Does streaming music equate to high concert ticket prices


  Im an ex musician(guitar player in alternative rock) and back in the day ie1970s/80s/90s bands toured to promote record sales to make money,now it seems its the opposite.Im a digital guy,I dont play records at all.I dont stream either,CD only and i still buy 2 or 3 new CDs a month.To me my system sounds fantastic.Here locally Pearl jam is playing and the standing room ticket out in the field is 250 bucks,You cant see them or really hear the music.Ridiculous in my opinion yet its sold out.Aerosmith is coming on the farewell tour and ticket prices are about as stupid as it gets..Over 7 grand for a great seat....After doing a google search on what artist make on their music being streamed the numbers are quite low...Tidal pays .01,Qubuz .04 and Spotify .003....Its kind of obvious at least to me the music streaming is contributing to the high cost of ticket prices...anyone have an opinion?

missioncoonery

I think it’s partially the fact that most tickets for concerts go through one company, the fact that bands saw scalpers make off with huge payoffs and the fact, I feel most importantly, that your interested in older music that you listened to when you were younger. So these bands see their older and richer demographic able to pay what they might for a Broadway show and more, really to relive their youth and memories. A 16 year old you, would never, never go see a 60 year old Aerosmith. 

Thanks for this thread as I just checked some of the local action. I just paid $79.50 all in with fees for the Cowboy Junkies sitting seven rows back from stage. That is not a lot of money for a show IMO. Huge fan, seen before (was just thinking about the show today out of the blue, crazy), it will be super! The sound in this theater is outstanding, and Cowboy Junkies have always cared about the quality of their sound. There last few albums have been terrific, and I expect the same from their next album which drops (as the kids say) June 2nd. This is an audiophiles orgasmic experience IMO.

Forget those stadium tours and get out there and enjoy artists who could use your support in venues that sound good. A trick is to go to the quality theater group and subscribe to their newsletter so you know when someone you are interested in is coming to get great seats. Support live music it is great experience!

Never buy resale tickets! Do not support those that buy to re-sell.

Ticket prices have been going up steadily for quite a while before streaming became big and hit ridiculous levels a while back. The big-name bands are charging what the market will bear and have learned that there are a lot of people with more money than sense.

Just realized I never answered the OP question. No, I do not think there is correlation between ticket prices and streaming. It is a what the market will bear. Gone to an NFL game lately? No streaming pressures there. I remember going back in the day and the cost and the cost now. It has gone up signficantly due to demand.

One example I can think of is a few years ago I paid $800 for two tickets to Madonna. A week letter I went to see Aimee Mann at an intimitate show in a great sounding venue for $80 for two tickets. I am thinking as I’m at the show why is the musician who as singer songwriter has 10x more talent and yet this other talented artists costs 10X more? Again, what people will pay. Do have to give it up to Madonna as it was an experience more than just a concert such as drummers suspended from wires, huge lighting effects and on and on. But as an audiophile it was no contest that the Aimee Mann show was superior.

I don’t like big crowds and really don’t care to pay for big, expensive concerts. I’ve seen Vijay Iyer recently in a small venue for 15 bucks or so and he’s one of the greatest (jazz) musicians on the planet. Like seeing Mozart...I’ve mixed hundreds of small venue live concerts (and benefit from attending the cool smaller venues in places I’ve lived) featuring the likes of Anais Mitchell, Richie Havens, John Gorka, etc., and was as blown away with their talent as much as any big deal show I’ve seen...sure the Steely Dan/Elvis Costello show some years ago in Boston was great, but that was thanks to my wife’s law firm...no clue what the tix cost for that...If I want mind blowing big entertainment we’ll see Cirque De Soleil and get more bang for the buck than $1500 seats for some overhyped pop star. Great musicians tour the smaller venues and do fine, are happy to get online exposure and don’t expect money for that, and that’s who should be supported. Get to that well run coffeehouse show and let Steven Tyler use somebody else’s money for rehab.