AI's role and human limits

The live music industry runs on ticket sales but fights over who owns the data behind them. Matt Washburn of Atlas Touring joins us to debate the case for and against sharing ticket buyer data — who benefits, who's afraid of it, and what the industry loses by keeping it siloed. I've had this debate a hundred times, but I'd never heard Matt's take before — and it was surprisingly insightful. For an agent, he's remarkably considerate of the promoter perspective, and it made for one of the more honest conversations I've had on the topic.

We also go way beyond the data debate and get into Prism's Insights product, how AI could reshape booking and routing, the shift in fan buying behavior, how Atlas rebuilt their workflow, and a bigger picture look at where the live music industry is headed and what it takes to survive in it.

Episode Timestamps:

• (01:10) Why Fan Data Matters (and Why the Industry Resists It) The value of ticket buyer data, the fear around sharing it, and how better data-sharing grows artists and cuts marketing costs.
• (09:55) Deals, Leverage, and the Reality of Booking Decisions Door deals vs guarantees, venue leverage, email marketing ROI, and whether sharing data really changes where artists play.
• (16:30) How Real Data Changes Booking (and Prevents Bad Deals) Introduction to Insights, using box office data for better valuation, a story of buying a show on bad data, and the shared responsibility between artists and promoters.
• (27:01) What AI Could Actually Do for Booking and Routing Predicting ticket sales, modeling fan behavior, and matching artists with the right markets.
• (34:01) How Ticketing and Fan Behavior Have Changed Walk-up culture to social ads, and how buying behavior has shifted over time.
• (38:00) From Booking Shows to Building Better Systems Matt's background, building Atlas, adopting Prism, and the push toward eliminating double entry and industry silos.
• (47:05) The Future of Live Music Long-term industry outlook, surviving headwinds, and building sustainable careers and venues.

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