Music Merchandising

I truly believe that almost everything in life can be broken down into a science – even a merchandise table which yields a high response from people in its vicinity. I didn’t always think this way. I used to walk around with CDs in my knapsack and conduct hand-to-hand sales. Let me back up for…

Fans come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some will only ever listen to your music a few times. Some will take it a step further and stream your music regularly and maybe even buy your music or merch. But beyond that, there exists another category of fan: The super-fan. The super-fan is a…

As soon as you start selling merch, you start turning your music into a business. You’re not just selling music anymore – you’re selling clothing, you’re selling a brand, you’re selling a lifestyle. Almost all major artists eventually turn themselves into a lifestyle brand at some point in their careers. You may not be quite…

This is an exciting time for you. You’re just about to release a new EP. This might be your first release, or it could be your eighth. Either way, completing a recording is a massive achievement. Congratulations. But wait. You can’t actually put your music out into the world without cover art. Oops! This happens…

Many mainstream musicians such as Radiohead have experienced considerable success with the pay-what-you-want or free model of distribution. This might prompt you to believe that giving away your music or discounting it is the only way to get it heard. Although there are times when it’s a good idea to run promotions, discounting could actually…

Calling all musicians and those in the music industry (and even those who aren’t), today I’m going to show you how to make your own merchandise for free! In a previous guide I’ve already showed you how to sell more merchandise, but that guide’s going to be no good to you if you haven’t got…

This article is based on one of Ari Herstand’s guides from Ari’s Take (opens in a new window). Check his site out too for more great music business advice! When touring, musicians often place a big emphasis on upfront pay, door money and the like. While these things can be important, if you’ve toured before…

If you’re looking to get away from offering the same old merchandise that every other musician does, you’re in luck. Today I’m going to share with you a number of merch ideas you can get made up outside of the 4 usual suspects: T shirts, CDs, Posters and Stickers. I talked about these kinds of…

Hey guys, today I’m going to talk a bit about merchandise. This is the first in a two (or more) part guide looking at why you need to start selling merch as a musician, and the types that you can offer to your fans. Today we’ll look at what merch is, why you should be…

Hey guys, today Dylan Lott from Cloud Records has written you a guide. In the following guide he talks about some tips he’s picked up when it comes to selling more merchandise for groups / bands and solo musicians alike. If you’re new to putting a merch campaign together or you just want some tips…