Music Artists Coalition Issues Letter of Support for NY Legislative Bills A.8659 / S.8221

Last month, New York State Senator James Skoufis introduced Senate Bill 2025-S.8221, which would enact into law several components of legislation that relate to live ticket sales and more specifically the resale marketplace. Per the NY State Senate's summary of this legislation, S.8221 (and its companion Assembly Bill 2025 A.8659) "establishes an annual professional reseller renewal fee; requires professional ticket resellers to provide their New York state ticket reseller license number as a condition of utilizing an online resale marketplace to resell tickets; provides criteria for when a purchaser may obtain a full refund of the amount paid for a ticket."

The proposed legislation can be read in full at: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8221.

This week, advocacy organization Music Artists Coalition, ​issued the below Letter of Support to NY State Legislators urging them to pass bills A.8659 / S.8221.

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Members of the New York State Legislature:

On behalf of the Music Artists Coalition (MAC) and the music creators we represent, we write to express our strong support for bills A.8659 / S.8221. This comprehensive ticketing reform legislation addresses critical problems that harm artists and the fans who support our music.

What we want is simple: do not interfere with our artists' relationship with our fans. As musicians, MAC's members create their art with the hope that it will connect with people. They want their fans to be able to attend shows at a reasonable price that enables them to craft a unique musical experience. They don't want their fans competing against brokers, or bots, who intercept these tickets and drive up the price, diverting money from fans' wallets to people who have no involvement whatsoever in the creation of the shows and music.

The artists we represent want the ability to stop skyrocketing ticket prices and this legislation makes that possible. If artists don't want someone to be able to markup their tickets, they should be able to say so. If artists want working families in New York to be able to afford to see their shows, they should be able to say so. This bill makes that possible in New York.

We also want to end the practice of someone selling a ticket that they don't own. This practice, called speculative ticketing, is unheard of in other industries. How can someone sell something that they do not own? Even before our artists' tickets are put on sale for the general public, shady resellers are already listing them at inflated prices. Then, often using bots, they go and buy tickets at the face value price and resell them at the inflated price.

We've heard many stories of fans flying to a show, staying in a hotel, only to get to the ticket scanner and find out that the speculative ticket is not a real ticket. The resellers might offer to refund the money for the ticket, but it doesn't solve the fan getting shut out from the show. This bill ends speculative ticketing by requiring resellers to actually own tickets or have written contracts before they can sell them. This simple requirement protects fans from fraud and ensures artists can maintain trust with their audiences.

Music creates community. Live performance builds the connection between artists and audiences that sustains careers and enriches lives. Predatory ticketing practices damage that connection by pricing out real fans and creating distrust through fraud and speculation. These bills establish basic rules that protect both artists and fans from the worst abuses while preserving legitimate business practices.

We urge the full Assembly and Senate to pass this important consumer and artist protection legislation. Thank you for your leadership on this critical issue affecting New York's vibrant music community.

Sincerely,
The Board Members of the Music Artists Coalition

Irving Azoff
Jordan Bromley
Coran Capshaw
Jim Cicconi
Kristen Foster
Susan Genco
Elliot Groffman
Ali Harnell
Don Henley
Dave Matthews
Shane McAnally
Maren Morris
Anderson .Paak
John Silva
Meghan Trainor
Verdine White

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For press inquiries:
Ron Gubitz, Executive Director
ron@musicartistscoalition.com

Music Artists Coalition
700 South Santa Fe Avenue, 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90021

Music Artists Coalition (MAC) is an organization dedicated solely to advocating for all aspects of an artist's career. Our mission is to shape the music industry into one where artists can not only make a living but leave a legacy. Through influential leadership and transformative policy work, we are securing the vitality of music, preserving the value of creative work, and championing an artist-led industry that fosters a thriving music culture for generations to come. We advocate fiercely for all music creators, championing their rights to ownership, fair compensation, and well-being.

For more information visit www.musicartistscoalition.com

This release was published on openPR.