecdotes about The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam, and more—and charting the emergence of players like Ticketmaster, StubHub, Live Nation, and Outbox—Ticket Masters will transfix every concertgoer who wonders just where the price of admission really goes. This edition has an updated epilogue that covers recent industry developments.   

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Fascinating.”

(-Rolling Stone )

 “Ticket Masters takes you behind the box office and explains…the real reasons a good seat costs so damn much.”

(-Alan Light, former Editor-in-Chief, Vibe and Spin )

About the Author

Dean Budnick is the executive editor of Relix magazine and the founder of Jambands.com. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.
Josh Baron is the editor in chief of Relix magazine and contributes to a variety of media outlets including New York City–based radio station WPUV, where he serves as a music reviewer.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Plume; Reprint edition (April 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780452298088
• ISBN-13: 978-0452298088
• ASIN: 0452298083
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.9 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #494,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars So that's why I can never get a good seat....... August 28, 2012

By Crewboy

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is a must read for anybody that is an avid concertgoer that has always wondered why a show sells out in less than 5 minutes and if they get tickets, they're always the worst seats in the building.

This book is written in a very "60 Minutes" type investigation manner about Ticketmaster. It breaks down the origins of computerized ticketing from its very beginnings to where it's at today. The book examines the greed, corruption and blatant arrogance that takes place in the concert industry. From agents, promoters and even the artists themselves, this book leaves no stone unturned.

Definitely worth the read.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Ah-ha! June 5, 2012

By Professor Wheeler

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've seen 1000 concerts and I'm only exaggerating a little. My first was AC/DC (sixth grade). This book is for everyone who wants to know why all the good seats are gone even if you're first in line, about how much artists are making when they play a big show, and how to fail in business by not recognizing who your customers really are. And Irv Azoff... easy to know but hard to define. A+
[...]

5.0 out of 5 stars The answer . . . May 18, 2013

By Benjamin Fournier

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

To how and why tickets are not available 10 seconds after they are officially on sale, AND MORE!!! Well written and thoroughly researched book that was incredibly interesting and informative. If you are interested in this topic then this book will not disappoint.