Spotify has introduced ‘Reserved by Spotify,’ a new feature designed to offer dedicated fans early access to concert tickets. This initiative aims to reward top listeners by reserving two tickets for them before they become available to the general public.
Initially, this feature is available to U.S. Premium subscribers aged 18 and over. The first artist to utilize this system is Role Model, with fans receiving notifications about their reserved tickets starting June 23, ahead of the general sale. Spotify has stated that it will not collect any fees from these transactions.
Currently, the Reserved system is limited to artists performing at Live Nation venues, with ticket sales facilitated through Ticketmaster. However, Spotify plans to expand this offering to include additional partners, smaller venues, and international users in the future.
The Reserved system is designed to reward music fans at a time when tickets for new concerts are immediately captured by scalpers using automated tools, which are then resold at a higher price as the event sells out.
For Spotify, Reserved serves as an easy way to encourage paid subscriptions and increase engagement with its app. If fans are getting concert tickets held for them by streaming their favorites, they’re more likely to log on and do just that.
Spotify first announced its plan to cater to superfans in May, noting that it would use signals like streams, shares, and other activity to determine who it considers a real fan. The company also said the platform would monitor activity to ensure that fans don’t game these stats using bots or AI agents.
In other words, it won’t be possible to snag the ticket by endlessly playing an artist’s music over and over — the company will look for signals that you’re still engaging with its app as a normal user would. Or, as Spotify puts it, ‘leaving music on in the background won’t give anyone a leg up.’
Reserved will also look at the user’s location to ensure they’re near the show before making an offer.
After going live, eligible fans will see a personalized offer on their Spotify Home screen, allowing them to view tour dates, see the Reserved window, and set a reminder to buy the tickets. When the window for the Reserved tickets opens — usually around a day — they can purchase two tickets before they’re on sale to the public.
In addition, Spotify noted that there will be more superfans than there are seats available in many cases, which means not every fan will get an offer of tickets every time.
Role Model, whose tour is reaching 17 U.S. cities and shows, will be the first of ‘a slate’ of additional artists’ tours launching this week, noted Spotify without naming names. The Reserved tickets join others centered around live music, like the recently added support for a beta feature that lets artists upload live performance videos alongside other music videos.
By offering Reserved tickets, Spotify is enhancing the concert-going experience for dedicated fans and strengthening the connection between artists and their audiences. This move also positions Spotify as a more integral part of the live music ecosystem, potentially increasing user engagement and subscription rates.
