For a coffee concert I am performing on 12 April, 2026, I have recently partnered with a Ticketmaster company. This gained me an unintended wow factor with friends who thought that Ticketmaster was just for the likes of Lady Gaga and other artists who sell out the world's biggest stadiums.
My coffee concert will take place at an old provincial school building with a venue capacity of 80. Not a stadium-size gig by any definition - but it is my first event (since setting up this website) where I am responsible for ticket sales.
As a musician who writes and produces his own music, I am more than a bit deterred by the idea of having to respond instantly to ticket enquiries. Even less of a favourite of mine is having to keep a spreadsheet of people who have paid and who haven't. Imagine messing up the dynamics of a new single release while trying to reconcile red cells flashing NOT PAID with an online banking app…
The Ticketmaster company I was advised to use, Universe, is available for starting musicians as well as established ones. For a small concert like on 12 April, they take 2% and a small basic fee (€0.45) per ticket sold. No sales, no costs. All the sales administration taken care of, and a clear overview in case I do want to see how it's going.
This way, I can spend more time preparing with the band than that I spend selling tickets. If you're still reading this, I'm sure you'll agree this is the right way round!