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How to Sell Concert Tickets: A Comprehensive Guide

Do you want to start a ticket resale side hustle or have tickets for a concert that you no longer intend to go to?

Either way, you’re probably wondering how to sell concert tickets.

If you are, you’re not the only one. Many people in this situation are unsure how to offload the tickets if none of their family or friends want them.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll give you the whole scoop on how you can sell concert tickets in a jiffy.

Why You Should Consider Selling Concert Tickets

If you’re wondering whether buying and reselling tickets is a good idea, the answer is yes.

Ticket reselling can be a highly profitable business with plenty of advantages. Here are some of them:

  • There’s always a demand for them: There’s a plethora of artists currently in the music industry, and each of them has millions of fans. You won’t have a hard time finding an event with tickets in high demand, making concert tickets some of the best things to flip for profit.
  • It’s a great business to start from home: Both the primary and secondary ticket markets operate online now. This means reselling concert tickets can be done without having to set foot outside.
  • It doesn’t need much startup capital: If you’re only just getting into selling concert tickets, you can start small. You don’t need much money to do so, as $500 should be enough to get the ball rolling.
  • You’ll be your own boss: Selling concert tickets is a venture that gives you a lot of flexibility in your working hours. You won’t be reporting to anyone.

Problems With Selling Concert Tickets

Selling concert tickets may have many positives, but it also has some issues. Here are some of the problems associated with this venture:

It can be difficult to predict if a concert’s tickets will sell

When you buy a large number of tickets for an event, you run the risk of not being able to sell them all.

There’s no way to forecast mishaps like scandals that may cause demand for an artist’s concert to plummet.

You’re competing with many other sellers

Another potential issue with concert ticket resale is that there are millions of others trying to do the same thing. This can make it difficult for you to achieve the sales you’re expecting.

You have a limited time to sell a concert’s tickets

When reselling tickets for an upcoming concert, you have a set time to sell them all.

This means that you have to work fast and strive for maximum exposure because the tickets will become worthless. If the event date passes and you still have them on hand.

It may be heavily regulated in your state

Despite not being an illegal activity, there’s a negative stigma surrounding concert ticket resale.

Some states have strict regulations and laws that restrict the secondary ticket market which can impact the amount of money you stand to make.

What You’ll Need to Sell Concert Tickets

You’re going to need certain essentials to get your concert ticket resale business up and running.

Here are the basic requirements for starting a ticket reselling business:

  • Access to the internet: The ticket resale market operates online, meaning that you can’t get in on the action without access to the internet. You’ll need a laptop, tablet, or smartphone with a functioning connection to the web before you get started.
  • A platform to sell on: Another essential factor to consider is the platform you’re going to sell tickets on. The ones we recommend using are StubHub, TicketMaster, and Vivid Seats, or you can also start selling on Facebook Marketplace.
  • A working debit/credit card: You’ll need an active debit or credit card to pay for tickets. When you resell the tickets, the proceeds will be deposited in your bank account and you can access those funds using your debit or credit card.

Where to Sell Concert Tickets

Here are the best platforms to use when buying and reselling concert tickets online:

1. StubHub

A screenshot of the stub hub homepage

Whether it’s concert, sports, theater, or live entertainment tickets, StubHub is a great place to buy and sell them.

What Makes This Option Great

The platform provides sellers with great tools and services. The leading platform in the secondary ticket market has surprisingly reasonable fees and allows sellers to list their tickets for free.

  • Fees/Commission: 15% is deducted from the amount due to the seller
  • Payment Methods: American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, StubHub gift cards, or PayPal

2. TicketMaster

A screenshot of the ticket master homepage

TicketMaster made its debut in 2010. Since then, it’s become one of the biggest ticket marketplaces worldwide.

What Makes This Option Great

Like StubHub, TicketMaster also offers sellers free ticket listings.

The platform has a massive user base. This high usership allows your listings to reach a large audience.

  • Fees/Commission: 15% is deducted from the amount due to the seller
  • Payment Methods: American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Diners Club, Ticketmaster Gift Card, PayPal, or Venmo

3. Vivid Seats

A screenshot of the vivid seats homepage

Vivid Seats has been in existence since 2001, giving it over 20 years of experience in the secondary ticket market.

What Makes This Option Great

This platform is as reliable and safe as any for those reselling concert tickets. Vivid Seats charges sellers lower fees than StubHub and TicketMaster.

  • Fees/Commission: 10% is deducted from the amount due to the seller
  • Payment Methods: American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Google Wallet, Apple Pay, PayPal, PayPal Credit, and Android Pay

How to Sell Concert Tickets: Step-By-Step Instructions

When trying to sell concert tickets, there are certain steps you’ll need to go through. The process is easy if you know what to do.

Here are four measures you should take when reselling concert tickets:  

1. Choose the Platform to Sell on

To maximize the chances of succeeding in reselling concert tickets, you need your offering to reach as many people as possible.

This is why you need to use a platform with a large number of users. Such platforms give your listings maximum exposure.

