Touting (scalping) is an ongoing problem for mega-acts, where demand far outstrips supply. The inverse, of course, is the case for smaller acts – where tours can lose them money and small venues are often sparsely attended.
RoadNation is the latest platform aiming to help, by developing what it is terming a “direct to fan” touring platform that can help acts to tour smarter and more efficiently. It gets fans to choose the cities they’d like an artist to visit; enables those artists to sell packages of tickets and merchandise in advance of their concerts; and gets the fans involved in promoting the gigs too. So, this is essentially concert-crowdfunding, with shows only confirmed once the artist hits their financial targets.
Former RIAA chief, digital business, Steven Marks is the founder, with advisers including artists Dave Stewart and Greg Richling, as well as industry figures Jordan Berliant, Kevin Conroy, Fred McIntyre, Vickie Nauman, Adam Parness and David Renzer. Artists including Dead End Kids, Ten and Fairground Saints have already road-tested the platform, with more to follow in early 2020.
RoadNation isn’t the first startup exploring this idea, mind: Stagelink, Bandsquare, Tootoot and Weeshing are among the others Music Ally has covered in the past.
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…
And Show4me. Offers concert crowdfunding, and you’ve covered the network in a post a month or two back