#27 - All-In Ticketing Exposed: A Candid Conversation with Randy Nichols

Jul 9, 2025

Randy Nichols, a music industry advocate, dives into the broken ticketing system with a critical lens. He discusses his activism with NITO, pushing for fair pricing and transparency in ticket sales. The conversation reveals how Ticketmaster maintains its dominance and exposes the dark realities of scalping and lobbying. Randy shares insights on potential reforms like ID-based ticketing and the need for stricter legislation to protect both artists and fans from exploitative practices, all while encouraging a fan-first approach to pricing.

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ANECDOTE

Randy's Career Journey

Randy Nichols started his career as an agent in the mid-1990s, working late nights entering offers by hand.
He quickly transitioned into management after the 9-11 job market collapse and has managed artists for over 20 years.

INSIGHT

Protect Artists by Protecting Fans

Protecting artists also means protecting their fans from exploitation by scalpers.
When fans overpay for tickets, less money circulates back to the artist and local venues, harming the ecosystem.

INSIGHT

Scalpers Manipulate Government

Scalpers have successfully influenced government to gain more rights, worsening ticketing problems.
Politicians often weigh how changes will impact Ticketmaster, complicating fair reforms.

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In this episode, Matt sits down with outspoken music industry advocate Randy Nichols for an unfiltered deep dive into the broken ticketing system—and the growing movement to fix it. From viral LinkedIn posts to behind-the-scenes talks with the DOJ, Randy shares his personal journey, his work with NITO, and what it will really take to make ticketing fair for fans and artists alike.

Topics covered:

How Ticketmaster rose to power—and what’s keeping it there
Why “all-in pricing” is finally gaining traction
The dark side of scalping, lobbying, and legislation
Mistakes artists and platforms keep making
What true fan-first pricing could look like

If you’ve ever asked why ticket fees are so high or how artists can reclaim control, this is the episode for you.

(00:00:38) - Randy's Shit Talking on LinkedIn Randy talks about his active presence on LinkedIn and the professional discourse he engages in.

(00:02:04) - NITO and Industry Activism Randy's involvement with NITO and his advocacy work around important music industry issues.

(00:12:57) - Ticket Scalping Concerns Randy's view on the importance of protecting artists and fans from ticket scalping practices.

(00:15:40) - Historical Context of Ticketmaster The historical struggle with Ticketmaster and the impact of prominent artists like Taylor Swift.

(00:23:01) - Complexities of the Ticketing Ecosystem Deep dive into the nuanced landscape of ticket scalping and corporate practices.

(00:33:04) - DOJ Meetings and Legislative Efforts Randy describes meetings with the DOJ and the legislative complexities in the ticketing industry.

(00:44:37) - DOJ vs. Trump Executive Order Clarification of the DOJ’s dual investigations and the separation from the Trump administration initiatives.

(00:50:01) - Political Polarization in Advocacy Randy's stance on working with any administration if it benefits the fans and the industry.

(00:57:51) - Democratic Party's Missteps Discussion on historical misalignments of the Democratic Party in relation to ticketing issues.

(1:29:44) - Timely Update Because this episode was originally recorded a month ago, we’ve included a fresh update added just before release. It covers key developments, including how the industry is responding to the first month of mandatory all-in pricing.

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