With Ticketmaster being one of the largest primary ticket outlets for major sporting events, concerts, and theater productions, it’s no surprise that millions of customers use their services to purchase tickets every year. However, with such high demand comes increased traffic and sometimes slow response times on desktop and mobile. This leads many to wonder: is Ticketmaster faster on the app compared to the website?
The Ticketmaster App
The Ticketmaster app is available for both iOS and Android devices and serves as a more streamlined, user-friendly way for customers to browse events and purchase tickets. The app allows you to store your payment information for faster checkout and utilizes your device’s location services to show you events nearby. Push notifications can also alert you when tickets go on sale for an event you’ve favorited.
So in theory, the Ticketmaster app provides a quicker, more seamless user experience by eliminating unnecessary steps and utilizing your device’s capabilities. But does this actually lead to faster ticket purchasing compared to using the desktop site?
App vs. Website Speed Comparison
There are a few key areas where using the Ticketmaster app has the potential to be faster than the desktop website:
Login and Checkout
The Ticketmaster app allows you to store your login credentials and payment information so you don’t have to waste time inputting them each time. On the website, you have to either enter these each time or go through the extra steps of retrieving saved credentials through auto-login. The app’s ability to pre-populate this information leads to a faster checkout process.
Browser Loading
When purchasing highly coveted tickets that are expected to sell out in seconds, browser loading times come into play. The Ticketmaster app is already loaded on your device and ready to go, while a desktop browser has to fully load each time you open it or switch pages. Those extra seconds of browser loading could make the difference in getting your desired tickets.
Navigation
The app interface is designed specifically for mobile while the website must accommodate both desktop and mobile. This can sometimes lead to a more cluttered site navigation vs the more streamlined navigation designed for app users. Faster navigation can lead to faster ticket selection and checkout.
Location Services
The Ticketmaster app can utilize your device’s location services to automatically surface events happening near you. While you can input location on desktop, the app’s location-based features allow faster browsing of local events.
Notifications
Push notifications on the app alert you right when an event goes on sale or has ticket updates. On desktop, you would have to actively check the site rather than receiving a prompt when news hits.
When the Website May Be Faster
While the Ticketmaster app certainly has some advantages, there are also some cases where using the desktop website may actually be faster:
Page Loading Issues
If you have a slow internet connection, smaller app pages may load faster than the full desktop site. However, in cases of large traffic surges like major ticket releases, the app may struggle with long load times or crash while desktop browses maintain usability.
Website Pre-Queue
For huge ticket releases, Ticketmaster will sometimes use a virtual waiting room or queue on the website to staggering traffic. This prevents the site from crashing under extremely high traffic. The app generally does not utilize this pre-queue system currently, so when ticket demand is at a peak, the desktop site may be preferable.
Multiple Browser Windows
You can only use one instance of the app at once while on desktop you can open multiple browsers and windows. This allows you to queue or search for tickets in different windows simultaneously, something you can’t do on the app.
Key Factors Impacting Speed
When comparing Ticketmaster’s app and website speeds, there are a few key factors at play:
Your Device and Internet Connection
A slow or overwhelmed internet connection will slow both the app and website. The app may have slightly better performance on a modern device optimized for app usage. Older devices may struggle with app loading times.
Ticket Demand
For low-demand events with ample ticket availability, both options will load quickly with minimal lag. But at peak demand, both the app and website can struggle to keep up.
Type of Event
High-profile events like playoffs, festivals, and buzzworthy concerts are more prone to traffic surges. More niche events are likely to have steadier load times across both platforms.
Time of Access
Timing when tickets go on sale can impact speeds as well. Right as tickets release yields the biggest surge, while waiting even just an hour later may allow the initial frenzy to settle for quicker loading.
User Behavior
Your individual browsing and purchasing behavior can impact perceived speed. Rushing through the process or not entering info correctly can prolong checkout vs carefully entering details.
Tips for Faster Ticket Purchasing
Whether using the Ticketmaster website or app, here are some tips for the fastest ticket purchasing:
- Set up an account ahead of time – store payment info to check out faster
- Enable notifications so you’re alerted right away when tickets go on sale
- Use a strong, reliable internet connection
- Pay attention and enter info slowly and accurately to prevent errors
- Be ready right when tickets go on sale to get ahead of traffic surges
- Allow a little time for initial frenzy to clear if demand is very high
- Use website queue/waiting room features when available to your advantage
The Bottom Line
Based on the app’s streamlined interface and utilization of native device features like location services and notifications, the Ticketmaster app would seem to have the edge when it comes to speed.
However, real-world speed can depend on factors like your specific device, internet connectivity, server load, type of event, and precise timing. There are also cases like website pre-queues where the desktop site maintains an advantage under extremely high traffic.
For most events and scenarios, the app provides a faster purchasing experience. But extreme ticket demand periods may see better performance on desktop. Savvy users may want to have both options ready to go when tickets for major events go on sale.
Under normal traffic conditions, the Ticketmaster app leverages the capabilities of your device for optimized speed. But additional factors come into play when ticket demand reaches its peak.