Year in Review: Concerts

Use of Music to Promote Concerts
Strategies have begun to emerge that tie-in music and concert sales.[1] Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails experimented with free downloads as part of the release of the album Ghosts I-IV but at the same time used the opportunity to inform fans of their upcoming concerts.[2] He then also gave away free tracks of all the opening acts on the tour in an effort to get more people to go to the shows.[3] Reznor then announced that premium tickets would be made available for fans through the bands website 72 hours before each show in an attempt to ensure that the best seats were not sold to scalpers but rather were directly available for fans.[4]

Other bands have taken to selling recordings of shows on USB drives immediately after the gig. Matchbox Twenty did this, selling USB bracelets after the show for the same price as one of the bands T-shirts.[5] The Barenaked Ladies also sold souvenir flash drives at their 2006 concert series Barenaked Ladies Are Me.[6] The USB drives were loaded with their ‘new album, live tracks, ringtones and videos for $25’.[7]

UK politicians began to consider the problems associated with the resale/scalping of concert tickets by suggesting that any person reselling a ticket should be made to pay a percentage of the sales back to the artists.[8] Critics suggested that this was bad policy as it would then encourage bands (who would make more money) to ensure that there were multiple resellers in the chain prior to tickets being sold to consumers.[9]

Concert Revenue
Reports in mid 2007 suggest that U2 made $355 million from touring over the past twelve month period.[10] Indeed overall concert revenue is at an all time high.[11] There was an increase of 8% in concert revenues in the United States between 2006 and 2007 with indications that more bands are performing live and making more money.[12] Overall revenue increased with smaller/medium bands making more money while for the top 20 and top 100 bands revenues drop off.[13] Pollstar reported that the top 20 tours in the United States in 2007 made $996 million, a drop of 15.6%, with the Police making the most money grossing $131.9 million.[14]

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[1] TechDirt, Bands Should Give Away Their Music With Every Concert Ticket Sold (16 May 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080514/0306491110.shtml> at 21 May 2008
[2] TechDirt, Trent Reznor Continues To Show How Free Music Works In A Business (6 June 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080605/1638421319.shtml> at 8 June 2008
[3] TechDirt, Trent Reznor Continues To Show How Free Music Works In A Business (6 June 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080605/1638421319.shtml> at 8 June 2008
[4] Digital Music News, Reznor Rampage Continues; Touring Experiment Next (5 May 2008) <http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/050508nin> at 6 May 2008
[5] CNet News/Reuters/Billboard, Flash drives offer new choices for music fans (17 February 2008) <http://www.news.com/Flash-drives-offer-new-choices-for-music-fans/2100-1027_3-6230976.html?tag=nefd.top%5C> at 18 February 2008
[6] CNet News/Reuters/Billboard, Flash drives offer new choices for music fans (17 February 2008) <http://www.news.com/Flash-drives-offer-new-choices-for-music-fans/2100-1027_3-6230976.html?tag=nefd.top%5C> at 18 February 2008
[7] CNet News/Reuters/Billboard, Flash drives offer new choices for music fans (17 February 2008) <http://www.news.com/Flash-drives-offer-new-choices-for-music-fans/2100-1027_3-6230976.html?tag=nefd.top%5C> at 18 February 2008
[8] TechDirt, UK Politicians Support Having Musicians Paid Multiple Times If Tix Are Resold (10 January 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080110/010423.shtml> at 18 January 2008
[9] TechDirt, UK Politicians Support Having Musicians Paid Multiple Times If Tix Are Resold (10 January 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080110/010423.shtml> at 18 January 2008
[10] TechDirt, U2's Manager Lashes Out Yet Again: Blames Absolutely Everyone For Not Making U2 Even Wealthier (5 June 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080605/1215171317.shtml> at 7 June 2008
[11] TechDirt, If You're Going To Argue In Favor Of Copyright, It Might Help To Do Some Research First (28 May 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080527/1716281240.shtml> at 4 June 2008
[12] TechDirt, Free Music Does Not Conflict With The Free Market (24 January 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080123/15161251.shtml> at 30 January 2008
[13] TechDirt, Free Music Does Not Conflict With The Free Market (24 January 2008) <http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080123/15161251.shtml> at 30 January 2008
[14] Digital Music News, Top Touring Artists Suffer Substantial Revenue Dip (2 January 2008) <http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/010207touring> at 11 January 2008