Washington, D.C.— Future of Music Coalition (FMC), a national non-profit research, education and advocacy organization for musicians, has joined with Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization, to release “Too Big to Fail” — a guidebook outlining the concerns of the music and arts community as well as information about how to report potential marketplace harm.

Too Big to Fail: http://bit.ly/TooBigToFail

In January 2010, the Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the merger between Ticketmaster, the largest ticketing platform in the country, and Live Nation, the largest concert promoter in the country. In the lead-up to the merger, many in the music community expressed concern about the potential effects of combining two huge companies with major stakes in touring, promotions, ticketing and live venue management. The ability of such a large company to squeeze out competition in ticket sales, booking, and vendor contracts was a very real possibility, absent enforceable rules to prevent abuses.

In an effort to prevent adverse market repercussions, the Justice Department approved the merger with specific conditions. Formally approved in January 2010, DOJ’s consent decree outlines the terms that would allow the two firms to merge with certain restrictions designed to limit monopolistic abuses, and create the opportunity for additional marketplace entrants.

These conditions can only work if they are enforced, and those charged with doing so must understand the concerns of those in the music community for the consent decree to be effective. Future of Music Coalition and Fractured Atlas collaborated on “Too Big to Fail” to help musicians and fans learn more about the Live Nation and Ticketmaster Merger, and to highlight how artists, managers, concert promoters and other stakeholders can proceed if and when terms of the consent decree are violated.

Another reason for this document is to hold the merged company, Live Nation Entertainment, accountable for its behavior. One year later, the live music space still looks much the same, with promised efficiencies giving way to employee layoffs and shuffling at the executive level. FMC and Fractured Atlas believe that re-energizing the live music space doesn’t so much depend on giant corporate mergers, but rather increased investment in local arts and performance spaces, access to technology and other media infrastructure and greater competition in the ticketing marketplace.

Too Big to Fail: http://bit.ly/TooBigToFail

About Fractured Atlas
Fractured Atlas is the nation’s largest non-profit arts service organization with a multi-disciplinary membership of over 16,000 independent artists and emerging arts organizations. Its core service areas include fiscal sponsorship, affordable liability insurance, healthcare education, workspaces resources, professional development, and advocacy. Fractured Atlas’s Open Arts Networkbrings its programs and services to an audience of over 100,000 artists and arts groups nationwide.