10 Unique Band Merch Ideas And Best Practices For Success

The epic growth of the global music industry, which is estimated to hit $11.6 billion in 2030, has opened up countless opportunities for artists and musicians to monetize their talent. Besides selling albums, streaming music, touring and performing at festivals, selling merchandise (or merch, for short) can be a significant revenue stream and a powerful way to connect with your audience. In this article, we will suggest 10 exceptional band merch ideas that are bound to sell out and delve into strategies for achieving merchandising success.

An overview of the best selling band merch ideas on popular ecommerce platforms

The table below provides an overview of the best-selling merch items on eBay, Etsy and Amazon. Though some items may change over time as trends evolve and new products are introduced to the market, there are certain products that are consistently popular with consumers. 

10 exceptional band merch ideas that every fan wants

What’s great about merch is that it can benefit both bands and fans. For bands, it can boost brand awareness and make money on the side. For fans, it is a way to show their love and support to their favorite band and to own a piece of memorabilia.

So let’s get right to it, here are 10 tried-and-true band merch ideas that are sure to help you generate buzz, boost sales, and make your fans happy.

T-shirts

It’s no doubt that T-shirts are one of the most winning band merch ideas. For example, the concert tee has always been a cultural signifier, a strong proof that they had been to the concert, and a piece of the band that they can take home. 

Though branded shirts will never go out of style, you can make them more unique and appealing than a standard logo-on-black-unisex T-shirt. Here are some suggestions to leverage your merch T-shirts: 

• Merch T-shirts are almost always black. Though this isn’t a written rule, everyone tends to look cooler in black. So if you want to make a classic and a go-to option for your fans, opt for black. 
• Try adding variations of your logo, new album cover, or song lyrics to your merch shirt. However, don’t try to put a ton of colors on your shirt. Keep it simple and significant so it can attract a wider range of people. If you’re looking for more design ideas, take a look at our essential tips for a winning T-shirt. 
• Consider putting the dates of the concert on the back. People may want to point out the date and city of the show they attended to their friends. Plus, this is not common but people may forget the information so this detail can help them recall better. 
• Make sure that the fabric is comfortable to the wearer, even after wearing it for a long time or during the heat. We would recommend Bella Canvas, cotton/poly blend, or tri-blend are our top choice due to their softness, comfortability and breathability. Or if you want to discover other options, check out our guide on choosing the best shirt materials. 

Stickers

Small-scaled items like stickers and decals are efficient band merch ideas because they’re inexpensive to produce, affordable, customizable, and can serve as lifetime ads for your band. Wherever they’re put, they’ll stay there for a while. For example, a laptop, a notebook, a phone case – the possibilities are endless. 

Of course you can sell stickers in packs, but you can use them for giveaways, or free gifts for your customers after purchasing another piece of merch. Kiss-cut stickers are more cost-effective than die-cut, making them a budget-friendly option for giveaways or complimentary gifts. 

Embroidered patches

Embroidered patches featuring your band’s logo, artwork or slogan are an upgraded version of stickers, allowing your fans to put them anywhere they want, such as a jacket or backpack. Patches are a portable merch option, and almost all types of patches can be sewn on or iron-on. However, patches cannot be ironed on leather, silk or nylon as the fabric might scotch from the applied heat so be sure you include the manual information to your product description. 

Pins

Merch pins are a safer alternative to patches as they can be put on and off easily from one to another item without having to sew or iron. Pins come in many different shapes and sizes, such as a classic round, square, rectangular, or custom shape, and are also a cost-effective product – you can sell them in sets or gift them to your fans after purchasing another merch item. 

Keychain

Keychain is an everyday object, and people tend to carry them around, or place them somewhere easy to be seen, making them a super advantageous band merch option. Keychains also have a wide variety of options to cater multiple preferences and budgets: stainless steel, acrylic, rubber, custom shape, 1-sided, 2-sided. 

For keychains, we would recommend you to create something that is durable, lightweight, with simple shapes and maybe rounded edges. You don’t want your band merch scratching your fans’ pocket, do you? 

Posters 

Almost every music fan grew up surrounded by posters of their idols on their walls. Posters are such a classic and timeless merch option, but there are some ways to level them up: 

• Make your posters something highly collectible, e.g, limited editions or exclusive posters for a single, or album, or tour.
• Feature customized lyrics on your posters
• Offer posters with your signature to create a sense of exclusivity

Tote bag

The tote bag is no doubt one of the most practical merch items. Everyone needs at least one tote bag to carry their stuff around. Moreover, since plastic bags are being reduced and even charged, customers may want something convenient yet durable like canvas tote bags. They’re easy to fold, high capacity, and you can add extra details such as handle, strap, zipper or magnet button to bring extra comfort to the users. 

Band-themed accessories 

Caps, scarves, phone cases, jewelry and socks are perfect merch ideas for all kinds of bands – but don’t just put your logo or artwork on the items. Try to think out of the box. Give them something related to your vibe or your lifestyle, or something unique and meaningful to you, rather than just a product. 

Home decor 

Have you ever dreamed of living in a house filled with your idol’s presence? If the answer is yes, then you know what to do! Small items like wall prints or throw pillows with your band’s artwork, concept, or song lyrics would be a perfect complement to a fangirl (or fanboy) home. 

Tumblers and mugs

Tumblers and mugs are functional band merch – they’re everyday items and carried everywhere, giving more people the chance to see your brand image. Of course you (almost) never go wrong with tumblers and mugs, but how about taking them to a higher level by printing a QR code to your YouTube or Spotify channel to attract more audience? 

And if you don’t know where to start, check out our guide on the best mug printing method for your business!        

Best practices for creating band merch ideas that will sell out 

Do customer research

Carrying proper customer research helps you figure out what other bands are selling, what your fans want, and their purchasing behavior. This step can help you create merch that resonates with them, something really unique. 

Focus on quality

Your merch should be well-made and durable. A well-made product not only enhances your fan’s experience but also increases your band’s trust and reliability. 

Exclusivity matters

Everyone loves feeling special and owning something rare – so do your fans! Introducing limited edition merch items can create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, motivating your fans to buy them before they sell out. 

Diversify your product range

Diversify your merchandise offerings to cater to different preferences. Providing a wide range of products like clothing, accessories, home decor, prints and collectibles can help you attract a broader fan base.

Create compelling product descriptions

Writing compelling product descriptions can drive conversions and make your fans fall in love with your merch before they even see it. We recommend you to highlight your unique features and benefits of each item, tell a story, use clear and persuasive language, and incorporate high-quality visuals to set your brand apart from the competition. 

Team up with a Print On Demand fulfilment partner

Print on demand is a business model where products are printed only when they are ordered. This means that there is no need to invest in upfront inventory, and artists can offer a wide variety of merch products without having to worry about overstocking. Artists and bands can sell impressive print on demand band merch products by upload their designs to a print on demand platform. When a customer places an order, the fulfilment partner will produce and ship it directly to the customer.

Print on demand is a popular option for businesses of all sizes, as it is a flexible and cost-effective way to sell products. It is also a great option for artists that want to offer a wide variety of products without having to invest in upfront inventory.

In closing

When it comes to selling band merch products, it’s a good idea to partner with a reliable supplier like Merchize to control and guarantee the quality of every single item. We take care of the entire fulfillment process, procedure and deliver your merch items worldwide from our in-house factories in Vietnam, US, EU, Australia and China. We are proud to turn all your wildest band merch ideas to product, handle the whole logistic part and help artists focus on their creativity.