Having A Hard Time Scoring Concert Tickets? Here Are A Few Secrets

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Have a hard time scoring seats to that in-demand concert you've been dying to see? You're not alone.

Ticket insiders warn it's harder than ever to get concert tickets the old fashioned way. WCCO found the secret to snagging your favorite seats.

Just as quickly as Adele concert tickets went on sale, the tour which kicks off in St. Paul sold out, devastating fans.

"I was logged in on four different devices on the time," Kait Semon said.

Fans took to Twitter, expressing disappointment. Semon and friends tried desperately to snag tickets to see the vocal dynamo.

"We looked at Nashville, St. Louis, Atlanta, really anywhere we were willing to travel, and make it a weekend trip and we still couldn't get anything anywhere," Semon said.

The demand for in-demand acts keeps increasing. And the available tickets seem to only decrease.

"What we've learned is for every major concert a significant portion of tickets are pre-sold and held back before the general public has a chance to purchase," Chris Grimm with Fan Freedom said.

The non-profit believes that fans should have basic rights, including fair access to tickets and the right to know how many are really being sold. It found up to 90 percent are gone before tickets go on sale to the general public.

"It's definitely a problem. Mostly because fans don't always know about it," Grimm said.

So how can you see your favorite artist in concert without spending a fortune on the secondary market?

Justin Bieber made his announcement on Ellen. And viewers were treated to a special pre-sale.

"You will get tickets before anyone else gets tickets if you go to the website and put in the passcode ELLENJB before they go on sale," Ellen Degeneres said on The Ellen Show.

Bieleber fan club fans on Fahlo also got in on the act early. Delynaia Moore's dad took the hint.

"I was on the ball, right there, on my computer, a couple computers going at the same time. Just had to make sure I got the best seats that were available," Dominick Moore said.

Credit cards like American Express and Citi-Bank also offer pre-sales. Another way is through listening to the radio.

"A radio station is a great way to get them and at a great price," Paul Koffy said.

Paul Koffy on "Koffy in the Morning" on BUZ'N 102.9 said the radio station gives away thousands of tickets throughout the year, and someone has to win them.

"We give them away on the street when we go out on location, we give tickets away online, and then of course listen, listen, listen and call," Koffy said.

Insiders say don't get discouraged. Instead, make sure you also have the inside track.

The three main tips: Join the artists' fan club, look for a credit card that offers pre-sale seats and try to win seats on the radio.