The week of Dec. 4, 2023, will go down as one of the most momentous weeks in the history of the live events industry, and not because of any record-breaking tour or major sporting event. Instead, the action took place on Capitol Hill, where bipartisan lawmakers took two important steps to systemically reform and regulate the live event ticket marketplace.
After months of angry calls and tweets from Swifties and the Bey Hive, multiple Congressional hearings, and a convening of artists, venue operators, managers, ticket sellers, and consumers, members of Congress showed a true commitment to modernizing the way tickets are sold across the country, protecting consumers from deceptive and predatory practices.
The action began in the House Energy and Commerce Committee on December 6th, where in a unanimous bipartisan vote, the Committee passed the TICKET Act (H.R. 3950) bringing the bill to be considered by the full House of Representatives in 2024 — a crucial step in addressing the longstanding issues surrounding the sale of concert tickets.
The TICKET Act, which the Recording Academy advocated for during its annual District Advocate day, aims to stop predatory practices and create a positive shift towards a more fair and accessible ticketing landscape. The legislation aims to bring forth greater transparency in pricing by mandating an upfront, all-in price — however the Recording Academy is working to further strengthen the bill to ensure the face value price and fees are clearly itemized upfront to give consumers a better understanding of the actual costs associated with their ticket purchases.
The TICKET Act also aims to dismantle predatory practices that have become common within the secondary ticketing market. Brokers and resellers, known for buying tickets and reselling them at exorbitant prices, have long been a source of frustration for fans. The legislation aims to stop two harmful practices — the selling of speculative tickets and the use of deceptive marketing tactics like fake websites. Put together these reforms will help make sure that tickets reach fans from trusted sources and at fair prices set by the artist.
The next day, on Dec. 7, a bipartisan group of six senators, led by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), introduced the Fans First Act (S. 3457), arguably the most ambitious set of ticket reforms ever contemplated by Congress. The bill includes a number of pro-consumer and pro-artist provisions including transparent pricing, banning speculative tickets and deceptive marketing tactics, and cracking down on ticket bots.
The Recording Academy played a pivotal role in shaping the bill and worked closely with the authors to craft the legislation and incorporate artists’ perspectives. Upon introduction, Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. expressed the organization's endorsement of the Fans First Act, stating, "We urge Congress to act on this bill quickly and continue its effort to protect both artists and fans by increasing transparency and limiting bad actors that take away from the joyous experience of live music."
With the bill’s introduction, and referral to the Senate Commerce Committee, it has begun the initial steps in the legislative process. Much like the TICKET Act in the House, the Fans First Act ensures that fans have a clear understanding of the total cost of their tickets upfront, while taking a strong stance against speculative tickets and deceptive marketing tactics. Moreover, the bill contains a number of enhanced regulatory tools for the Federal Trade Commission to enforce illegal ticket bots. As a comprehensive package, the Fans First Act provides a more secure and trustworthy environment for fans to purchase tickets for events.
The Recording Academy remains committed to advancing ticket marketplace reform in 2024 to protect artists and their fans. With the TICKET Act and the Fans First Act, true reform is possible.
