alt Hacker News> I don't see why the venues and artists don't want to capture more of what people are willing to pay
Because artists don't always want to extract the maximum money possible from their fanbase?
Artists are not always rapacious capitalists. Sure, they want to make money from the show, but a lot of them also genuinely want to reach people who may not be able to drop hundreds of bucks on a ticket. Always selling to the highest bidder is a recipe for larger acts to only be accessible to the wealthy. And as surprising as it may seem, some of them have views on that sort of thing.
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> Because artists don't always want to extract the maximum money possible from their fanbase?
I think that's both true and not. The larger truth is that trying to maximize the extraction during a single ticket sale is incredibly short-sighted of an artist. Having fans attend shows is a very effective way to grow your fan base and your brand, and that brings so much more lifetime value for an artist than you'd ever get from a single ticket sale (except for maybe on your retirement tour --and even then).
I think there's levels to it. I've seen what I would consider a big artist at a small venue for $20 plus tax, no fees. You could tell that show was a labor of love for the artist. But, I would never expect to pay that price going to a festival like Coachella, or even a local stadium show.
Actually, writing this comment got me thinking that maybe the larger the venue, the more expensive the ticket needs to be out of necessity. More hands in the cookie jar, and all that.