There are a few key factors that determine your place in the Ticketmaster queue when trying to purchase tickets for a high-demand event:
When You Join
Your initial place in line is determined by when you join the waiting room queue. The earlier you enter the queue before tickets go on sale, the better your place in line will be. Many fans try to join the queue as early as possible, right when it opens, to get ahead of the crowd.
Randomization
Ticketmaster uses a randomized queue system, so joining earlier does not guarantee you will be at the very front of the line. Your place is essentially assigned randomly at the time tickets go on sale. This is done to level the playing field and prevent bots from securing all the top spots.
Timing of Joining Specific Queues
For very high demand shows where Ticketmaster anticipates heavy traffic, they may split people into multiple waiting room queues. The queue you get placed in depends on exactly when you join. For example, they may split people who join the waiting room during the first hour into Queue 1, the next hour into Queue 2, and so on. Your queue assignment can impact your place in line.
Quantity of Tickets
The number of tickets you are requesting also affects your place in line. If you are requesting a higher number of tickets, like a group of 4 or 6, you may be placed further back in line than fans requesting just 1 or 2 tickets. This helps ensure that more individual fans have a chance at getting tickets over large groups.
Device Used
Your device type can also play a role in your queue placement. Mobile users tend to get priority in line over desktop users. The rationale is that bots are more likely to use desktop browsers while real fans often use mobile apps and mobile browsers. Giving mobile users a slight advantage helps real fans secure tickets.
Queue Position Shuffling
As the sale gets closer, Ticketmaster may randomly shuffle people’s places within the queues again to make the process as fair possible. So you may lose or gain some spots at the last minute before tickets go on sale. Essentially, the queue is fluid right up until the tickets are released.
Geographic Location
For events that have tickets reserved for specific regions or venues, your geographic location can impact your queue position. If you are vying for tickets in a popular metro area, you may be further back in line versus someone in a smaller market. Your IP address is used to verify your location.
Browser Cookies and Data
Your browsing history and cookie data may also be factored in by Ticketmaster. If you have a history and cookies indicating you are a real fan who has browsed or purchased related events before, you may get priority over someone with no relevant browsing history.
Loyalty Programs
If you are a member of a fan club, credit card loyalty program, or other official affiliation with the artist/team, you can sometimes get pre-sale access or preferred queue placement. For example, American Express cardholders get special treatment in some queues as part of AMEX’s partnership with Ticketmaster.
VPNs and Proxies
Using VPNs, proxies or other means to disguise your real location and identity can sometimes backfire and land you further back in queues. Ticketmaster penalizes users trying to “game” the system this way.
Bots and Scalpers
Bots used by scalpers and resellers may be identified by Ticketmaster’s systems and pushed to the very back of queues. Their orders are also subject to additional review and cancellation. This is another effort to get more tickets into the hands of genuine fans.
Past Purchase History
Frequent buyers or brokers who purchase large volumes of tickets across many events can be identified and deprioritized in queues compared to everyday fans. This helps discourage mass scalping and reselling of tickets at inflated prices.
Two-Factor Authentication
Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) on your Ticketmaster account can sometimes improve your queue position versus users who have not turned on this extra security feature. It shows you have taken steps to protect your account.
Technical Issues
Sometimes technical problems like network errors, browser crashes or getting logged out can negatively impact your place in line. If you encounter tech issues right as tickets go on sale, you may lose your good spot and end up at the back of the line.
Number of Fans Competing
For extremely popular events where demand drastically exceeds supply, the overall size of the crowd competing for tickets will be the biggest factor regardless of the above criteria. The more fans trying to buy tickets, the further back you will be even joining right when queues open.
Tips for Getting a Good Spot in Line
Based on the factors above, here are some tips for trying to get the best queue position you can when tickets go on sale:
- Join the queue the absolute second it opens up, don’t hesitate.
- Use the Ticketmaster mobile app on your smartphone if possible.
- Make sure to enable 2FA on your Ticketmaster account.
- Request a normal quantity of tickets, not a huge group.
- Avoid using VPNs, proxies or other location-concealing methods.
- Clear your cookies and browsing history first.
- Don’t panic if you get booted from the queue, log back in immediately.
- If all else fails, use the fan club presale if you have access.
Keep in mind that for enormously popular events with millions of fans vying for tickets, your queue position will mostly come down to random luck in Ticketmaster’s system. But following these tips can still help maximize your chances as much as possible.
Is Ticketmaster’s Queue System Fair?
Ticketmaster’s randomized and shifting queue system is designed to be more equitable than a strictly first-come, first-served line. By randomly assigning spots and shuffling periodically, it aims to give everyone an equal shot whether they join 60 minutes early or 5 minutes early. However, many fans still feel it is an unfair system benefiting scalpers over the average fan.
Some common complaints about Ticketmaster’s queue include:
- Bots still manage to score lots of top spots.
- Scalpers with insider tips have an advantage.
- Technical issues ruin fans’ places in line.
- The queue system lacks transparency.
- It creates a false sense of line position until tickets go on sale.
Ticketmaster maintains their randomized queue results in the most equitable distribution of tickets possible given the huge supply-demand mismatch for mega-popular events. But critics argue a simpler first-come, first-served system would be fairer and eliminate queue angst.
The Aftermarket Problem
Another significant factor in Ticketmaster’s queue frustration is the immediate flood of tickets on reseller sites like StubHub after hot shows sell out. Fans who waited in queue for hours often see thousands of tickets pop up for resale at crazy markups within minutes.
Ticketmaster claims they aim to get tickets to “real fans” first. But the instant influx of tickets on the secondary market seems to undermine that goal. Critics allege Ticketmaster is profiting twice by receiving fees from large-scale brokers upfront, then taking fees again when those same tickets are resold.
In response, Ticketmaster points to their Fan-to-Fan Exchange ticket resale platform as the safest way to obtain aftermarket tickets from verified ticket holders. They also assert that brokers misusing their system represent an extremely small fraction of overall tickets sold. Meanwhile, Ticketmaster continues implementing more anti-bot measures to help everyday fans get priority over scalpers in queues.
Regardless, the reality is that popular events will always have far more demand than supply. Until that fundamental problem changes, queue frustration and inflated resale prices will likely persist no matter what queue system Ticketmaster puts in place.
The Bottom Line
Trying to get tickets to mega-popular concerts, games and shows will always involve an element of luck and randomness for fans. While joining queues early, using mobile apps, and other tips can help, they are not guaranteed to secure tickets in Ticketmaster’s randomized system.
For the average fan, the best way to boost your chances is just to be in the queue the absolute moment it opens, say a prayer to the ticket gods, and hope for the best. Persistence through initial disappointments is key. With enough diligence, you may eventually have that glorious moment where good fortune smiles upon you just in time to get those coveted tickets in your cart.
Conclusion
Ticketmaster’s queue system for hot ticket sales aims to level the playing field and give everyone an equal shot at securing seats through randomization. However, the reality is that supply and demand economics, technical issues, and the persistence of scalpers still leads to a frenzied scramble for most fans trying to buy tickets. While joining queues early and using mobile apps can help your odds, there are no guarantees. For the biggest live events, a dose of pure luck is necessary on top of preparation. The best strategy is to keep trying through multiple presales and general sales until hopefully snagging tickets against the intense competition.
