Stephanie G. Mathis There have always been a few different ways for musicians to earn money, such as through record sales, performance fees, and concert tickets. But today, there are even more options.
It is great for musicians, but it cannot be easy to concentrate on them all without becoming overwhelmed or spreading yourself thin.
Your music is important because, without good songs, you won’t be able to do much else.
There are also digital downloads, streaming, ticket sales, virtual tip jars, subscriptions to fan clubs, and other important things.
Your biggest revenue generator could be the most overlooked of all…MERCH!
Bandzoogle’s 2021 study showed that musicians can earn money in many ways, including the ones I have mentioned.
Take note of the results! The focus of most musicians is on ticket and music sales. But if you take a look at Merch, it totals over 6.4 million! This is almost three times more than all the other sales combined!
If you haven’t done so already, it is worth your while to start selling merchandise through your website.
Create a professional site in a matter of clicks, where you can sell band merchandise commission-free. Join Bandzoogle to start selling Merch online.
Start selling merchandise
When it comes to their merchandise, musicians and artists often make 3 HUGE mistakes. The first is failing to give it enough attention. You can see that musicians need to change the way they think about their merchandise based on this study. Your merchandise should be at least in the top 3 of your income sources. You’re not doing things right if you don’t.
Many bands will print a shirt that has their band name printed on it and hang it up on a hook. There’s a better way. Consider the 3 Ds:
You also need to understand what works and what does not. There is a certain science behind what sells. You can’t just put your band name on the shirt and hope people buy it because they love your band. It’s not just about putting your band name on a shirt and hoping people will buy it because they like your band.
I’ve worked at merch tables with dozens of artists, including KISS and Iron Maiden. Also, The Jonas Brothers. Jimmy Buffet. Motley Crue. Keith Urban. Ke$ha. The Rolling Stones. Taylor Swift’s merchandise warehouse was another place where I worked intermittently for several years.
You may think so, but those are arena and stadium acts. While that is true, the bands who do it correctly make the most money from Merch. Some of these bands also make huge mistakes when it comes to their Merch.
I am in a Powerslave: The Iron Maiden Experience tribute band, and we are doing quite well on our merchandise because I have learned a lot from working with major acts. But we’re only a tribute group. There’s not much original here.
We still spent $4.00 per person in merchandise that night, even though we had a low attendance. Majors base their numbers on the amount spent per head…basically, it’s the average per person.
Some major bands don’t charge $4/head at all times – it really comes down to what your audience will buy. It’s important to make your merchandise choices a priority, not an afterthought.
Some bands don’t give much attention to Merch or consider it an add-on for their live shows. Merch can be sold even when the band is not performing live.
Consider these factors to start selling merchandise or improve your sales:
Design – Images and logos on your products.
Color – Which colors are best for selling?
Style – What type of shirts/hats/etc will work for your band?
What specific products are likely to sell the best?
Even hats have a few things to consider when choosing them.
You can start implementing these tips right away to increase your merchandise sales.
You should make sure that your display looks great and that the prices are easily visible. Your display should be easily visual and well-lit wherever you place it. It is best to place your display near the entrance, as both you and your audience will have to pass it twice to enter and exit.
After the show, visit your merchandise booth (and even before if there is time). It is the best method to sell merchandise and interact with your fans. This is important in and of itself for many reasons. You can use Merch to sell your products and upsells.
Here’s a good reason (I can think of several) to focus on your merchandise…it is “PAID” advertising.
The opposite is true. You can pay someone to do your advertising. If someone purchases your band shirt and then wears it out in public, they have paid you to advertise for them… pretty cool, eh!
