While many may think of Boston as a sports city, the music scene in Beantown is actually one of the strongest in the country. In fact, over the past year, Boston has had more than 5,000 different concerts according to SeatGeek’s data, putting it securely in the top ten cities in the country.

Just like how no two concerts are alike, every music fan is different. But while their favorite artists may vary, they all have one thing in common: a desire to find the best tickets at the lowest price. Fortunately, by following at least some of the tips below, fans can secure great seats at an even better price.

1. Where to buy

 A few decades ago, the onsale—the time immediately after tickets go on sale—was the only opportunity for a fan to secure concert tickets. But as technology has changed, now a fan who buys a ticket an hour before the show might actually pay less than the fan who purchased the tickets 12 months in advance. This can make the ticket buying process stressful, as fans have a seemingly endless number of places to purchase tickets.

For the hottest shows of the year, the onsale is still typically the time to secure the best offer, especially if you have a specific seat in mind. For those who are more flexible, buying tickets on the secondary market may actually provide a better deal. This is especially true for shows that are not sold out, where prices on the secondary market can often drop below the face value of the ticket. On SeatGeek, 55% of concert tickets in Boston in the last year cost less than $100 each, and 21% cost less than $50 a ticket.

No matter where you shop, make sure it is a trusted marketplace that has buyer protections in place. While fans may see great deals on places like Craigslist, in the event that something is wrong with the tickets, it is often nearly impossible to track down the seller to get the refund that is rightfully deserved. 

2. When to buy

For those that are buying on the secondary side, the next question that comes up is often when is the right time to pull the trigger for tickets. Across all concerts in Boston over the past year the answer is the day of the show, but that trend doesn’t hold true for every artist or every venue. For shows at bigger venues like Gillette Stadium or TD Garden tickets sold the day of the event are the lowest in cost, but for a venue like Xfinity Center the right time to buy is actually two weeks out. Shows at Fenway Park and the House of Blues both offer the best deals the week of the event.

3. Which seats should I get?

Once you have figured out where and when to buy tickets, the question is where to sit. This, of course, varies by venue. For amphitheatre shows, the best deals are almost always the seats in the lawn, especially for fans who can arrive at the venue early and get a spot up front. In stadium and arena shows, it can get a bit more complex, as the location of the stage can have a big impact on how good seats are. Broadly speaking, the best deals can often be found on the seats that are on the opposite end of the arena from the stage. While they are a further distance from the artist, they actually offer the best sightline to the entire stage, which artists are increasingly using.

With the above guide fans should be able to significantly improve their concert going experience. One final tip: Use promo code BOSTON10 on SeatGeek for $10 off your next concert purchase.