Ticketmaster’s Audience Rewards is a loyalty program that allows fans to earn points and rewards when they purchase tickets to events through Ticketmaster. The program aims to enhance the Ticketmaster experience by providing members with access to presales, upgrades, and other exclusive offers.
How Does Audience Rewards Work?
Audience Rewards members earn points every time they buy tickets through Ticketmaster. The number of points earned depends on the ticket price, with more expensive tickets resulting in more points. Points can then be redeemed for upgrades, presale ticket access, and more. There are four membership tiers in Audience Rewards:
- Member – Earn 1 point per $1 spent
- Advantage – Earn 1.5 points per $1 spent
- Premier – Earn 2 points per $1 spent
- Elite – Earn 2.5 points per $1 spent
Higher tier members enjoy more rewards and benefits. Points expire after 12 months of account inactivity. Members receive a $5 reward for every 500 points earned.
What are the Benefits of Audience Rewards?
There are many benefits to being an Audience Rewards member, including:
- Early access to presales – Members get first access to presales for major concerts and events
- Upgrades – Redeem points for seat upgrades at events
- Exclusive offers – Access unique offers like meet and greets, VIP packages and more
- Priority access – Use a dedicated Audience Rewards entrance lane at some venues
- Rewards – Get $5 rewards for every 500 points earned
In addition, members can earn bonus points through activities like referring friends, completing surveys, and connecting Ticketmaster accounts to social media. The more active a member is, the more rewards they can earn.
How to Sign Up for Audience Rewards
Signing up for Audience Rewards is simple and free. There are two ways to enroll:
- Create an account on Ticketmaster.com or via the Ticketmaster app. Audience Rewards enrollment is offered during the account creation process.
- Existing Ticketmaster members can sign up by going to their account settings and enabling Audience Rewards.
After enrollment, members will start earning points immediately on future Ticketmaster purchases. Purchases made before joining will not count towards points.
Ways to Earn Points
There are several ways Audience Rewards members can accumulate points:
- Purchasing tickets – Points are earned on all Ticketmaster ticket purchases
- Referring friends – Earn 500 bonus points for each friend that joins and makes a purchase
- Completing your profile – Add info like your location and favorite genres to earn 500 points
- Connecting accounts – Link your Ticketmaster account to Facebook, Twitter, or email for 250 points per account
- Taking surveys – Occasionally surveys are available for 100 points each
- Special promotions – Look for limited-time promotions that offer bonus points
Purchasing tickets is the main way to accumulate a significant amount of points. Points from surveys, referrals, profile completion and account connections offer smaller amounts, but can add up over time.
Redeeming Points
Once enough points are accumulated, Audience Rewards members have several redemption options:
- $5 reward – Get a $5 voucher for every 500 points
- Upgrades – Use points to upgrade your seats at concerts and events
- Presales – Redeem points for access to presales before the general public
- VIP packages – Use points for unique VIP experiences like meet & greets
- Merchandise – Redeem for signed merch, artist swag and more
$5 vouchers can be used like cash towards future Ticketmaster purchases. Upgrades and presales require a ticket purchase in addition to point redemption. VIP packages and merchandise have point values set on an offer-by-offer basis.
Is Audience Rewards Worth It?
For frequent Ticketmaster customers, Audience Rewards can provide good perks and savings. Some key advantages:
- Access to presales – Great way to get tickets before sold out
- Seat upgrades – Use points to get better seats
- $5 rewards – Can add up to real savings
- VIP experiences – Unique offers not available to the general public
However, there are some drawbacks to weigh:
- No points on third-party site purchases – Only Ticketmaster tickets earn points
- Long reward accumulation – Takes a lot of tickets to earn meaningful rewards
- Ticket limits – Popular shows still sell out quickly even with presale access
- Account maintenance – Must remain active to avoid point expiration
Casual Ticketmaster users may not find enough value to justify signing up. But frequent concertgoers can benefit from the presales, upgrades and other perks.
Tips for Maximizing Audience Rewards
Here are some tips to get the most out of Audience Rewards membership:
- Buy high-priced tickets – More expensive tickets earn more points
- See shows regularly – Frequent purchases means faster point accumulation
- Refer friends – Get 500 bonus points for each successful referral
- Take surveys – Check for available surveys to earn extra points
- Save upgrades for sold out shows – More value getting better seats when demand is high
- Redeem presales strategically – Use for your must-see shows that are likely to sell out fast
Achieving a higher membership tier also maximizes points earned on ticket purchases. Active members who regularly buy expensive tickets can earn rewards faster.
Audience Rewards Versus Other Loyalty Programs
How does Audience Rewards stack up against other entertainment and ticket loyalty programs? Here is a comparison:
Program | Earning Rate | Redemption Options | Other Perks |
---|---|---|---|
Audience Rewards | 1-2.5 pts/$1 spent | Upgrades, presales, VIP packages | Priority access, $5 rewards |
AMC Stubs | 100 pts/$1 spent | Free popcorn, soda, movies | Discount Tuesdays |
Regal Crown Club | 100 pts/$1 spent | Free popcorn, soda, movies | Birthday rewards |
StubHub Fan Rewards | 1% back on purchases | $5 rewards | Discount codes |
While Audience Rewards offers unique perks tailored to live event fans, other programs tend to offer discounts on concessions and tickets as their primary rewards. Overall, Audience Rewards is most similar to StubHub’s program in offering cash-equivalent rewards.
The Future of Audience Rewards
Ticketmaster will likely continue expanding and enhancing Audience Rewards to provide more value and attract more members. Some possible future developments include:
- More redemption options – Could add more VIP packages, meet & greets, etc.
- Targeted promotions – Personalized bonus points or rewards based on purchase history
- Expanded partners – Earn/redeem points with other affiliated companies like LiveNation
- Group rewards – Special perks for getting friends/family to join
- Tier expansion – Addition of higher tiers with more benefits
A larger and more engaged Audience Rewards member base allows Ticketmaster to generate valuable customer data and build loyalty. Expanding the program’s value and scope will be key strategies going forward.
Conclusion
Audience Rewards gives Ticketmaster customers a way to earn rewards on their ticket purchases. For frequent Ticketmaster users, the programs presales, upgrades and VIP access can provide real value on top of the cash-equivalent $5 rewards. While more casual users may not benefit as much, the program is free to join and any rewards earned are a bonus. As Audience Rewards expands, expect more redemption options and targeted promotions tailored to members’ purchase histories and preferences.