Pandora announced on Wednesday that it had acquired Ticketfly for the cool sum of $450 million. Ticketfly made its name for making it easy for people to find live music events near them, and buy tickets on the spot.

Now, soon to be coupled with Pandora, the goal is to add functionality that will let listeners see if an artist they are listening to is performing nearby, and buy tickets right within the app. “This is a game-changer for Pandora – and much more importantly – a game-changer for music,” according to Pandora CEO Brian McAndrews.

He has a point, the digitalization of music has been a boon for consumers, but difficult for artists and publishers. The transition for an artist to make “real money” has migrated to live performances. Ticketfly works with about 1,200 venues across North America, meaning getting hooked up to see your favorite band perform live is soon to be as simple as tapping on your smartphone.

source: TechCrunch