Unplugs Transparent Earplugs Now Available at 60 Live Nation Venues

Hearing protection is becoming a more familiar part of concert culture, particularly among younger fans. Through a new partnership that includes an equity investment from Live Nation, Unplugs is bringing its transparent earplugs to fans at 60 Live Nation venues across the U.S.

Available for purchase at participating venues, Unplugs give fans hearing protection they can control with a click. A two-mode switch lets them adjust how much sound comes through without removing the earplugs. In the closed setting, acoustic filters reduce volume while maintaining sound clarity. In the open setting, more sound passes through, making it easier to talk with friends. No batteries to charge or apps to download.

The rollout comes during October's National Protect Your Hearing Month and National Audiology Awareness Month.

Built around the way fans experience live music

A concert isn't only about listening. Fans sing along, talk with friends, move through the venue and take in everything happening around them. Three in four fans say hearing protection should be an essential part of the concert experience, but it needs to fit the way they enjoy a show.

Among fans who have used earplugs at live music events, nearly 60% have taken them out to talk with friends or other fans. Unplugs is built for that mix of music and conversation, giving fans the flexibility to keep their earplugs in as the night unfolds.

A personal connection to hearing health

For Unplugs founder Tom Worcester, the idea is personal.

Worcester has worn hearing aids since he was four. Years later, working in the festival industry gave him another perspective on the challenge: music fans wanted to protect their hearing without giving up what they loved about being at a show.

Worcester eventually reunited with his childhood audiologist, Dr. Natan Bauman, and his co-inventor Ralph Campagna to bring their mechanical earplug technology to fans.

'We thought hearing protection has had it backwards this whole time. Fans deserve to protect their hearing without sacrificing the experience they came for,' said Tom Worcester, founder of Unplugs. 'Unplugs gives them the freedom to enjoy the music, connect with friends, and stay in the moment.'

More choice for fans

The partnership builds on Live Nation's broader work to give fans more choice in how they experience a show. Complimentary foam earplugs will continue to be available at participating venues, giving fans a free hearing protection option alongside Unplugs.

'More fans are thinking about their hearing, but they still want to hear the music and talk to their friends,' said Tom Allison, SVP of New Ventures at Live Nation. 'Unplugs gives them another choice built around how they actually experience a show, and we can make that choice available right where they need it.'

Fans can now purchase Unplugs, available in black, through a mix of vending machines, sound guides, and merch and guest services stands across 60 venues. Unplugs will also provide earplugs to venue employees and make them available to artists and touring teams through green room gifting across select tours.

For more information, visit www.unplugshearing.com.