What to Know About Buying Concert Tickets Online

From presale to resale, brush up on these Ticketmaster ticket-buying basics

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

Shopping for concert tickets online takes savvy, and there are a number of ways to get discounts and early access to in-demand events. Before you buy, it’s worth brushing up on the best tips for buying authentic concert tickets. Here’s what to know about finding legitimate tickets, concert presales, and more. 

What Is the Best Place to Buy Concert Tickets?

Ticketmaster is the ticketing platform for thousands of venues, making it the primary destination for buying tickets online. Because it’s the primary online marketplace for thousands of events, every ticket sold on the platform is guaranteed to be legitimate. Beyond concerts, Ticketmaster also sells tickets for music festivals, sports, and more. 

How Do Concert Ticket Presales Work?

Signing up for a presale is one of the best ways to get early access to tickets. There are usually several options through Ticketmaster, including artist presales. Other options include Live Nation’s free All Access presale, plus presales for Mastercard and Citi cardholders. Signing up for a presale can help you avoid long ticket queues, so you can nab the best tickets early.   

Where Can I Find Last-Minute Tickets?

Presale and general sale aren’t the only times you can buy concert tickets. If an event sells out, Ticketmaster also runs a verified resale platform. General sale tickets are marked with a blue icon and resale tickets are marked with a pink icon on the venue map. Each ticket listed on Ticketmaster’s site, whether it’s a general sale ticket or resale, is guaranteed to be authentic. Ticketmaster also doesn’t allow speculative tickets to be sold, so resellers can’t list tickets they don’t actually have. 

Do Concert Ticket Prices Include Fees?

Fans who haven’t bought concert tickets in a while might be surprised to find that fees tacked on to the list price are no longer the norm. Most ticketing sites, including Ticketmaster, now use all-in pricing, which shows the total price before checkout, minus any relevant sales tax.