As the music industry continues to see streaming domination along with a string of high profile mergers and acquisitions, we’re starting to see some early staples succumb to market pressures. Songkick, which helped fans track artists coming to town and buy tickets to shows, is shutting down this month.
The co-founder Matt Jones states that he is being forced to cave to pressure from larger companies in the dance music industry, and will shut down this month. He also made it known that Ticketmaster and Live Nation have effectively blocked the company from the ticket market. Songkick has been in a legal battle with Live Nation as well as Ticketmaster for many months. The story goes that Ticketmaster lured away a Songkick employee who took proprietary information to the rival company. This is the basis of the legal battle which is raging on, despite the fact that Ticketmaster and Live Nation have won the industry battle.
In the wake of Songkick’s demise, fans will have to return to Live Nation and Ticketmaster and their often exorbitant fees. However Songkick sold most of its assets, including its brand name and app to Warner Music Group.
