Webtickets partners Spotify to link music discovery to live event ticketing

The integration enables concerts listed on Webtickets to appear within Spotify’s live events feature, allowing users to view upcoming performances while listening to an artist’s music. Listeners can then access ticket purchasing options through direct links to Webtickets.

According to Webtickets, the company will absorb all associated integration and technical costs, allowing artists and promoters to use the service without additional expense or the need for third-party systems.

Thomas Stavrides, marketing manager at Webtickets, said visibility remains a key challenge in the live music sector. “For many artists and promoters, visibility is a big challenge, not just creating the show, but making sure fans know it’s happening,” he said.

“This partnership helps fans find concerts and live events for the artists they love and are listening to, and we’ve made a deliberate decision to carry the cost and complexity on our side to support this process,” he added.

The initiative comes as streaming platforms continue to play a central role in music discovery. Spotify reports more than 700 million monthly active users globally. In South Africa, data from Spotify’s Loud & Clear report indicates that local artists generated approximately R400 million in royalties in 2024, with music from the country reaching over 1.1 billion first-time listeners worldwide.

Musician Jeremy Loops, whose real name is Jeremy Hewitt, said live performances remain critical to artist engagement. “Streaming introduces people to your music, but live shows are where the real connection happens. Anything that helps fans move more easily from listening to actually showing up makes a real difference for artists on the ground,” he said.

Event promoter Damon Forbes said the partnership could help address long-standing marketing challenges. “For promoters, the biggest challenge has always been cutting through the noise and reaching the right audience at the right time. A song is the perfect advert for any artist’s live show, so there could not be a more appropriate moment to make a ticket link available to the listener,” he said.

The companies said the integration is already generating activity, with more than 90,000 tickets reportedly sold each month through Spotify referrals. The feature is available to all events listed on Webtickets, allowing artists, promoters and venues to participate through the platform.

Contributors: Wandile Moloi and Nomveliso Mthini.