SeatGeek sells concert tickets directly inside Spotify

SeatGeek integrates ticket sales into Spotify

SeatGeek launched a new integration with Spotify on Wednesday to sell concert tickets directly through the music streaming app. The partnership allows listeners to view ticket listings while browsing artist profiles or checking upcoming tour dates. Users can click these links to complete purchases through SeatGeek’s platform.

The integration currently applies to 15 major U.S. venues where SeatGeek serves as the primary ticketing provider. This distinction is critical for SeatGeek’s business model. While the company is a major player in the secondary resale market, this deal focuses exclusively on its primary ticketing contracts.

The list of participating venues includes some of the largest sports and entertainment hubs in the country. Fans attending shows at these locations will see the new SeatGeek links on Spotify:

• AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
• State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
• Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee
• Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah
• Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona

SeatGeek targets primary venue growth

SeatGeek aims to convert casual listeners into ticket buyers by placing purchase links where fans already discover music. This strategy places SeatGeek in direct competition with Ticketmaster and AXS on the world’s most popular streaming service. Spotify currently hosts more than 750 million monthly active users.

The primary ticketing market remains difficult to penetrate due to long-term exclusive contracts. Ticketmaster currently services 53 of the top 68 U.S. arenas. This dominance makes it hard for smaller platforms like SeatGeek to gain a permanent foothold in major metropolitan markets.

SeatGeek previously secured a high-profile contract with the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2021. The venue signed a seven-year agreement to replace Ticketmaster as its primary provider. However, the Barclays Center reversed this decision less than a year later and returned to Ticketmaster, highlighting the volatility of the industry.

Spotify expands its ticketing ecosystem

Spotify now works with more than 45 ticketing partners to link fans with live events. These partners include Ticketmaster, AXS, Eventbrite, DICE, and Bandsintown. The company reported that these partnerships have helped artists generate over $1 billion in total ticket sales.

The streaming giant previously experimented with selling tickets directly to consumers in 2022. That pilot program bypassed third-party platforms for a small selection of artists. Spotify eventually pivoted back to its current model of acting as a discovery hub for established ticketing companies.

Spotify’s financial health continues to support its expansion into live event discovery. The company reported 290 million paid subscribers during its latest earnings call last week. Executives project that user numbers will grow to 759 million total monthly users and 293 million subscribers by the end of the current quarter.

Competitive landscape and historical partnerships

This integration follows a pattern of SeatGeek seeking placement within popular social and discovery apps. SeatGeek partnered with Snapchat in 2018 to allow users to buy tickets without leaving the social media application. The company continues to look for ways to reduce friction in the buying process to compete with the Live Nation-Ticketmaster conglomerate.

The ticketing industry faces increased scrutiny from regulators and fans alike. Primary sellers like SeatGeek must balance high-volume traffic during major on-sales while maintaining a presence on third-party platforms like Spotify. By integrating with Spotify, SeatGeek gains access to highly specific listener data that helps target fans of specific genres and artists.

Other major industry events are also moving forward. The TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 will take place in Boston on June 23. This event will gather more than 1,100 founders to discuss growth, execution, and scaling tactics. Tickets for the summit go live on June 23, with discounts of up to $300 for individual passes or 30 percent for groups of four or more.

Market implications for live entertainment

SeatGeek’s move comes at a time when live entertainment revenue is reaching record highs. The ability to capture "intent to buy" at the moment of discovery on Spotify gives SeatGeek a tactical advantage over platforms that rely on search engine traffic. Fans often search for tour dates immediately after listening to a new album or artist.

The technical implementation ensures that the SeatGeek links only appear for shows where they hold the primary contract. This prevents user confusion and ensures that the 15 venue partners receive direct traffic. The system uses Spotify’s existing "Live Events" feed, which populates based on the user’s location and listening habits.

The primary ticketing market continues to shift as more venues look for alternatives to the traditional heavyweights. SeatGeek’s 15-venue footprint serves as a testing ground for whether streaming integrations can drive significant volume. If successful, SeatGeek may use this data to pitch more venues on switching away from Ticketmaster or AXS.

• 750 million: Total Spotify monthly active users
• 290 million: Total Spotify paid subscribers
• $1 billion: Ticket revenue generated through Spotify partners
• 45+: Number of ticketing platforms integrated with Spotify
• 53: Number of top U.S. arenas serviced by Ticketmaster

Future growth and platform stability

Spotify's focus on profitability has led to more aggressive integrations with third-party services. The company’s best developers reportedly haven't written a line of code since December because of AI-driven automation. This shift in internal resources suggests Spotify will continue to rely on external partners like SeatGeek to handle the complex logistics of ticket fulfillment.

For SeatGeek, the Spotify deal is a play for long-term brand recognition. By appearing on the world's largest music platform, the company positions itself as a legitimate primary seller rather than just a resale site. Success will depend on the stability of the checkout process and the reliability of the 15 primary venue contracts.

Industry observers will watch the AT&T Stadium and Nissan Stadium dates closely to see if SeatGeek can handle the traffic spikes. These large-scale venues host some of the biggest touring acts in the world. If the Spotify integration drives a measurable increase in sales, SeatGeek will likely expand the program to more venues as new contracts are signed.

The TechCrunch Disrupt conference is also scheduled for October 13-15 in San Francisco. That event will feature 250 tech leaders and more than 200 sessions focused on the future of platforms and apps. Early tickets for that event offer savings of up to $680 for those who register before the deadline.