Spotify will start saving concert tickets for real fans with ‘Reserved' feature

Spotify's new "Reserved" feature will set aside tickets for artists' most dedicated fans.

Buying concert tickets can feel impossible, but a new Spotify feature will attempt to give more fans a chance to see their favorite artists.

The streaming giant unveiled its new "Reserved" feature, which will set aside tickets for premium subscribers so they have a better chance at beating scalpers and bots.

"Getting concert tickets today can feel like a race you’re set up to lose," Spotify said in a statement. "You show up at the right time, refresh endlessly, and still miss out. Too often, the experience is stressful, unpredictable, and disconnected from what should matter most: whether real fans actually get tickets. We think there's a better way."

Starting this summer, artists will be able to dedicate tickets for real fans through Reserved. Spotify will use streams, shares and other activity to find the artists' biggest fans among premium subscribers and hold two tickets for them. It will also monitor the users' activity to make sure they are real humans and not bots.

Fans selected through "Reserved" will get up to two tickets and have a dedicated window — typically around a day — to make their purchase.

"No racing against thousands of other fans, no hunting for codes, just a reserved window to purchase before tickets are on sale to the general public," Spotify said.

Spotify did not announce which artists will use the new feature or how many tickets would be set aside through Reserved. Availability will vary by artist, tour and location.

Spotify acknowledged that not all eligible fans will get an offer using Reserved since the number of fans will outnumber the available tickets. Still, it said the new feature "will help ensure more tickets will go straight to fans instead of scalpers" by only inviting validated fans.

"You show up for the artist, Spotify shows up for you," the company said. "No added fees from Spotify, and more of an artist’s truest fans will end up in the crowd where it matters most."

Spotify said Reserved will later expand to more tours of all sizes, "including many of the most sought-after shows on the road."