Is the scramble for tickets over? Spotify bets on superfans with Reserved

Guaranteed concert tickets for its top listeners.

At a time when getting a ticket to a major concert has become a real obstacle course—defined by bots, mass reselling, and long virtual queues—Spotify is once again exploring new ways to strengthen the relationship between artists and listeners with the launch of Reserved, an initiative unveiled during the company’s Investor Day. The program, set to begin testing in the United States this summer, will allow some Premium users—considered the most loyal fans of certain artists—to have priority access to reserved tickets for their tours.

Reserved’s mechanics are based on the activity users generate within the platform. Spotify has said it will consider factors such as streams, saves, shares, and how often a person interacts with an artist to identify so-called “superfans.” Unlike traditional presales, those selected won’t just get early access—they’ll have tickets specifically reserved for them for a set period of time. The project will initially be developed with Live Nation and could later expand to other industry partners.

What does it mean to be a true fan?

Beyond the perks Reserved promises, the initiative also reopens a debate that has been present in the music industry for years: can a fan’s passion really be measured? Spotify is proposing a system based on streams, saves, and levels of interaction to identify the most committed followers, but loyalty to an artist doesn’t always show up in the data. Many users without a Premium subscription—or who simply consume music differently—could be left out of this model, which turns digital activity into a criterion for access to exclusive experiences.

At the same time, the proposal raises an even broader question. Going to a concert has never been only about getting a ticket; it’s an experience built through anticipation, excitement, and the collective connection that forms among thousands of people. While Reserved aims to offer a solution to real problems like reselling and bots, its success will depend on finding a balance between exclusivity and accessibility.