Independent artists know how hard it is to make a living. Perhaps more than most they understand the controversial nature of monetising art and the innate passion that leads to bands like Violent Soho selling their only car to record an EP, before they even think about tickets.
Nevertheless if you’re embarking on your first tour or organising a headline show it’s a great idea to check out the ticketing platforms on the market. This can save you throwing wads of cash at a venue and help you build a more personalised fanbase.
Working out how to sell tickets for your next show? We have lined up the best ticketing platforms out there and toss up whether you even need it.
Get Creative
No one likes talking money. So the best way to ask people to pay to come see your show is by giving them something back. Dedication to fan servicing is what makes bands like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard so immensely popular.
Here are a few options to make buying a ticket a little more enticing:
- Offer free stickers with each ticket sold
- Pre-sale of a merch pack
- Album upgrade: bonus tracks or unreleased demos
- Discount codes on the checkout page
- Digital downloads with the purchase of a ticket
These are by no means your only options too. You could very well print your bands logo onto a frisbee if you so desire. The world is yours, use your imagination.
Furthermore, this is one of the most cost effective tools for selling more tickets. Fans will feel loved, people who are interested might be pushed over the edge, and most of all, your are spreading music and creating a name for yourself. Be creative and try something new.
Choosing a ticketing platform
As far as ticketing options go there’s a plethora of options out there with a tonne of great and not so great ones to choose from. It’s important to first check wether the venue you’re playing at has any ticketing contracts with Moshtix, Oztix or Ticketek etc. This is especially common with larger venues and you don’t want to have to pay twice.
Three of the most creatively free platforms for ticketing are Eventbrite, Ticketebo, and Ticketebo.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite is certainly one of the most widely used options on the market. With a plethora of customisation options on hand it makes Eventbrite an extremely attractive platform for launching any music event, from an off-grid warehouse party to a large scale theatre show.
With image customisation, a slew of ticket naming options and seamless purchasing, Eventbrite can be a great way to promote a merch bundle, meet and greet options or record signings for your next show.
Furthermore, Eventbrite is flawlessly integrated with Facebook so buyers can instantly purchase tickets from Facebook without even leaving the site. If you have made a Facebook event for your show then this could be the perfect way to seeing that beautiful, big red SOLD OUT!
Ticketebo
If you’re looking for even more customisation then Ticketebo probably has you covered. With the freedom to add content, name tickets, use photos, colour co-ordinate themes, backgrounds, and add a video, Ticketebo is the perfect way to enhance the pre-gig experience.
Adding a video is a massive drawcard for Ticketebo. We live in such a content rich world that the ability to show off your music, style and skills right before someone buys a ticket is a nice touch.
Having an aesthetically pleasing, coherent site where people can review your music, see your merch and buy tickets is a super nice way to get people excited for your performance before it’s even begun. Plus it makes you look professional!
Ticket TailorÂ
With Ticket Tailor, the money goes straight to you. There’s no waiting around for transaction processes which is perfect for those last minute shows.
Ticket Tailor is also extremely user friendly. The simplistic dashboard will have your event up and running in no time. Ticket Tailor will also keep you frequently updated with reports of your sales and trajectory to make sure you’re always on top of it.
Moreover, the customisation is still extremely versatile. While it might not provide the freedom of Ticketebo, there is still plenty of juicy stuff to work with like colour schemes and ticket customisation.
You can also embed the ticketing page onto your website (via a WordPress plugin) or Facebook. Be warned however, this is only available for Facebook pages with over 2,000 likes.
Do you need it?
The greatest thing about ticketing platforms is that you don’t have to do any work. Simply set up your personal online box office and let it do the rest. This is a pretty attractive deal for emerging and independent artists who already have enough on their plates.
However, the other significant option for marketing concerts is selling tickets on the door. This can sometimes be tricky to manage and it means a considerable amount of work for whoever is running the door sales. However, it’s a completely legitimate way to approach a gig and works wonders for many bands.
After all we can’t all be the Grateful Dead and play non stop shows for free.
