Taylor Swift's highly anticipated album "Midnight" was released on December 10th, 2020, and fans were eagerly anticipating the release of the album and the accompanying tour. However, the excitement quickly turned to frustration and disappointment as many fans struggled to get their hands on tickets for the tour.
The issues surrounding the ticketing for Taylor Swift's "Midnight" tour have been well documented, with many fans reporting difficulties in obtaining tickets and accusations of ticket scalping. The high demand for tickets coupled with the limited availability has resulted in many fans being left disappointed and frustrated.
One of the main issues surrounding the ticketing for Taylor Swift's "Midnight" tour is the use of ticket bots. These are software programs that are designed to buy large numbers of tickets quickly, making it difficult for regular fans to get their hands on tickets. Ticket bots are often used by scalpers who then resell the tickets at inflated prices.
The use of ticket bots has been a longstanding issue in the live music industry, and many fans have called for stricter regulations to combat their use. In 2019, the US Senate passed the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, which aims to crack down on the use of ticket bots by making it illegal to use them to purchase tickets. However, the implementation of this legislation has been slow, and many fans are still finding it difficult to obtain tickets due to the use of ticket bots.
Another issue surrounding the ticketing for Taylor Swift's "Midnight" tour is the use of presales. Presales are a common practice in the live music industry, where tickets are made available to select groups of fans before they are made available to the general public. These groups can include fans who have signed up for the artist's mailing list, members of fan clubs, or credit card holders with certain banks.
While presales are intended to give dedicated fans an opportunity to get tickets before they sell out, many fans have criticized the practice as it often results in tickets being snapped up by scalpers who use ticket bots to buy large numbers of tickets. This leaves regular fans with little chance of getting tickets when they are made available to the general public.
One solution to the issues surrounding the ticketing for Taylor Swift's "Midnight" tour could be the implementation of paperless ticketing. This is a system where tickets are not physically printed, but are instead linked to the credit card used to purchase them. This means that the tickets can only be used by the person who purchased them, making it difficult for scalpers to resell tickets.
Paperless ticketing has been used by some artists and venues, and has been met with mixed reactions. Some fans have criticized the system as it can be inconvenient, as it requires the credit card used to purchase the tickets to be presented at the venue. However, others have praised it as an effective way to combat ticket scalping.
Another potential solution to the issues surrounding the ticketing for Taylor Swift's "Midnight" tour could be the use of fan verification systems. These systems require fans to provide proof of their dedication to the artist, such as by showing evidence of attending previous concerts or purchasing merchandise. This can help to prevent scalpers from obtaining tickets, as they are unlikely to have the same level of dedication as genuine fans.
Fan verification systems have been used by some artists, including Bruce Springsteen and Adele, and have been praised by fans as an effective way to combat scalping. However, they can also be criticized as they can exclude some genuine fans who may not have attended previous concerts or purchased merchandise.
In conclusion, the issues surrounding the ticketing for Taylor Swift's "Midnight" tour are complex and have no easy solutions.
