How Ticketmaster became a monopoly

And how it could kill live music.

People love concerts. Nielsen estimates that 33 million attend at least one show in the US per year, and music fans know that the hype doesn’t start with the music but much before. It starts months or even years before bands announce their tours. So the anxiety begins with buying a ticket, and to do so, chances are you’ll have to deal with one company.

Ticketmaster (a Live Nation brand) dominates the ticket market in the US and the world, but dealing with them can be challenging. As a result, fans have had to…