By the time you get to the box office, all the good seats may be taken or, even worse, the show may be sold out entirely.
When a must-see concert, sporting event, or musical comes to your town, Ticketmaster is the way to go.
This top ticket-selling service not only gives you access to the hottest shows in your area, but also lets you resell and transfer, tickets, too.
If you're on the hunt for seats at a show, Ticketmaster will serve you well.
The Show of Shows
Ticketmaster is a primary ticket-selling service, which means that they buy blocks of tickets directly from the venues, so they have lots of good tickets for a wide variety of high-profile events, at retail prices.
They also let users resell tickets, so you might find a seat for a show that's been sold out for ages.
More on its reseller program in a bit.
The browser-based Ticketmaster has a homescreen that's far busier than Eventbrite and SeatGeek's streamlined interfaces, but the information displayed is segmented into neat little chunks.
This means that you can see at glance the Happening Soon, Concerts, Just Announced, Arts & Theater, and Family content listings without clicking through menus.
The content is tailored to your location, too, which makes it even more convenient.
The one key thing not displayed on Ticketmaster's packed homepage is the price for each show.
To find the cost, you have to click through each show's entry.
SeatGeek, by contrast, lists prices on its homepage, so you can immediately get a sense of how much money you may potentially spend on a ticket.
If you're looking for a particular show, Ticketmaster's interface helps you find it more quickly; SeatGeek is better for those times when you're just looking for something to do in certain price range.
Of course, you can search for shows by exploring categories, selecting a new location (Ticketmaster automatically defaults to your location, unlike StubHub), or typing a query into Ticketmaster's integrated search box.
If you want to see upcoming events happening within a certain time frame, Ticketmaster lets you tweak date parameters, too.
In a nice touch, you can sort by venue.
That's a useful feature if you have a preferred venue, such as Barclays Center or Madison Square Garden.
In fact, in perusing the Barclays Centers' event listing, I found tickets for the Big 3 Finals.
SeatGeek, on the other hand, doesn't let you browse its site by venue.
Here We Are Now, Entertain Us
Unlike the more community-focused Eventbrite, Ticketmaster specializes in connecting people to high-profile events.
You'll find tickets for theater (The Lion King, Pretty Woman: The Musical), music (Counting Crows, G-Eazy), family (KIDZ BOP Kids, Sesame Street Live! C is For Celebration), and sporting events (Big 3, U.S.
Open).
You won't find smaller-scale events, such as Brooklyn Comes Alive 2018 or Saturday Night Rooftop Party at Monarch—events I discovered using Eventbrite.
Selecting an event, such as George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, takes you to a page where you can view the venue address, show date, and seating arrangement.
Ticketmaster doesn't let you import PDF e-tickets purchased from other vendors so that service can act as your one-stop ticketing hub.
This is a SeatGeek feature that I truly appreciate.
Buy and Selling Tickets
The ticket purchasing process requires that you select an event date and seat (where applicable),and you input your name, email address, and credit/debit card information.
Unlike Eventbrite, Ticketmaster doesn't give you a 15-minute time frame to buy the ticket before losing it.
In fact, there's no countdown clock at all.
Ticketmaster sells tickets, though the company occasionally shuttles you offsite to make the purchase.
When I bought tickets to see The Revolution in concert, it was done via Live Nation's website.
Live Nation, it should be noted, merged with Ticketmaster nearly a decade ago, which has proven controversial.
Songkick, a music-focused event app, doesn't actually sell anything.
It sends you to external sites to make the buy.
Besides standard tickets, Ticketmaster also sells VIP premium packages that come bundled with all sorts of goodies.
For example, the Arts & Theater package includes "amazing seats" and limited edition merchandise.
Music packages may include meet-and-greet sessions with your favorite artists.
SeatGeek lacks these VIP extras.
And the Citi Cardmembers programs lets people who own Citi credit or debit cards buy tickets before they go on sale to the general public.
Like SeatGeek and StubHub, Ticketmaster SeatGeek lets you transfer tickets to other people.
This is one of Ticketmaster's best features.
Ticket transfers come in handy when you buy tickets for multiple people and don't want to wait for the crew outside or in the lobby to initiate a hand off.
After I purchased two tickets to see The Revolution in concert, I transferred a friend his ticket so I could go inside and have a good time at the bar while he was in transit.
It's as simple as logging into your account, clicking Transfer Tickets, entering the recipient's name and email address, and hitting the Send button.
Ticketmaster, like SeatGeek and StubHub, also offers a ticket reselling service.
