Going through Ticketmaster’s virtual waiting room can be incredibly frustrating when trying to buy tickets for popular concerts and events. The seemingly endless wait often ends in disappointment when the tickets inevitably sell out before you get through. However, there are some tips and tricks savvy concertgoers use to improve their chances of beating the waiting room and scoring tickets.
Understand how the virtual waiting room works
The first step is understanding what the waiting room is and why Ticketmaster uses this system. The virtual waiting room is essentially a digital queue. When a lot of people try to buy tickets all at once when sales start, Ticketmaster’s servers can get overwhelmed. The massive influx of traffic can cause errors, lag times, crashed pages, and other issues.
The waiting room acts as a buffer and meters out the traffic. Users get placed in a randomized line instead of all hitting the site simultaneously. It helps control traffic flow and prevent the servers from getting overloaded and crashing. While it can be super annoying for users eagerly awaiting their turn, it does help ensure a smoother and more reliable ticket buying process during peak sales times.
Get ready ahead of time
Preparation and planning ahead are key to improving your odds of beating the waiting room. Here are some tips for getting ready before tickets go on sale:
- Set up your Ticketmaster account ahead of time and make sure your payment info is up to date
- Buy a Ticketmaster Gift Card and load it with enough funds to cover the ticket purchases you’ll be trying for
- Make sure you have the latest version of your chosen web browser downloaded
- Enable cookies in your browser settings
- Bookmark the event page on Ticketmaster so you can access it quickly
- Clear your browser cache and cookies before trying for tickets
- Close all other tabs and applications on your device to maximize bandwidth
Taking these preparatory steps will save you precious time once tickets go on sale and make the process smoother.
Use multiple devices
One of the best tactics for beating the waiting room is using multiple devices simultaneously. Open up the Ticketmaster sale page on multiple computers, tablets, and smartphones and join the waiting room from each device.
This effectively gives you multiple places in line, multiplying your chances that one device will get through before tickets sell out. It’s all about playing the odds game. Have friends or family join the waiting room from their devices too.
Just make sure to coordinate with your group so you don’t accidentally double purchase tickets. Once someone succeeds in getting through and purchases, the rest of the group should exit out to release their spots.
Leverage presales
Take advantage of presales whenever possible, as these usually provide the first crack at tickets before the general public on-sale. There are presales for various groups like:
- Fan club members
- Credit card holders
- Mobile app users
- Venue mailing lists
- Spotify listeners
- Live Nation and AEG subscribers
Research the presales for an event ahead of time and sign up for as many as possible. Presales typically have smaller pools of buyers, so you avoid competing against the entire general public. Your odds of beating the waiting room are much higher.
Use auto-refresh browser extensions
Browser extensions like Super Reload or Easy Auto Refresh can automate refreshing the Ticketmaster sale page at super fast speeds like every 1-2 seconds. This ensures you don’t lose your spot if you get temporarily bounced out of the waiting room and may let you jump back in line faster.
Try ticket presales through artist fan clubs
Many major artists have their own fan clubs that offer ticket presales. Join the fan club of the artist you want to see to gain access to the presale. Fan club presales typically have smaller allotments of tickets, so fewer users are competing. Your chances of beating the waiting room are higher.
For example, you could join Maroon 5’s fan club M5VIPs or Katy Perry’s KatyCats to get specialty presale codes for their shows. Just make sure to join the fan club well in advance of when tickets go on sale to have presale access.
Use the Ticketmaster app
The Ticketmaster app can sometimes yield better results than using a mobile browser when trying to bypass the waiting room. The app seems to offer a more seamless experience where you can proceed directly to tickets rather than getting stuck in the waiting room purgatory.
Make sure to download the latest version of the app. Clear the app cache and data before launching it. Toggle your wifi and cellular data off and on again right before tickets go on sale. Launch the app a couple minutes before the stated on-sale time and keep refreshing.
Google search for presale passwords
Certain presales require special passwords or access codes to unlock tickets. Try googling the event name plus “presale password” to find secret passwords floating around online. Music blogs and fan forums will sometimes publish passwords that grant you access.
Use auto-fill browser extensions
Waiting for the checkout page to load and manually filling in your info is another source of frustrating delays. Browser autofill extensions help speed up the checkout process once you finally access tickets.
Extensions like Form Filler for Ticketmaster auto-populate your personal info, payment details, and shipping address on Ticketmaster forms at lightning speed. Every second counts when competing for hot tickets, so automate what you can.
Leverage Season Ticket holder presales
If you want tickets to popular sports events or live theatre shows, Season Ticket holder presales are valuable. Existing Season Ticket holders often get first access to buy additional tickets for must-have games or shows.
Ask friends or family who are season subscribers if they can grab tickets for you during their exclusive presale windows. Again, tapping into presales is beneficial to beat the masses hitting the general on-sale.
Use Ticketmaster Verified Fan
For extremely high demand tours like Taylor Swift or Harry Styles, Ticketmaster now often uses their Verified Fan system. This requires preregistering for a chance to get special code to unlock ticket access.
The codes are handed out randomly and grant you a spot at the front of the virtual line. Be sure to always register for Verified Fan when available to try to secure your code.
Buy official VIP or fan club ticket packages
Purchasing official platinum tickets or VIP packages frequently lets you circumvent the waiting room altogether. These premium ticket offerings are essentiallyconverted into instant buys.
So if you’re willing to pay more for things like meet and greets, early venue access, exclusive merch, and premium seating, these special packages help you swoop in for tickets before the masses.
Use a fast computer and internet connection
A slow computer on a bogged down network will hinder your efforts of beating the waiting room. Use the fastest, most powerful computer at your disposal when ticket sales start. Connect via a strong Ethernet cable over wifi.
Close all other applications to allow maximum bandwidth. Disable vpn services momentarily if connected through one. Technical speed is key when up against thousands of others.
Follow Ticketmaster on Social Media
Ticketmaster will sometimes announce special presales and codes through their official social media pages like Facebook and Twitter. So be sure to follow them online and turn on notifications.
This ensures you’ll be alerted to any special promotions that provide backdoor access before a waiting room opens up. Social media tips give observant followers a leg up.
Use Ticketmaster’s Official Onsale Calendar
Knowledge is power when it comes to scoring hot tickets. Bookmark Ticketmaster’s official ticket onsale calendar which lists upcoming onsale dates and times across all events.
This lets you learn of presale and general onsales before the general public. Tracking future sale dates on the calendar gives you an edge for planning and preparation.
Conclusion
While frustrating, Ticketmaster’s virtual waiting room does ensure a more stable and reliable ticket buying process during massive high demand onsales. But utilizing techniques like multiple devices, presales, auto refresh tools, and ticket packages allow savvy fans to beat the waiting room and snag coveted tickets.
Persistence and preparation are vital. Never give up if you initially get booted back into the waiting room after a long wait. queues and restart again until the tickets are gone. Now that you know how to play the waiting room game, you can better stack the odds in your favor.
