Platform Update: Geo-gated Ticketing

March 16, 2021

This highly requested feature has been in the works for a long time, and we can't believe this day is here. Geo-gated ticketing is now available on Side Door! 

Artists, Presenters, Hosts, and Venues can sell tickets to specific markets by limiting sales to an audience's geographic location.

Geo-gated ticketing allows show creators to bring more value to their fanbase with custom experiences and give Artists the ability to "tour" online. Want to play a special show just for your dedicated Nashville fanbase? Now you can!

As Artists prepare for a return to in-person shows, and venues begin to reopen with limited audience capacities slowly, geo-gating makes it possible for local fans to experience a sold-out show in their area by streaming it online without affecting ticket sales for other shows on the Artist’s touring schedule.

How it Works

When Ticketing your show, there are now two options, "World" or "Restricted Access." Show creators can define and manage where tickets would be made available by establishing the "Include" and or "Exclude" criteria. People in a location outside the "Include" criteria will not find the Show Page and will be restricted from purchasing tickets. 

For example, if you want to do a show in the Seattle, WA metro area, you could include Seattle and surrounding cities. Everything outside of the areas listed will automatically be excluded.

If someone in the excluded area gets a direct link to the show, maybe from a friend, the tickets will be restricted and they won't be able to complete the purchase.

If someone in Seattle buys a pair of tickets and wants to transfer one to a friend in Portland, and that city is not an included area, a warning will appear when that person attempts to claim the ticket.

The friend in the excluded region can return the ticket to the original purchaser by clicking on the "Return Ticket" button. An email notification will notify the original purchaser of the return.

Comp tickets sent by profile admins are not beholden to geo-gating. As such, you can invite friends from anywhere in the world to participate in a restricted show.

Online Show Support Fees

Starting today, Online Show Support Fees will apply to free and paid Interactive and Broadcast shows. Since October 2020, these fees have been waived and will allow Side Door to continue to provide the complex tech, bandwidth, and support needed to ensure your online show's success.

This adjustment also allows us to staff dedicated support humans on every show (for both the audience and artist) and make sure that your ticket holders find their way into your performance, regardless of their level of tech-savvy. We want them (and you!) to feel settled and happy before you perform so that everyone can enjoy and engage with your performance. Of course, we'll continue to offer A/V checks leading up to your show, and ongoing technical support.

Paid Shows

Here's a breakdown of the fee structure, determined by tickets purchased/claimed at the show payout: 

0 - 99 tickets: $25 
100 - 299 tickets: $50
300 - 499 tickets: $100
500 - 999 tickets: $200
Every additional bucket of 500: $100

The support fee amount will be deducted from your net earnings and will appear in your settlement breakdown. If you are selling tickets, there is no up-front cost to plan or publish your show.

Free Shows

If you are putting on a Free online show, you will pre-pay the Online Show Support Fee as a refundable deposit of $200 (USD) before publishing. The number of tickets claimed dictates your event's fees based on the table below, and a refund to your bank or PayPal account will be processed for any unused portion of the deposit.

0 - 99 tickets: $25 
100 - 299 tickets: $50
300 - 499 tickets: $100
500 - 999 tickets: $200

If there's a need to accommodate more than 999 audience members, please contact Side Door support to connect with our partnership team. 

For example, if you “sold” 50 tickets to your free show, you would receive a refund of $175 (USD). All shows must have a billing account to process the refundable deposit.

Additional Updates

Minimum Ticket Price

The minimum ticket amount for "Name your Price" ticketing is reduced from $6 to $1, expanding access to a wider fanbase. 

P.R.O. Remittance

P.R.O. remittance is now set at variable rates based on the location of the customer. As such, we will automatically remit the appropriate amount of each ticket’s revenue toward the applicable P.R.O. in the territory from which it was purchased. Previously, P.R.O. remittance on Side Door was set universally to 3%. Now, for instance, it will be 6.5% for US customers (remitted to ASCAP/BMI, etc), and 3% for Canadian customers (remitted to SOCAN).