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If you’re an independent musician and artist, then heading out on the road for tour dates can be fun and exhilarating with a great sense of adventure and discovery. However, it may not be the most economically viable option with rising prices and ultra-thin margins.
Oftentimes, indie artists turn to selling merchandise just to keep afloat on tour with demand for original T-shirts, totes, CDs and even vinyl records. Sales from music merch can make a world of difference for big and small artists alike.
Having one place online for music, tour dates and merch is one of the best ways to connect with fans, while digital distribution company DistroKid Direct makes it easier to streamline the process.
How to Actually Get Merch Made and Sold
Creating artist merch doesn’t have to be a pain anymore. Thanks to DistroKid, indie artists, musicians, and bands no longer have to hire graphic designers to create unique merchandise, like T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, tote bags, housewares and other items. Furthermore, simply placing a band’s logo or album cover on a blank T-shirt can go a long way to boost sales and raise profiles, especially with touring artists.
DistroKid has tools to design and create new merch, as well as providing a platform to find fans and sell pieces to them.
Why DistroKid Is Easier Than Ever
Keeping merch in stock and managing inventory are big challenges when indie artists take the next step. Having too many size XXL on hand, or not enough tote bags to sell to fans can be disappointing and a headache that many indie artists didn’t sign up for when first going into music as a career. It should be about the music and not the logistics.
However, DistroKid offers merch on an on-demand basis to keep inventory at the proper level and not overwhelming. Although it might not be the most efficient way to sell merch for bigger artists, having made-to-order merch makes it easier to manage and sustainable until taking the next step to stardom.
In fact, indie artists can set their own prices on their merch, including T-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, tote bags, prints and others, while DistroKid subtracts the amount from production. It’s a great way to grow fanbases without a huge upfront cost to indie artists, musicians and bands.
Learn more about DistroKid and what it can do for independent artists here.
