From Ticketmaster to AI music, students discuss the emphasis of the industry on economic gain
By VRITI SHAH — features@theaggie.org
From the rock music revolution of the 1960s to the current rise of pop, the music industry has always served as a crucial part of society and culture. Music has historically been a universal language and outlet for expression, identity and revolutionary social change for both artists and listeners.
However, as the music industry has grown, so has its stress on economic gain. Ticketmaster — a company used as a source for selling tickets for concerts and other shows — recently went under fire for raising prices and making it difficult for the average person to attend a concert.
When popular musician Harry Styles announced his 2026 tour “Together, Together” with tickets on sale through Ticketmaster, he opted to perform a 30-night run in New York City’s Madison Square Garden venue: making it even more expensive for many out-of-state fans to see his concert.
During the pre-sale for the “Together, Together” tour, fans witnessed a spike in ticket prices. Tour ticket prices reached $1,000, high in comparison to the average ticket price of his last tour, which ranged between $100 and $750.
“I fear there must be some miscommunication here. $1,000 per ticket? Taking a breath costs $20 in the economy. Are you and I holding hands the entirety of the show? Because what do you mean?” a fan said on Threads, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In fact, the Rolling Stones have reported that fans have even started selling their blood to afford tickets to Harry Styles’ tour. Daniella Barone, a Harry Styles fan from Florida, has resorted to donating her blood as a means of raising money to afford a plane ticket to New York City and a ticket to the tour.
“I can only eat once a day, but I’ve done it before!” Barone said while discussing her budget plans to attend the concert, according to iHeart Radio.
UC Davis students have their own varying opinions on the impact of large corporations on the music industry.
“I’ve never bought tickets on Ticketmaster,” Eliza King, a first-year anthropology major, said. “But I definitely have friends who have. [I can see how] it’s frustrating, and like a scam basically. It discourages me from buying tickets for sure.”
The rise of ticket prices may mean an unequal chance for many groups to experience their favorite artists’ live music. King continued to describe the inaccessibility of ticket prices in relation to fans and scammers.
“I know in the past, smaller groups [scammers] have been taking hold of [tickets] and then, like, big industries [are] are kind of grow[ing],” King continued. “Then, it’s inaccessible for people who lose the [tickets].”
While many suggested that at present, live music feels unaffordable for the average person, others don’t seem to mind the hike in prices.
“Well, ticket prices have been more expensive, which is crazy,” Alissa Esteve, a fourth-year plant biology major, said. “Do I care, though? Not really. It just makes people not want to go to concerts, I guess, because it’s just too expensive.”
Artificial intelligence (AI) music has impacted the music industry. A Time article suggested that at least six AI songs have appeared on the charts in the past few months.
“In a way, you’re not giving these new artists a chance and you’re making music based on AI,” Arianna Canchola, a fourth-year animal biology major, said.
Many agree that the human-centric creation of music is what makes the art form so enjoyable to the masses.
“AI music is wild […] I don’t like it, I think it’s weird,” Esteve said. “I think it’s weird because it’s computer-generated. Like, yeah, it has the algorithm or whatever to follow [off] of what it thinks it should write based on people’s experiences. But […] I think it takes away the creativity that is naturally produced in humans. [AI music] might be trendy for a bit. But, I don’t think it could ever really, truly mimic a true artist […] true creativity […] true experiences.”
While UC Davis students have their own opinions on the impact of big corporations on the music industry, the societal influence of music stays current. To many, human-created music remains a powerful source of connection.
Written by: Vriti Shah — features@theaggie.org
