The National Independent Talent Organization (NITO) formed in the early days of the pandemic to protect independent artists, booking agents, and talent representatives. Now, the organization has revealed a plan to reform the broken concert ticketing system that has been under national scrutiny as of late. Today (April 20), NITO rolled out a nine-point strategy to tackle issues within the ticketing industry, such as ticket fees, resale terms, and bots. Forty-five independent booking agencies and management companies have signed onto the plan, including Partisan Arts, Artisan Agency, Fenway Recordings, TKO, and others.
In order to protect the thousands of musicians represented by NITO member companies, as well as ticket-purchasing fans, NITO’s nine-point plan will support the following:
● Itemized All-In Ticketing, where the fees are clearly separated from the face value of the ticket
● Fee transparency, wherein all fees are clearly listed and included on each and every offer sheet
● A cap on ticket fees
● Fan-to-Fan face value transfer with no additional fees
● The right for the Artist and/or Artist’s rep to control the terms of resale on their own tickets
● A ban on speculative ticketing on the secondary market
● A ban on primary ticketing platforms taking place in and profiting from secondary market sales
● The ability for artists and their representatives to access their own ticket buyer data for their use
● Stronger laws and enforcement to end ticketing bots
NITO also intends to lobby ticketing companies, legislators, and promoters on the matter of ticketing reform, creating campaigns to educate the industry and public regarding the issue, and partnering with like-minded organizations to help pass federal and state legislation that protects artists and fans.
“Excessive ticketing surcharges and the secondary market represent a direct threat to a healthy live music business community,” NITO President Frank Riley (of High Road Touring), said in a press release.
NITO Ticketing Task Force Chairman Nathaniel Marro (of Entourage Talent Associates) added: “A broken ticket-buying experience now overshadows tour announcements, and at some point, fans will say ‘enough is enough.’ Between outrageous fees and scalpers, it’s harder than ever to buy a ticket at the price the artist sets.”
NITO has previously partnered with the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), lobbying to secure $16.5 billion in Shuttered Venue Operating Grants for independent music agents, managers, music venues, and more.
Though Ticketmaster was not referred to in NITO’s press release or nine-point strategy, the ticketing giant’s practices have been at the center of numerous controversies in recent months. The company is currently facing multiple lawsuits over fraud, price-fixing, anticompetitive behavior, and more—especially with regards to the fiasco surrounding Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour ticket sales.
Ticketmaster has also faced a congressional hearing and an antitrust investigation for abuse of power. Swift, the Cure, Neil Young, and others have publicly condemned Ticketmaster for misusing its monopoly.
