Ticket Masters chronicles the as-yet-untold story of the modern concert industry, revealing the origins, development and ongoing strategies of companies such as Ticketmaster, Live Nation and StubHub and the efforts of numerous independent competitors. With over 100 exclusive interviews along with many previously unreleased documents, this character-driven book explores the actions and impact of the iconoclasts guiding these companies while folding in related tales of scalping syndicates, old-school music promoters and would-be Internet tycoons along with the bawdy business decisions of such world-renowned groups as the Grateful Dead, Pearl Jam and the Rolling Stones.
Like no other previous book, Ticket Masters sheds light upon the complex relationships between artists, promoters, ticketing agents and the public. Whether it's Michael Cohl nabbing the Stones from Bill Graham, Ticketmaster's defeat of Pearl Jam or the silent efforts of music superstars to mark up their ticket prices for complicit websites, Budnick and Baron examine the pivotal developments that have shaped the industry as we know it.
Yet, Ticket Masters is also a personal story for the millions who purchase tickets, as it addresses the often-asked (but unanswered) questions: How and why do concerts sell out so fast? Why do service fees vary on tickets to the same event? Why isn't Ticketmaster considered an illegal monopoly? Is it worth joining a band's fan club to qualify for a pre-sale? How do ticket broker websites like StubHub get all their tickets? And (deep breath), just how did ticket prices get so high, anyway?
Like no other previous book, Ticket Masters sheds light upon the complex relationships between artists, promoters, ticketing agents and the public. Whether it's Michael Cohl nabbing the Stones from Bill Graham, Ticketmaster's defeat of Pearl Jam or the silent efforts of music superstars to mark up their ticket prices for complicit websites, Budnick and Baron examine the pivotal developments that have shaped the industry as we know it.
Yet, Ticket Masters is also a personal story for the millions who purchase tickets, as it addresses the often-asked (but unanswered) questions: How and why do concerts sell out so fast? Why do service fees vary on tickets to the same event? Why isn't Ticketmaster considered an illegal monopoly? Is it worth joining a band's fan club to qualify for a pre-sale? How do ticket broker websites like StubHub get all their tickets? And (deep breath), just how did ticket prices get so high, anyway?
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Reading this book won't make you any happier about spending four hundred bucks to go to a rock show but you'll understand how it happened and who's to blame. --Bill Flanagan, author Evening's Empire, A&R
If you wonder why you're paying ten times as much for overblown, cross-promoted spectacles that are one-tenth as satisfying as the rock and roll of your youth, you need to read this book. -- Steve Silberman, editor, Wired magazine
For anyone who's ever suffered rock concert sticker shock -- and we all have -- Dean Budnick and Josh Baron's Ticket Masters is the best seat in the house to the show behind the show. --Fred Goodman, author Fortune's Fool and The Mansion on the Hill
Dean Budnick and Josh Baron brilliantly chronicle the storied history of ticketing, providing a front row seat to the back room drama. A must-read for any music business enthusiast. --Shirley Halperin, Music Editor, The Hollywood Reporter
When community meets commerce, things gets complicated. In Ticket Masters, Josh Baron and Dean Budnick take you behind the box office and explain the real reasons a good seat costs so damn much. --Alan Light, former Editor-in-Chief, Vibe and Spin
If you wonder why you're paying ten times as much for overblown, cross-promoted spectacles that are one-tenth as satisfying as the rock and roll of your youth, you need to read this book. -- Steve Silberman, editor, Wired magazine
For anyone who's ever suffered rock concert sticker shock -- and we all have -- Dean Budnick and Josh Baron's Ticket Masters is the best seat in the house to the show behind the show. --Fred Goodman, author Fortune's Fool and The Mansion on the Hill
Dean Budnick and Josh Baron brilliantly chronicle the storied history of ticketing, providing a front row seat to the back room drama. A must-read for any music business enthusiast. --Shirley Halperin, Music Editor, The Hollywood Reporter
When community meets commerce, things gets complicated. In Ticket Masters, Josh Baron and Dean Budnick take you behind the box office and explain the real reasons a good seat costs so damn much. --Alan Light, former Editor-in-Chief, Vibe and Spin
"[A] lively, sprawling chronology of the concert-ticket sales business . . . Budnick and Baron offer information in accessible language fortified with verbatim dialogue from a pantheon of music-industry brass." —Kirkus Reviews (April 15, 2011)
