Types of presale promotions, who gets access and is it worth it to buy?

1. Artist Presales (Fan Club Codes, Passwords, Start Times)

This is the most popular type of presale, used by artists to give their most dedicated fans the first chance at tickets. Access is typically granted by signing up for an artist's official email newsletter, joining their fan club, or following them on social media. These presales are a powerful tool for artists to build a direct relationship with their audience and combat scalpers.

• Additional Information: Often considered the best presale, as it can offer access to the best seats before any other group.

2. Ticketmaster Presales (Official Codes, App Access, Favorites)

Ticketmaster, as the primary ticketing agent for a vast number of events, runs its own presales for its account holders. To get access, users should have a Ticketmaster account and ensure they've "favorited" artists and venues to receive notifications. These promotions are designed to encourage user loyalty to the Ticketmaster platform.

• Additional Information: Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation are part of the same parent company, their presales are often interconnected, and an account on one platform usually works on the other.

3. Live Nation Presales (Promoter Codes, Passwords, App Info)

Live Nation is one of the world's largest event promoters, and it offers presales to users who have an account on its website or mobile app. These promotions are a key benefit of being part of the Live Nation ecosystem, often requiring a generic, widely shared password. This helps Live Nation market directly to a massive audience of frequent concertgoers.

• Additional Information: Live Nation presale codes are sometimes generic words like "VOCALS" or "STUDIO" and are easily found online through fan communities.

4. Venue Presales (Local Codes, Member Access, Start Times)

Local venues offer these presales to reward their local supporters, members, or season ticket holders. This is a way for venues to build a community and ensure that people who frequent their establishment have priority access. To get these codes, you should sign up for the newsletter of your favorite local arenas, theaters, and clubs.

• Additional Information: This is an excellent way to get tickets for high-demand shows in your city, as the audience for the code is geographically limited.

5. Spotify Presales (Top Listener Codes, Email Access, Artist Follow)

Spotify leverages its vast user data to identify an artist's top listeners in a specific geographic area and sends them an exclusive presale code via email. This is a highly targeted form of marketing that rewards users for their listening habits on the platform. To be eligible, users must follow the artist on Spotify and have notifications enabled.

• Additional Information: Access is determined by an algorithm based on your listening history, making it a "surprise and delight" perk for true fans.

6. Citi Cardmember Presales (Code, Cardholder Access, Preferred Tickets)

This is a popular presale offered as a perk to Citi® credit or debit cardholders. To gain access, fans typically need to enter the first six digits of their Citi card number into the offer code box on Ticketmaster. This unlocks an allotment of tickets reserved exclusively for Citi customers before the general public onsale.

• Additional Information: There are often two types: "Citi Cardmember Presale" for early access and "Citi Cardmember Preferred Tickets" for ongoing access to good seats, both requiring a Citi card for purchase.

7. Resale Onsales (Fan-to-Fan, Secondary Market, Verified Tickets)

It's important to note that this is not a traditional presale for new tickets, but rather the activation of the official fan-to-fan resale market on platforms like Ticketmaster. This allows original ticket holders who can no longer attend to sell their tickets to other fans safely. Prices on the resale market can be higher or lower than the original face value, depending on demand.

• Additional Information: While not a presale, buying "Verified Resale" tickets through official channels is the safest way to purchase from the secondary market.

8. VIP Packages (Premium Tickets, Merchandise, Meet & Greet)

VIP Packages are premium-priced bundles sold alongside regular tickets that include a range of extra perks. These can include anything from premium seating, exclusive merchandise, and early venue entry to a pre-show party or even a meet & greet with the artist. These packages are offered at both the presale and general onsale stages to generate more revenue from dedicated fans.

• Additional Information: Always read the package details carefully, as the contents can vary significantly, and the most expensive package does not always include a meet & greet.

9. Official Platinum (Dynamic Pricing, Premium Seats, Market Value)

Official Platinum is not a presale with a code, but a dynamic pricing system used by Ticketmaster for some of the best seats in the house. The prices for these tickets are adjusted in real-time based on supply and demand, similar to airline tickets. The goal is to price tickets closer to their true market value, making it harder for scalpers to profit.

• Additional Information: Platinum tickets do not come with any extra perks like VIP packages; the higher price is solely for the perceived quality of the seat location.

10. Priority from O2 (Mobile Carrier Perk, UK Access, App Codes)

This is an exclusive presale for O2 mobile customers in the United Kingdom, offered through their "O2 Priority" rewards app. O2 customers can get access to tickets for thousands of events at venues across the UK up to 48 hours before the general public. This is a major loyalty perk for being an O2 customer and is a significant driver of ticket sales in the UK market.

• Additional Information: This presale is location-specific to the UK and is a powerful example of how mobile carriers partner with event promoters to offer unique benefits.