Explain it to me like I'm 5: buying concert tickets

[whatausername]

Every so often I see threads about the trouble of buying tickets, e.g. Taylor Swift, Oasis.

I usually go to the theatre or comedy shows for which the ticket buying process seems much more sedate and less stressful. So if one day insert huge name artist decides to tour (idk who is big but rarely tours)... how would one buy tickets? I thought you went to Ticketmaster, cursed their crappy app and bought a ticket? Instead I hear of presales and codes and queuing. Explain it to me like I'm 5 please!

P.s. If you see a ticket you can afford, even if unsure about seats, should you just grab it? Because it seems very easy to lose out to other customers or even to the dynamic pricing devils.

For Taylor Swift, if you pre ordered her Midnights album, then you would be qualified for presale and would receive a code. Most people got tickets this way. Then you had to sign up for general sale and you'd be very lucky to get a code. I think if you got off the waiting list, you'd get a code, and she also did a 2nd set where most people got a code afterwards as well.

For Gracie Abrams (she isn't that big but it was a struggle getting tickets) you could sign up for presale and be guaranteed a code and there were also O2 codes and stuff like that. But because she isn't as a big, there was a general sale where everyone could go.

Regarding Ticketmaster, the reason people struggle is because it is a really confusing app and you can't actually choose your seats and often seats disappear. There's a queue which you can often get kicked out of and it isn't as easy as just clicking onto the site and buying tickets as they want to avoid website crashes, hence the randomised queues. I only know this because of my 2 teenage daughters who are music obsessed so might be wrong!

Some artists you need to be on their mailing list, buy an album and get given a code (Take that), or on a mailing list and answer a question to get a code that doesn't guarantee you a ticket (Oasis). Most bands don't care about their fanbase and want to make Ticketmaster (or whoever owns them because they own all ticketing outlets) a lot of money.

Fwiw it's not worth bothering with big artists outside of festivals anymore, no one knows how to behave and the prices are far too high.

It's a nightmare buying tickets for things. My DC is getting into their music and wants to see certain artists but didn't get presale codes so has no hope. They then want to chance resale tickets (not from ticketmaster) which I'm not willing to do especially as I would then have to accompany them as under 18.

I tried to get AC/DC tickets earlier this year and no chance. Oasis tickets I was out when released and it wouldn't let me join the queue from my phone.

DH wanted tickets to a gig, pre-ordered their album to get a presale code and we still didn't get tickets. Luckily they released some extra tickets for a rehearsal gig for this weekend which I did manage to get tickets for but it was stressful as the seats were going quicker than I could click on them.

We're wanting to try and book iron maiden tickets when they are released on Friday this week but I'm not very hopeful! To get presale tickets for them you need to pay £25 to join their fan club.

You don't need to buy the album to get the presale code. There is always a no purchase necessary link.
Not all presales come from albums. Could be from having an O2 phone, Amex card, Ticketmaster member etc, just need to see what they want when the dates are announced.
Be on the computer about 30 mins before sale starts.
Have an idea about budget and location in stadium.

I'm trying for Coldplay next week. I don't have high expectations. My plan is pick a date, stay in the queue, grab whatever seats I get given as long as the price doesn't become ridiculous
I don't think with Ticketmaster you get much choice in the seats to be honest. I think you can choose a price bracket then just take what's allocated. We need seats for the kids to be able to come.

But who actually BUYS albums these days? I just use Spotify....

Also I need to ensure I have an aisle seat which I don't think you can do on Ticketmaster?

(just jumping on your thread OP!)