Music streaming/sales aren’t the only monetary avenue open to musicians. Merchandise, or just merch, is a huge market that anyone can get involved with to boost revenue. Think about the last concert you went to. I bet you saw some merch stands, didn’t you?

Custom mech for musicians is a great way to get your brand seen by even more people. People that don’t know who you are and have never listened to your music. Merch is a fantastic way to get seen because it throws you into the public eye as a t-shirt or a hat. Don’t worry, it doesn’t turn you, a physical entity, into a hat. This, in turn, tells more and more people that you exist and that you make music.

We’ve discussed our tips on what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to selling merch. But maybe you need us to go a little deeper and help you decide what merch you should sell?

Keep in mind that we don’t recommend using all of these ideas. What you sell depends on the demographic of your audience!

Custom t-shirts

T-shirts are always big sellers. Everyone wears them every day (well, everyone that I know). T-shirts have been at the front of every wardrobe since the 1960s.

You could feature your logo on them or even a photo of you. If you have a tour coming up then you could feature your tour dates on the back or front as well as artwork associated with your musical brand. Tour t-shirts allow your fans to say “I was there”. Don’t you want to give that to them?

Give them a preview of your tour to take home with them!

Patches

Patches can embroider images of your logo. Sure, they have fallen out of fashion since the 2000s, but that doesn’t mean no one will want them. And there’s always more than one.

Imagine having a fan feature your logo on their jacket at all times. That’s the dream and patches make it possible.

Patches come in all shapes and sizes, so you can have a patch in the actual shape of your logo. This is pricier than having your logo imprinted onto a circle or square, but all of these choices are still worthwhile investments.

Most patches are iron-on via a plastic layer on the back of them, but they can still be sewn on. This is because you can’t iron a patch onto leather or nylon as it’ll burn the material, so sewing them on is the only option.

Stickers

A lot of people love stickers! They’re easy to stick on our laptops or wardrobes, our desks and our shelves.

Of course, it’s mostly younger fans that love a good sticker – especially a free sticker.

Give them away and don’t sell them. People love free stuff. You could include one in your CD or when you sell a T-shirt. They’re easy wins.

Wherever a sticker ends up, it’ll be there for a while. This is great for you if the sticker is an image of your logo or associated with your brand…

Pins

When you were in school, how many pins would you see on bags? Or, more to the point, how many did you have on yours? People feature pins on their jackets and/or bags, which are worn every day, so more and more people will see your brand every day.

Pins are ways for fans to express their love for your music. You could sell them cheaply or, like stickers, give them away for free.

Caps and Beanies

Not everyone wears hats lie they do t-shirts, but a lot of people still do – and those that do wear them a lot.

Maybe you could have a beanie or a trucker hat, or even a dad hat. Whichever hat you choose, your logo embroidered on its front would be the perfect fit on its front!

Guitar Picks

Say you’re a guitarist. You throw your guitar pick into the crowd at the end of the show. How many fans reach out to try and catch it? A few hundred at least. So why not sell them at the merch table?

You could have picks that are full coloured photos of you, or you can get a solid colour with a raised or engraved print or logo, or even marbled.

Keychains

Keychains bring a massive variety of possible shapes and materials.

You could have plastic, metal, or rubber keychains that feature bevelled or raised designs.

Because we use our keys all day every day, you want a keychain that’s made of durable material. This is why they’re often and of metal. With that said, make sure that there are no sharp edges in the design.

Koozies

Koozies are less than a dollar, so they’re accessible to all. They’re also ace at keeping your cold can… cold. Not only this, but they let your hand stay warm.

A functional product may well sell more than a non-functional product like pins, so you should definitely consider featuring these at your merch table.

Posters

The classic poster. I’m sure you’ve had posters in your room before, so I don’t need to explain why they’re great.

Teenagers love decorating their rooms with posters because it allows them to express themselves. It lets them put their personality on the wall. So, why not sell a poster of yourself or your group or your logo so your fan can plaster it on their bedroom wall?

Tote Bags

Tote bags are a popular and ultra affordable merch option for any artist or band. We’re in a time where consumers are losing interest in plastic bags, period, and tote bags are a sustainable option for fans to put all their cool stuff in – like the rest of your merch.

There are a plethora of colour options you could use from grey/black to blue and purple. Depending on your logo and branding, you can easily optimise a tote bag to fit your designs.

Whenever your fans travel to the supermarket to do their shopping, they could rock your logo all the way there and bag. Like shirts and hats, a tote bag is a great option if you want to get as many eyes on your logo as possible.

Conclusion

As you’ve read, you have so many options when it comes to choosing what merch you want to sell.

But be careful. As we said in our previous merch article, it’s easy to spend too much too fast and not make a return. Sure, you’ll be maximising how many people see your logo (if the merch sells), but if you don’t have any more funds… will you be able to carry on as an artist or band?

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Before you can start thinking about merch, you need music that reels in the fans. To do that, you need great sounding samples.

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