NITO Calls On Ticketers To Share Buyer Data With Artists (Guest Post)

By Tom Chauncey

Marketing concerts continues to be more challenging as old school methods lose their effectiveness. Traditional tools that once powered promotions have largely disappeared. Street posters, alt-weeklies, concert calendars and local newspapers have largely vanished. Terrestrial radio buys continue to rise in price with limited reach and uncertain results.  Increasingly, ticket sales have become dependent upon the social media reach of artists who speak directly to their fans, yet we still live in the era where promoters, venues and primary ticketing companies place barriers on artists connecting fully with their audiences. 

We at the National Independent Talent Organization believe there is a far simpler and more effective solution sitting right in front of us to sell more tickets for everyone’s benefit: sharing ticket buyer data with artists. 

Done responsibly, cooperative data sharing can reduce marketing costs, increase ticket sales, and help foster the long-term fan relationships that sustain our live music business. Sharing data is a win-win for all parties involved. 

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With expenses rising across the industry, reducing marketing waste is a meaningful benefit for everyone. Marketing plans include thousands of dollars spent repeatedly targeting the same audiences on social media platforms, designed simply to break through algorithms. This approach is becoming increasingly unsustainable. At the same time, audiences are beginning to disengage from these platforms as people search for more authentic and direct ways to connect with the artists they love.

Direct artist-to-fan communication is far more effective. Spending marketing dollars through artist-focused CRM services is not only cheaper than META and other social platforms, but you are directly targeting real fans. When venues share ticket buyer data with artists it can then be directly uploaded into one of these CRMs. 

Every time an artist plays a market, we work collectively to grow the audience. Collectively we are getting a clearer picture of the artist’s fanbase, where they live, who travels and how far and what the strongest markets are. Using this data leads to smarter tour routing, more accurate venue selection and more efficient marketing campaigns. In other words, data sharing helps reduce promoter risk while boosting long-term artist growth.

The days when promoters handled every aspect of marketing and promoting are over. Show promotion is now a partnership. Artists are expected to actively promote their shows, engage their fans and help drive ticket sales via artist controlled social media sites. Yet despite this shared responsibility, artists are often denied access to the very fan data that would allow them to do that work effectively.  Fans want to hear from their heroes.

In fact, it’s the artist that ultimately brings fans through the doors and it is their community that needs to be built and maintained to enjoy a fruitful career. Invite-only events, surprise announcements, exclusive recordings, fan clubs, meet-and-greets, these are all ways artists deepen relationships with their audiences and create long-term loyalty and community. The larger and more engaged that community becomes, the easier it is to sell tickets down the road.

A venue blasting a general calendar to a million previous ticket buyers still has a place for connecting new artists to possible new fans, but that will never be as effective as an artist sending a tour announcement directly to 5,000 loyal fans and past ticket buyers. The goal of both artist and promoter should always be to grow this fan base so they are hearing the most relevant information directly from the artist they support.  

Critics of data sharing often argue that retaining customer data is necessary to maintain a competitive advantage. Some believe controlling this data helps ensure that tours return to their venues in the future. In reality, the opposite may be true.  

Sharing ticket buyer data demonstrates a willingness to collaborate and invest in an artist’s long-term growth. A venue that shares data signals that it values long-term relationships, not just a single night’s box office. That kind of partnership often carries significant weight and in an industry built on relationships, trust often matters just as much as who has the highest offer. Providing ticket buyer data shows a commitment to the artist and a commitment to building in that market together. 

At the end of the day, we are all trying to do the same things: sell tickets, keep fans engaged and build long sustainable careers for artists.  NITO is committed to open dialogue between our members and venue, promoter and ticketing partners to strengthen the live music ecosystem. The recent Live Nation / DOJ settlement includes a provision where Live Nation must share data with artists. This could be a huge step forward depending on how the settlement plays out. We hope all promoters start participating in this practice and we encourage all of our membership to start making data sharing a part of their deal negotiations. 

To support this effort, NITO has created a data share agreement that has been distributed to our membership. This agreement is a first step towards sharing and using data responsibly, protecting venues from liability and ensuring that fan data is handled securely. Artists, in turn, must commit to responsible data practices by maintaining clear privacy policies and using shared data appropriately.  Let’s engage in a dialog to set up these guidelines.

Managers, agents, promoters, venues and ticketing companies need to work together to help artists develop and grow their fanbase. Data sharing buildsstronger partnerships, grows artist communities, and creates a healthier ecosystem for all stakeholders. With cooperation and responsible practices, ticket buyer data sharing can and should become a standard across the industry.  Let’s get started

Tom Chauncey is a founding member of the National Independent Talent Organization and founder and CEO of Partisan Arts

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