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More than 250 artists, including Billie Eilish, Lorde, Fall Out Boy, Diplo, Becky G, Green Day, Sia and more, signed an open letter to the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday (April 25) urging Congress to pass the Fans First Act. . Artists say the bill calling for consumer protections from bots and greater transparency in ticket sales is vital to the survival of the live music industry.
“As artists and members of the music community, we depend on touring for our livelihood and we value music fans above all else,” the letter opens. “We stand together to say that the current system is broken: predatory resellers and secondary platforms engage in deceptive ticketing practices to inflate ticket prices and deprive fans of the chance to see their favorite artists at a fair price . Predatory resellers are no longer regulated while siphoning money from the live entertainment ecosystem for their own benefit.
The letter states that these predatory sellers use illegal bots, speculative ticket listings and misleading advertising that cause real harm to consumers. “The relationship between artist and fan, which forms the backbone of the entire music industry, is broken,” the letter warns. “No one cares more about fans than artists. When predatory resellers grab tickets at face value before fans do in order to resell them at inflated prices on the secondary market, artists lose the opportunity to connect with their fans who cannot afford it. to assist.
Fix the Tix letter claims fans are lured by deceptive URLs and ads that “disguise resale and trick consumers into gambling for up to 20 times face value” when face value tickets are still available on the site , as well as by “predatory” resellers listing tickets. for shows before they go on sale – before you even have tickets in hand – which often leads to fans showing up at venues without a valid ticket.
“Predatory retailers do not invest in creating a great live experience or promoting live music.
ecosystem – they simply benefit from the hard work of the artists, venues and crew,” it reads. “In fact, resellers and secondary ticketing platforms often profit more from the artist’s work than the artists themselves.”
The signatories are advocating for the bipartisan Fans First Act – introduced in December by Senators John Cornyn, Amy Klobuchar, Marsha Blackburn, Peter Welch, Roger Wicker and Ben Ray Lujan – which would ban counterfeit tickets and deceptive marketing tactics, as well as ticket sellers. to display the full, detailed price of a ticket from the moment the transaction begins, with clear penalties and enforcement actions to support the bill.
“We, as artists, music lovers, and concert-goers ourselves, urge you to support the Fans First Act to combat deceptive ticketing practices by predatory resellers and secondary platforms, who also profit from these practices,” concludes the letter. “Predatory dealers should not be more profitable than people who dedicate their lives to their art. » The letter was addressed to Sen. Maria Cantwell, chair of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and ranking member of the panel, Ted Cruz of Texas, with a copy from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the leader of the minority Mitch McConnell, Cornyn and Klobuchar. Also.
Other signatories to the letter include: Aimee Mann, Finneas, Amy Lee of Evanescence, Nile Rodgers, OK GO, Halestorm, Becky G, Graham Nash, Goose, Pixies, Particle Kid, Ben Folds, Rickie Lee Jones, Jason Mraz , members of Duran Duran, Bright Eyes, Julia Michaels, Cyndi Lauper, Sylvan Esso, Major Lazer, MGMT, Yes and many others.
