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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