Concert tickets for major artists tend to be expensive, and finding a good deal can be difficult. However, a new generation of online tools makes the task easier. Cheapism.com has selected some of the best apps and websites for finding good prices on concert tickets. All of the apps are free and receive four stars or better on iTunes.
Bandsintown is a website and application for both iPhone and Android. It notifies you when any artist you select announces a show in your area, and allows users to monitor trending concerts. Although Bandsintown does not offer deals on tickets, the application helps find ticket presales that are sometimes discounted. Bandsintown doubles as a social media tool that works with Facebook to connect bands with their fans.
Like Bandsintown, the website and app SeatGeek notifies you whenever a select artist announces a show near you. SeatGeek also aggregates all the tickets for any concert available from online retailers. In addition to concert tickets, SeatGeek covers sports events, theater, and comedy shows. SeatGeek does not charge users for its service and its web crawler constantly updates with the latest pricing and availability information. The app includes interactive maps of venues to help fans find their concerts.
TickPick functions as a website and as an app on iPhone and Android. Like SeatGeek, TickPick aggregates ticket prices from various sellers for select shows in your area. TickPick also allows you to track your favorite artists. TickPick uses a different algorithm from SeatGeek, though, so the two applications can display different results for the same show. For best results, it is worth checking both sites. TickPick also sells tickets to sporting events, theater, and music shows.
Ticket Scalpr is a mobile-only application for Apple and Android that allows anyone to buy or sell any kind of ticket. It guarantees the lowest prices and the authenticity of tickets sold through the site. The focus is on helping buyers and sellers connect in the few hours before an event, which can be the most difficult time to complete a sale. The deals are completed when buyer and seller make their exchange in person, typically at the event site. While the tool looks promising, it's a new service and some users have reported technical problems.
Available on both iPhone and Android, StubHub is the granddaddy of online ticket tools. All tickets are sold by individual ticket holders. With respect to prices, StubHub can be a mixed bag. Tickets for high-demand concerts can sell for many times their original price. Less popular shows, though, will generally sell for less. StubHub is not a guaranteed value, but is worth checking for the occasional gem.
