Spotify Reserved gives top fans first access to concert tickets

Spotify officially launched a new feature called “Reserved” in the US on Thursday, offering its most dedicated listeners guaranteed access to highly coveted concert tickets before they hit general sale.

The exclusive feature automatically places a hold on two concert tickets for a specific artist’s “top fans,” giving them a secure window to purchase the tickets without competing with the general public or scalper bots.

To prevent users from artificially gaming the system, the music streaming giant has declined to specify the exact metrics used to select eligible fans. However, the company confirmed that the algorithm analyzes user engagement signals, including total streams, saves, and shares. Geographic location is also heavily weighted to ensure tickets are offered to local fans who are most likely to actually attend the live show.

If selected, the Reserved offer appears prominently on the user’s Spotify home screen, accompanied by an email and a push notification. To ensure they do not miss an alert, subscribers should keep their app updated, enable notifications for live concerts, and verify their location within the Live Events feed. The offers are also visible via the Search tab, the specific artist’s page, and the “Now Playing” interface.

When a fan’s Reserved window opens—which typically lasts for approximately 24 hours—they can tap ‘Buy now’ to select up to two tickets for any eligible date on the tour. While the tickets are held for the duration of the window, seating assignments are still subject to availability, so fans are encouraged to complete their purchase early to secure the best spots.

The checkout process officially redirects users to Ticketmaster, where they may be required to link their Spotify account. For massive, high-demand stadium tours, users might still have to wait in a digital queue before reaching the final selection screen.

Any Reserved tickets that are not purchased before the window expires are immediately reissued to the next eligible fan. The new feature is currently limited to select artists and tours, and is exclusively available to Spotify Premium subscribers aged 18 or older.