To sell a ticket, you simply log into your account, hit the Sell icon, and select a ticket, price, and payment method.
Listing a ticket is free and, surprisingly, Ticketmaster doesn't take a cut from the sale.
That's refreshing, as SeatGeek takes a 10 percent cut when a ticket is sold.
You cannot resell a ticket at a price lower than its original listing, but you can make a profit.
For example, I could potentially resell my The Revolution VIP concert ticket between $88.00 and $874,889.
Please note that not all tickets are available for resale, and you cannot resell tickets purchased from Ticketmaster over the phone or from a third-party vendor.
Ticketmaster's Mobile Apps
Ticketmaster offers mobile apps available for the Android and iOS platforms.
I mainly tested Ticketmaster on my Google Pixel XL smartphone, but I spent a bit of time with the iPhone version, too.
The apps are very similar to each other in terms of design, and both offer the browser-based version's many useful features.
That said, the Android and iOS apps differ from the web version in small ways.
For example, the mobile apps let you use your phone as a barcode-based e-ticket instead of downloading a PDF ticket or physically printing a ticket—that's very convenient.
In addition, the mobile apps integrate mapping information, so you can see exactly where you need to go when it's show time.
If you create a Ticketmaster account, you can save items of interest to your Favorites by tapping the heart icon.
This is a feature only available on the mobile app.
Like Songkick, Ticketmaster alerts you when relevant shows are announced.
The Favorites info is also used by Ticketmaster's algorithms to recommend similar events.
Ticket King
There are many ticket-selling services on the web, but Ticketmaster manages to stand tallest on the crowded hill thanks to several excellent features that make the buying experience that much better.
SeatGeek came close to snatching the crown, but Ticketmaster's no-fee reselling, the ability to search events by venue, and Citi Cardmembers program puts it on top.
If you're going to buy tickets online, Ticketmaster is the way to go.
Pros
Makes ticket buying simple.
Lets you resell and transfer tickets.
Useful dedicated deals section.
Lets you search events by venue.
Option to print ticket or use digital barcode version.
View More
The Bottom Line
Ticketmaster doesn't just make it a breeze to buy tickets at retail and reseller prices to concerts, comedy sets, plays, and sports events; it also features numerous, attractive extras, such as special Citi Cardmembers deals and VIP packages.
Waiting in line for tickets is a fool's gambit.
By the time you get to the box office, all the good seats may be taken or, even worse, the show may be sold out entirely.
When a must-see concert, sporting event, or musical comes to your town, Ticketmaster is the way to go.
This top ticket-selling service not only gives you access to the hottest shows in your area, but also lets you resell and transfer, tickets, too.
If you're on the hunt for seats at a show, Ticketmaster will serve you well.
The Show of Shows
Ticketmaster is a primary ticket-selling service, which means that they buy blocks of tickets directly from the venues, so they have lots of good tickets for a wide variety of high-profile events, at retail prices.
They also let users resell tickets, so you might find a seat for a show that's been sold out for ages.
More on its reseller program in a bit.
The browser-based Ticketmaster has a homescreen that's far busier than Eventbrite and SeatGeek's streamlined interfaces, but the information displayed is segmented into neat little chunks.
This means that you can see at glance the Happening Soon, Concerts, Just Announced, Arts & Theater, and Family content listings without clicking through menus.
The content is tailored to your location, too, which makes it even more convenient.
The one key thing not displayed on Ticketmaster's packed homepage is the price for each show.
To find the cost, you have to click through each show's entry.
SeatGeek, by contrast, lists prices on its homepage, so you can immediately get a sense of how much money you may potentially spend on a ticket.
If you're looking for a particular show, Ticketmaster's interface helps you find it more quickly; SeatGeek is better for those times when you're just looking for something to do in certain price range.
Of course, you can search for shows by exploring categories, selecting a new location (Ticketmaster automatically defaults to your location, unlike StubHub), or typing a query into Ticketmaster's integrated search box.
If you want to see upcoming events happening within a certain time frame, Ticketmaster lets you tweak date parameters, too.
In a nice touch, you can sort by venue.
That's a useful feature if you have a preferred venue, such as Barclays Center or Madison Square Garden.
In fact, in perusing the Barclays Centers' event listing, I found tickets for the Big 3 Finals.
SeatGeek, on the other hand, doesn't let you browse its site by venue.
Here We Are Now, Entertain Us
Unlike the more community-focused Eventbrite, Ticketmaster specializes in connecting people to high-profile events.
