Is ticket scalping killing the music industry?

First it was the mp3, then it was Idol, now it seems the biggest issue facing the music industry today is the problem of ticket scalping. According to a survey conducted by Moshtix, people are calling for changes to the way ticket onselling is monitored and regulated in this country.

Figures accumulated by Live Performance Australia last year added up to our live music industry generating almost $2 billion in revenue. So we should probably be weary of just how much is filling the pockets of ticket scalpers. While it's hard to measure such statistics, what we're beginning to understand is the scope of the problem and how it should be dealt with.

    In response to a Government Issues paper, Ticket Scalping: Ticket onselling and Consumers, Moshtix conducted a survey to obtain public opinion on what should be done to curb ticket scalping. Among the figures it was found that:

  - More than half of those queried said they'd bought tickets from onsellers in the past
  - There needs to be closer monitoring but not necessarily regulation of ticket onselling according to 42% of respondents
  - "Most respondents" said that ticket onselling is having a detrimental effect on the industry
  - Half said that set ticket prices for concerts and festivals were fair, while half said they were overpriced

    “Ticket on-selling clearly upsets ticket buyers with a majority of respondents claiming they’d like to see the industry either closely monitored or regulated on the issue," said Moshtix General Manager Adam McArthur. “An overwhelming majority of respondents think that industry players should be taking more responsibility of the issue – something moshtix has been doing for the past two years."

    Moshtix offer a buy-back service for unwanted tickets purchased for their events, however punters will only get refunded if their ticket is re-purchased by someone else.

    While tickets for most events in Adelaide are fairly easy to come by if you're quick enough, the real battleground of the ticket scalping issue lies in major one-off festivals like the Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festivals, where tickets always sell-out quickly with purchasing facilities unable to cope with demand. Splednour in the Grass tickets this year sold out in mere hours, with most people left wanting and frustrated by Moshtix's sale service.

    Meanwhile auction sites like ebay seem to be doing nothing to stop people re-selling high demand tickets at greatly inflated prices.

    So what's the solution? How can we better regulate or monitor the issue of ticket onselling? Should ticket providers, auction sites or the Government be doing more to address the problem? Do you think it's a big problem for Australia's music industry?

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