The squeeze on musicians: why touring is getting harder and who’s really to blame

The fight over Live Nation isn’t just about one big company. It’s about whether the whole system that puts artists on stage is stacked against the people making the music. For years, bands have watched ticket prices climb while their own earnings from each show shrink. When Tigers Jaw’s Ben Walsh saw presale tickets on Ticketmaster already marked up to $75 before his own tour even went on sale, he knew something was broken. His band isn’t alone—artists from indie rockers to pop stars say resale prices don’t just hurt fans, they make smaller acts look unfairly expensive. The numbers tell part of the story. Streaming killed the old way bands made money, so playing live shows became essential. But getting from city to city costs more every year. Cameron Lavi-Jones of King Youngblood remembers his tour van breaking down in Denver with no cash left to fix it. Even when things go right, the margins are razor thin. A recent study found most independent venues lost money in 2024. Add in rising rents, gas, and food, and many musicians now depend on the kindness of strangers at each stop just to break even.Social media and AI add new pressure. Cornelia Murr, a solo artist, says platforms like the one owned by Meta help her reach fans, but she doesn’t get paid fairly when her songs appear in random videos. She’s trapped between needing promotion and fighting for real income. Meanwhile, the same big players that dominate ticket sales also shape what fans see online. When algorithms favor viral moments over real connections, artists feel invisible unless they play the game. Live Nation says it helps artists reach bigger crowds and offers choices in promoters. But critics argue the company’s reach—from venues to ticketing to artist management—leaves little room for real competition. Even fans who love music end up paying more, while the people creating it struggle to survive. The trial might force changes, but the bigger issue is a music world where power is concentrated in fewer hands, and working musicians keep getting squeezed.