Bandsintown

Bandsintown was launched in 2007 by Fabrice Sergent and Julien Mitelberg, who sought to solve the problem of fans missing concerts by their favorite artists. The platform initially focused on providing a simple way for artists to list their tour dates and for fans to RSVP. In 2012, it introduced a mobile app that integrated with music libraries and social networks, allowing users to automatically sync their listening data to receive alerts for upcoming shows. The company has since expanded its services to include ticketing, with a focus on direct-to-fan sales, and has partnered with major players like Spotify, Apple Music, and Facebook to embed concert listings directly into their platforms. In 2019, Bandsintown was acquired by the live entertainment company Live Nation, though it continues to operate as a standalone brand.

Bandsintown offers a suite of features designed to connect fans with live music. The core service is a personalized concert calendar that aggregates tour dates from multiple sources, including artist management, promoters, and venue listings. Users can 'track' artists to receive notifications about new shows, presales, and ticket availability. The platform also provides a 'RSVP' feature that helps artists gauge demand and plan tour routing. For artists, Bandsintown offers a dashboard to manage their tour dates, promote shows, and sell tickets directly to fans, bypassing traditional ticketing fees. The platform's recommendation engine uses a user's listening history from connected streaming services to suggest concerts they might enjoy, and it includes a 'Discover' feature that highlights upcoming tours and festivals. Additionally, Bandsintown has a 'Live' section that streams select concerts and artist interviews, further engaging fans beyond in-person events.

Bandsintown has become a significant player in the live music ecosystem, influencing how artists and promoters market shows. By aggregating tour dates and providing analytics on fan interest, it has enabled data-driven decisions in tour planning. The platform's integration with streaming services has created a direct link between listening habits and concert attendance, a concept known as 'streaming-to-seat'. This has been particularly valuable for emerging artists, who can use Bandsintown to build a following and fill smaller venues. The platform also played a role during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it launched a 'Live from Home' series to support artists who could not tour. Its acquisition by Live Nation has raised questions about market consolidation, but Bandsintown continues to serve as an independent resource for fans, with a mission to 'help artists grow their live business'.

Beyond its mainstream features, Bandsintown has several lesser-known facets. The platform was an early adopter of the 'RSVP' model, which has become a standard metric for gauging fan interest. It also offers a 'Bandsintown for Business' API that allows third-party developers to access concert data, powering integrations in apps like Songkick and Bandsintown's own widgets. A notable edge case is its handling of 'private' events, where artists can list shows that are not publicly advertised, giving superfans early access. The company has also experimented with blockchain-based ticketing, though this remains a niche initiative. Additionally, Bandsintown has a 'Fan Insights' tool that provides artists with demographic data about their listeners, which is often used in tour routing decisions. The platform's algorithm for recommending concerts is based on a 'music genome' similar to Pandora's, but it remains proprietary.

RSVP

A feature that allows fans to indicate they plan to attend a concert, providing artists with demand data.

Streaming-to-seat

The concept of using streaming data to predict and drive concert ticket sales.

Tour routing

The process of planning the cities and venues for a concert tour based on demand and logistics.