"In other hands, this book could have been dull and academic, but it reads like an adventure story, full of colorful characters, shady transactions, and surprising twists and turns. For everyone who has been dumbstruck by the extra fees added to the price of admission, this book is just the ticket. Highly recommended for eventgoers everywhere." —Library Journal (May 1, 2011)
"A clear, comprehensive look at a murky business, the book is also an encyclopedia of information about the rise, decline and rebirth of the live music industry." —Wall Street Journal (May 28, 2011)
"Fascinating. . . . [The authors] delve deep into every aspect of the tour biz, from the rise of computerized ticketing to the consolidation of concert promoters." —Rolling Stone (June 9, 2011)
"A fascinating insider's portrait of the music business once all of the pulsing lights, fog machines and sound equipment have been turned off." —Maclean's (June 27, 2011)
"Budnick and Baron did a tremendous job in chronicling the history of the U.S. and Canadian concert business and how the business models have changed. . . . Ticket Masters is an excellent book for music historians and business geeks alike." —www.boomerocity.com
About the Author
Dean Budnick, the executive editor of Relix magazine, is the founder of Jambands.com, the co-creator of the Jammy Awards and the director of the documentary film, Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Rock Club. He holds a Ph.D. from Harvard's History of American Civilization program and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.
Josh Baron is the editor-in-chief of Relix magazine, a music-based publication where he has been on staff for more than a decade. Baron also contributes to a variety of media outlets including New York City-based radio station WFUV where he serves as a music reviewer. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.
Josh Baron is the editor-in-chief of Relix magazine, a music-based publication where he has been on staff for more than a decade. Baron also contributes to a variety of media outlets including New York City-based radio station WFUV where he serves as a music reviewer. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is the first truly comprehensive look at the history of the billion dollar concert ticketing industry, and should deservedly be the first go-to book for anybody ever doing work on the subject.
I worked in the ticket industry for about 13 years, so I've seen most of the changes the author describes. Stub Hub, the now-ubiqutous ticket marketplace, used to call our office years ago and explain what a great idea they had about a national format - and we laughed, and laughed.
Most importantly, though, the stories Budnick and Baron tell happened the way they tell it. I can speak to their credibility, at least as far as their stories on Stub Hub, Tickets Now, and other ticket brokers.
No question they put in every bit of detail they could get their hands on. That is one of the flaws of the book, that they put in so much that it's sometimes difficult to tell what facts are most important, and where the reader's focus should really be. This book takes some work - it's not a beach read. You have to be prepared to pay attention, read things again, and then re-read. There is a lot of business discussion, and dollar figures, and other small details that require a lot of the reader's attention.
A big flaw is the lack of specific ticket prices. Only a few times do the authors actually say what a concert costs, and since the entire book is on the notion that the public is getting 'scalped,' it's hard to see exactly HOW, without seeing the increase in price.
I know that the Rolling Stones, for example, charged $60 for their best field seats for their 1997 tour - and $450 in 2005. Awful, right? But even though the Rolling Stones are a major part of the book, the authors never use any specific ticket prices - they talk about fan club prices, but not tickets. I wish the authors had used more specific price examples to both horrify and educate the reader about the much higher prices they are now paying. And, the impact of the Internet - where ticket broker prices suddenly became public knowledge - isn't highlighted quite well enough.
But as far as what the author's include, it really shows how distant the idea of concerts has gotten from the "old days" when it was about the music. Now, concerts are just one more product that companies provide as a way to get a captive audience that they can then sell other products too. It will make a reader very cynical. The stories about the Grateful Dead's mail-order ticket system, and Pearl Jam's lawsuit (although they aren't the heroes they presented themselves to be) against Ticketmaster are among the most interesting, well-detailed sections.
So, the book is very detailed and infomative, but often hard to follow and requires very close attention. But I can speak to the credibility of at least some of it, so I think the rest of it is equally accurate.
I worked in the ticket industry for about 13 years, so I've seen most of the changes the author describes. Stub Hub, the now-ubiqutous ticket marketplace, used to call our office years ago and explain what a great idea they had about a national format - and we laughed, and laughed.