You'll find tickets for theater (The Lion King, Pretty Woman: The Musical), music (Counting Crows, G-Eazy), family (KIDZ BOP Kids, Sesame Street Live! C is For Celebration), and sporting events (Big 3, U.S.
Open).
You won't find smaller-scale events, such as Brooklyn Comes Alive 2018 or Saturday Night Rooftop Party at Monarch—events I discovered using Eventbrite.
Selecting an event, such as George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, takes you to a page where you can view the venue address, show date, and seating arrangement.
Ticketmaster doesn't let you import PDF e-tickets purchased from other vendors so that service can act as your one-stop ticketing hub.
This is a SeatGeek feature that I truly appreciate.
Buy and Selling Tickets
The ticket purchasing process requires that you select an event date and seat (where applicable),and you input your name, email address, and credit/debit card information.
Unlike Eventbrite, Ticketmaster doesn't give you a 15-minute time frame to buy the ticket before losing it.
In fact, there's no countdown clock at all.
Ticketmaster sells tickets, though the company occasionally shuttles you offsite to make the purchase.
When I bought tickets to see The Revolution in concert, it was done via Live Nation's website.
Live Nation, it should be noted, merged with Ticketmaster nearly a decade ago, which has proven controversial.
Songkick, a music-focused event app, doesn't actually sell anything.
It sends you to external sites to make the buy.
Besides standard tickets, Ticketmaster also sells VIP premium packages that come bundled with all sorts of goodies.
For example, the Arts & Theater package includes "amazing seats" and limited edition merchandise.
Music packages may include meet-and-greet sessions with your favorite artists.
SeatGeek lacks these VIP extras.
And the Citi Cardmembers programs lets people who own Citi credit or debit cards buy tickets before they go on sale to the general public.
Like SeatGeek and StubHub, Ticketmaster SeatGeek lets you transfer tickets to other people.
This is one of Ticketmaster's best features.
Ticket transfers come in handy when you buy tickets for multiple people and don't want to wait for the crew outside or in the lobby to initiate a hand off.
After I purchased two tickets to see The Revolution in concert, I transferred a friend his ticket so I could go inside and have a good time at the bar while he was in transit.
It's as simple as logging into your account, clicking Transfer Tickets, entering the recipient's name and email address, and hitting the Send button.
Ticketmaster, like SeatGeek and StubHub, also offers a ticket reselling service.
To sell a ticket, you simply log into your account, hit the Sell icon, and select a ticket, price, and payment method.
Listing a ticket is free and, surprisingly, Ticketmaster doesn't take a cut from the sale.
That's refreshing, as SeatGeek takes a 10 percent cut when a ticket is sold.
You cannot resell a ticket at a price lower than its original listing, but you can make a profit.
For example, I could potentially resell my The Revolution VIP concert ticket between $88.00 and $874,889.
Please note that not all tickets are available for resale, and you cannot resell tickets purchased from Ticketmaster over the phone or from a third-party vendor.
Ticketmaster's Mobile Apps
Ticketmaster offers mobile apps available for the Android and iOS platforms.
I mainly tested Ticketmaster on my Google Pixel XL smartphone, but I spent a bit of time with the iPhone version, too.
The apps are very similar to each other in terms of design, and both offer the browser-based version's many useful features.
That said, the Android and iOS apps differ from the web version in small ways.
For example, the mobile apps let you use your phone as a barcode-based e-ticket instead of downloading a PDF ticket or physically printing a ticket—that's very convenient.
In addition, the mobile apps integrate mapping information, so you can see exactly where you need to go when it's show time.
If you create a Ticketmaster account, you can save items of interest to your Favorites by tapping the heart icon.
This is a feature only available on the mobile app.
Like Songkick, Ticketmaster alerts you when relevant shows are announced.
The Favorites info is also used by Ticketmaster's algorithms to recommend similar events.
Ticket King
There are many ticket-selling services on the web, but Ticketmaster manages to stand tallest on the crowded hill thanks to several excellent features that make the buying experience that much better.
SeatGeek came close to snatching the crown, but Ticketmaster's no-fee reselling, the ability to search events by venue, and Citi Cardmembers program puts it on top.
If you're going to buy tickets online, Ticketmaster is the way to go.
Pros
Makes ticket buying simple.
Lets you resell and transfer tickets.
Useful dedicated deals section.
Lets you search events by venue.
Option to print ticket or use digital barcode version.
View More
The Bottom Line
Ticketmaster doesn't just make it a breeze to buy tickets at retail and reseller prices to concerts, comedy sets, plays, and sports events; it also features numerous, attractive extras, such as special Citi Cardmembers deals and VIP packages.