Whether you decide to use StubHub, TicketMaster, or Vivid Seats, you’ll need to register an account on them before you can start selling.

Here’s how to do so on StubHub:

  1. Go to the StubHub website or launch the StubHub app.
  2. Select “New to StubHub?”
  3. Create an account by entering your first name, last name, email address, and phone number. Then, create a password.
  4. Alternatively, you can log in via Facebook or Google.

To create an account on TicketMaster:

  1. Go to the TicketMaster website or launch the TicketMaster app.
  2. Select “My Account.”
  3. Click on “Sign In.”
  4. Click on “New to TicketMaster?”
  5. Enter your name, email address, phone number, password, zip code, and country of residence.
  6. Select the Text or the Call option to receive your One-Time Code.
  7. Enter the code and click on Continue.

As for Vivid Seats, here are the steps for creating an account:

  1. Go to the Vivid Seats website.
  2. Click on the “Profile” icon on the top-left.
  3. Enter your name, email address, password, and zip code.
  4. Click on “Create Account.”

Alternatively, you can register via Facebook.

2. Post Your Listings

Now that you’ve created your account, it’s time to list your tickets for sale. StubHub and TicketMaster allow you to do so for free.

Here’s how to list your tickets for sale on StubHub:

  1. Click on “Sell.”
  2. Find the event and choose the date.
  3. Add valid credit card details.
  4. Select your payment method.
  5. Click on “Create Listing.”
  6. You’ll receive a confirmation email.

To list your tickets on TicketMaster:

  1. Click on “Sell.”
  2. Select the tickets you wish to list and press “Continue.”
  3. Select your pricing and payment method.
  4. Review your listing and confirm.

As for Vivid Seats:

  1. Click on “Sell Tickets.”
  2. Click the red bar labeled “Sell Your Tickets.”
  3. Search the event and event date.
  4. Select the desired event and click on “Continue.”
  5. Fill in the required ticket information.
  6. Set your price and payment method.
  7. Agree to the terms and conditions. Then, click “Submit Tickets.”

3. Decide on Your Price and Payment Method

If you’re only trying to get back the money you paid for tickets you don’t intend on using, this step isn’t that important.

In contrast, this step is essential if you’re looking to make a profit by selling stuff online.

You’ll need to thoroughly research similar listings and gauge the average going price for your tickets.

To encourage buyers to choose your tickets over others, we advise setting your price a bit lower than the average. You should ensure you’re not setting the price too low and selling at a loss.

You should also consider how you’re going to get paid. The most popular payment methods are Paypal or direct deposits to your bank account.

4. Market Your Ticket Listings

The final step is to let people know that you’re offering tickets for sale.

You can use popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to do so.

Reddit is another great platform to market your listings on. Look for threads with the artist you’re selling concert tickets for as their subject. These threads are likely to be seen by fans willing to pay top dollar for the tickets you’re offering.

Things to Consider When Selling Concert Tickets

When selling concert tickets, there are certain factors you should keep in mind.

Here are some of them:

Resale Platform Fees and Commissions

StubHub and TicketMaster charge sellers a 15% commission on each sale. The commission charged by Vivid Seats is only 10%.

There’s a trade-off at play here.

While Vivid Seats takes less money from you, the higher commission charged by StubHub and TicketMaster comes with a significantly larger volume of users that can potentially buy your tickets.

Buying Concert Tickets in Advance

As a concert’s date gets closer, its ticket prices rise substantially.

In turn, if you’re trying to profit from reselling concert tickets, you should purchase the tickets as early as possible. This proactivity will allow you to offer lower prices than the competition and still make a large chunk of cash in profit.

Buying concert tickets this early subjects you to higher risk. Any negative publicity surrounding the artist can put off fans and lower the demand for the event’s tickets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a couple of questions people commonly have about selling concert tickets:

Can I Sell a Concert Ticket With My Name on It?

If the concert ticket you’re trying to resell has your name on it, it’s still valid. As far as the venue’s concerned, the ticket’s barcode is the most important factor.

Don’t attempt to remove your name from the ticket because you risk invalidating it if you do so.

Keep in mind that most reselling platforms will charge you a fine if the buyer doesn’t get into the concert with the ticket you sold them.

Why Are My Tickets Not Eligible to Sell?

Unfortunately, not all concert tickets are eligible for resale. The decision as to whether or not they are lies with the event promoter.

Don’t worry, you can still resell the tickets to others, but not through major platforms such as StubHub and TicketMaster.

Similar Tutorials to Check Out

Here are some tutorials that may come in handy when trying to sell your concert tickets:

Wrapping Up

Are you looking for a side hustle to start to boost your earning power?

If you are, reselling concert tickets is an excellent avenue to explore. You may also just want to get rid of some tickets you bought and aren’t going to use.

In both cases, following the instructions and tips explained in this guide will greatly raise your chances of successfully offloading these tickets.

Let us know if you have additional questions or concerns in the comment section below.

Don’t forget to tell your loved ones about this guide if you found the guidelines we’ve provided useful.

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