Most importantly, though, the stories Budnick and Baron tell happened the way they tell it. I can speak to their credibility, at least as far as their stories on Stub Hub, Tickets Now, and other ticket brokers.
No question they put in every bit of detail they could get their hands on. That is one of the flaws of the book, that they put in so much that it's sometimes difficult to tell what facts are most important, and where the reader's focus should really be. This book takes some work - it's not a beach read. You have to be prepared to pay attention, read things again, and then re-read. There is a lot of business discussion, and dollar figures, and other small details that require a lot of the reader's attention.
A big flaw is the lack of specific ticket prices. Only a few times do the authors actually say what a concert costs, and since the entire book is on the notion that the public is getting 'scalped,' it's hard to see exactly HOW, without seeing the increase in price.
I know that the Rolling Stones, for example, charged $60 for their best field seats for their 1997 tour - and $450 in 2005. Awful, right? But even though the Rolling Stones are a major part of the book, the authors never use any specific ticket prices - they talk about fan club prices, but not tickets. I wish the authors had used more specific price examples to both horrify and educate the reader about the much higher prices they are now paying. And, the impact of the Internet - where ticket broker prices suddenly became public knowledge - isn't highlighted quite well enough.
But as far as what the author's include, it really shows how distant the idea of concerts has gotten from the "old days" when it was about the music. Now, concerts are just one more product that companies provide as a way to get a captive audience that they can then sell other products too. It will make a reader very cynical. The stories about the Grateful Dead's mail-order ticket system, and Pearl Jam's lawsuit (although they aren't the heroes they presented themselves to be) against Ticketmaster are among the most interesting, well-detailed sections.
So, the book is very detailed and infomative, but often hard to follow and requires very close attention. But I can speak to the credibility of at least some of it, so I think the rest of it is equally accurate.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book provides a great history of the rock concert business. It covers more than just ticketing. If you are intersted in the concert business this book is for you. However a warning, you may end up being annoyed at everyone involved in the business when you are done!
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Vidiot
Format:Hardcover
It may not be a high wire adventure but this book methodically explains concert ticketing from the days of hard tickets to today's computerized world and its bevy of extra surcharges. If you really want to understand that "service charge" and why the price varies so much from artist to artist, read this book, but be prepared to have a bit less warm fuzzy enthusiasm for your favorite superstar.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent inside view of the ticket industry
A fascinating history of the sports and concert ticket industry, going back to the 1960s. Bill Graham and Grateful Dead inside stories, computer history, boardroom intrigues,... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Martin Hardee
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inside look at the business of entertainment
A fast-paced, deep dive into the business of ticketing and all the businesses it touches--Wall Street, Madison Avenue, concert promotion, licensed merchandise, information... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Lesa Ukman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent view of the ticketing industry
Extremely well researched and also excellent view into the world of rock promotions and how it's evolved over the last 50 years. Highly recommended.
Published 20 months ago by Hai H.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great history!
I met Dean and Josh at a convention in 2011, and I was very impressed with all the leg work and research they had done to fill this book with numerous interviews of the ticket... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Jeffrey Pittman
5.0 out of 5 stars
very interesting
If you have over 100 ticket stubs in your collection you will find something in this book for you. It held my interest all the way through. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Ron Deutsch
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good from a business case study view
Not a bad read at all. Did not just place the blame at ticketmaster. Great stories as far as the beginnings of the ticket industry and how some bands (String Cheese, The Dead,... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Stanley Jouston
5.0 out of 5 stars
Want to know why ticket prices for concerts are how they are? Read...
I was a little skeptical of this book at first. I assumed it would be "ticketmaster stinks, they are evil, and they charge to much". Read more
Published 22 months ago by Phamily
2.0 out of 5 stars
Too Detailed -
The book begins with the 1966 Ticketron using a CDC computer the size of a 1990's copier. Agents paid $150/month rental and earned 25 cents/ticket. Read more
Published 22 months ago by Loyd E. Eskildson
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good anecdotes on the ticketing industry but more analysis needed
The authors have done a good job of interviewing and highlighting the various parts of the ticketing industry. Read more
Published 22 months ago by A. Narayan
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not an easy read.
For the general public interested in how the ticket industry works, this book is chock full of information. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Lynda Rothschild
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