Songkick officially shuts down as damaging testimony trickles out in its case with Ticketmaster.
Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino admitted in emails that some of the fees Ticketmaster charges for the sale of tickets are "not defendable" and that the company needs a "simpler more artist friendly policy/rule to meet the reality of today."
The admission follows decades of complaints about the fees Ticketmaster and other ticketing companies tack onto tickets, sometimes between 25-50 percent of face value. The comments were made public as part of an order released by a U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer, rejecting an application by Live Nation to seal or redact certain files and emails being entered into evidence in the 20-month-old lawsuit with Songkick that is set to go to court next month.
In a statement provided to Billboard, a Live Nation representative said the "documents cited indicate that Michael Rapino favored lower ticketing fees and changes to Ticketmaster’s Fan Club Policy that would benefit artists. We are at a loss to understand why that is a bad thing. The truth is that Songkick’s lawsuit has interfered with the natural evolution of these policies, harming both artists and fans."