Secondary Ticketing - CMU | the music business explained

UK government decision to delay live music touting law in favour of sports ticketing reforms dubbed “puzzling” and “bizarre” by music industry

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Ticket Touting • 3 min read

UK government decision to delay live music touting law in favour of sports ticketing reforms dubbed “puzzling” and “bizarre” by music industry

The UK government has set out in the King's Speech the laws it plans to pass in the next year. As expected, laws to introduce the promised ticket touting ban will only be drafted this year, not passed. Though new rules on the touting of tickets to sports events are likely to be voted on by MPs…

Chris Cooke • 13 May 2026

Keir Starmer says government will ban ticket touting “as quickly as possible”

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Secondary Ticketing • 2 min read

Keir Starmer says government will ban ticket touting “as quickly as possible”

Keir Starmer insists he is committed to banning ticket touting in the UK, even if ministers are not confirming a timeline for making the ban law. It seems likely Parliament won’t get to vote on the ban in the next year, but the prime minister says touting will be outlawed “as quickly as possible”…

Chris Cooke • 11 May 2026

Stop dragging feet over ticket touting ban, UK music industry tells PM Keir Starmer

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Secondary Ticketing • 3 min read

Stop dragging feet over ticket touting ban, UK music industry tells PM Keir Starmer

The UK government announced plans to ban for-profit ticket touting last November, but are yet to implement that plan, and it’s looking unlikely a Ticketing Bill will be included in next month’s King’s Speech. The music industry says these delays are costing British music fans millions of pounds…

Chris Cooke • 24 Apr 2026

Ontario plans to ban for-profit ticket touting

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Secondary Ticketing • 2 min read

Ontario plans to ban for-profit ticket touting

For-profit ticket touting, or scalping, is set to be outlawed in the Canadian province of Ontario. The government there reviewed the regulation of ticket resale after touted tickets for World Series games in Toronto last year topped $21,000. Plans for a ticket scalping ban were announced last week…

Chris Cooke • 23 Mar 2026

California considering ticket touting price cap, while campaigns call on New York to outlaw for-profit resale

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Secondary Ticketing • 3 min read

California considering ticket touting price cap, while campaigns call on New York to outlaw for-profit resale

Proposals have been made to cap the price of touted tickets in both California and New York. Californian Assembly member Matt Haney has proposed a 10% price cap on resale via his Fans First Act. And the Fix The Tix campaign has called on New York lawmakers to ban for-profit resale and cap admin fees…

Chris Cooke • 06 Feb 2026

Kid Rock tells lawmakers “resale price caps work”, so US should follow European lead on ticket touting

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Secondary Ticketing • 2 min read

Kid Rock tells lawmakers “resale price caps work”, so US should follow European lead on ticket touting

Kid Rock yesterday testified in the US Senate at a session on ticketing, calling on American lawmakers to introduce a price-cap restricting how much touts can mark up the prices of tickets they sell. He told senators that such price-caps already exist in parts of Europe and they “seem to be working”…

Chris Cooke • 29 Jan 2026

EU’s Digital Fairness Act provides “one-off chance” to tackle “fraudulent” ticket touting practices

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Ticket Touting • 3 min read

EU’s Digital Fairness Act provides “one-off chance” to tackle “fraudulent” ticket touting practices

The European Union will this year draft a new Digital Fairness Act that seeks to “strengthen protection and digital fairness for consumers”. The music industry has published an open letter urging EU lawmakers to introduce new pan-European regulations for ticket touting as part of that process…

Chris Cooke • 13 Jan 2026

Olivia Dean says artists have “duty” to “encourage fair resale” after Ticketmaster refunds fans for touted tickets

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Olivia Dean • 3 min read

Olivia Dean says artists have “duty” to “encourage fair resale” after Ticketmaster refunds fans for touted tickets

Ticketmaster is refunding fans who bought touted tickets at hiked up prices for Olivia Dean’s shows on its US platform, after she protested last week. Dean has urged other artists to challenge their business partners on ticketing policies, stating “we have a duty to encourage a fair resale market”…

Chris Cooke • 01 Dec 2025

Ticket touting platforms start frantic lobbying campaign claiming new anti-tout laws will increase ticket fraud

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Secondary Ticketing • 5 min read

Ticket touting platforms start frantic lobbying campaign claiming new anti-tout laws will increase ticket fraud

The UK government has confirmed it plans to ban for-profit ticket touting, a move that has been widely welcomed by the music industry. The pro-tout lobby claims the ban will ultimately result in more ticket fraud, though FanFair says there is no “demonstrable independent evidence” to back that claim…

Chris Cooke • 19 Nov 2025

Responses to the UK government’s planned ticket touting ban

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Secondary Ticketing • 6 min read

Responses to the UK government’s planned ticket touting ban

The UK government has announced plans to introduce new laws banning for-profit ticket touting and capping the commissions that can be charged on face value resale. Numerous politicians, artists, managers and music industry groups have responded to that announcement…

CMU Editorial • 19 Nov 2025

Starmer must “honour his pledge” to cap prices in “extortionate and pernicious” secondary ticketing market

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Secondary Ticketing • 3 min read

Starmer must “honour his pledge” to cap prices in “extortionate and pernicious” secondary ticketing market

Artists and music industry organisations have told Keir Starmer that he needs to urgently “honour his pledge” to better regulate ticket touting and confirm a timeline for introducing a ticket resale price cap. Starmer committed to new ticketing regulations before last year’s General Election…

Chris Cooke • 13 Nov 2025

Culture minister tells industrial-level ticket touts: “your time is up”

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Secondary Ticketing • 2 min read

Culture minister tells industrial-level ticket touts: “your time is up”

The UK government has confirmed it still plans to introduce a price cap on ticket touting, while also stating that ticket resale platforms like Viagogo will be obliged to ensure resellers are following the rules. All of this is revealed in a new Daily Record article by culture minister Ian Murray…

Chris Cooke • 08 Oct 2025