Music industry groups push US Senate to tighten TICKET Act and cap resale fees at 10%
Music industry groups are pushing the US Senate to strengthen the TICKET Act, including a 10% cap on ticket resale fees. Find out what the proposed changes could mean for fans and the live music industry.
A coalition of music and live entertainment organizations is urging the U.S. Senate to strengthen the proposed TICKET Act, calling for stricter rules on ticket resales and fees to better protect fans from scalpers and deceptive ticketing practices.
The push comes from the Fix the Tix coalition, led by the National Independent Venue Association and supported by industry bodies including artists’ groups, unions, and event companies. In a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee, the coalition argued that the current version of the bill does not go far enough to address problems in the secondary ticket market.
One of the coalition’s main requests is a federal cap on ticket resale fees of 10%, along with a rule preventing tickets from being resold for more than their original total cost. Supporters say unlimited markups and excessive fees have made concerts increasingly unaffordable for fans and have encouraged large-scale ticket speculation.
According to the coalition, speculative resellers often buy up large quantities of tickets and resell them at inflated prices, pushing real fans out of the market. They argue that a strict resale cap would help curb industrialised scalping and ensure tickets reach genuine concertgoers rather than professional resellers.
Alongside the resale cap, industry groups are also pushing for additional reforms to the TICKET Act. These include full price transparency from the moment a fan selects a ticket, ensuring the base price and all associated fees are clearly displayed throughout the purchase process.
The coalition is also calling for a complete ban on speculative ticketing—the practice of listing tickets for sale before the seller actually possesses them. Critics say this practice can leave fans paying for tickets that do not exist or are never delivered.
The TICKET Act is part of a broader effort by U.S. lawmakers to reform the live event ticketing market following years of controversy around ticket pricing, resale platforms, and bot-driven scalping. The proposed legislation would already require ticket sellers to display all-in pricing upfront, showing the full cost including fees before checkout.
However, music industry advocates argue that stronger measures are needed to address the secondary ticket market and prevent fans from being priced out of live events.
As the Senate considers the legislation, it highlights a growing global push for tighter regulation of ticket resale markets and stronger protections for concertgoers.