Selling merch (merchandise) has been a supplemental source of income for artists, bands and musicians since the 1970’s. And in the age where most fans are consuming music via streaming platforms, it’s even more important for independent artists, bands, and beatmakers to put together a merchandise strategy. But how can an indie artist or band invest in merch or branding without the proper resources? Starving artist starve no more. Meet Printful and dropshipping, the key to success for musicians selling merch.
What is dropshipping and how can independent bands and artists benefit?
Dropshipping is a retail fulfillment method where a band or artist doesn’t keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when the band or artists sell merch using the dropshipping model, it purchases the item from a third party (e.g. Printful), and has it shipped directly to the customer. As a result, the band doesn’t have to handle the product directly.
Printful is the top platform for artists and bands to start dropshipping their merchandise
Printful is an on-demand order fulfillment and warehousing service that fulfills and ships products including clothing and accessories for any online business.
It’s free to set up and doesn’t come with monthly fees or minimum order requirements. They produce only what your fans order, making print-on-demand the more cost-effective choice over bulk manufacturing.
Printful also integrates directly into ecommerce platforms, major online marketplaces like Amazon, and even BeatStars!
What can you earn from selling a T-shirt off Printful?
If an independent artist or band sold 2 Unisex Basic Softstyle T-Shirts at $20/ea from Printful they’d profit more than their song being streamed 5,000 times on Spotify. And the best part is that there is no risk in doing this using the dropshipping method.
How can an independent musician create a strong t-shirt design?
If you’ve yet to establish a brand identity as an artist, band, or beatmaker, have no fear. There are a ton of ways you can still design a slick shirt or logo directly on Printful with their mockup generator or with a little help from Fiverr and the network of talented and super affordable graphic designers. It’s time to let that creative energy flow and start designing some merch for your loyal fan base.
Can I dropship other products from Printful?
Yes, it’s actually encouraged to add additional products to your merch store other than t-shirts (although they’re still the go to fan purchase). Printful allows your to create t-shirts, hoodies, hats, backpacks, and so many more products for your merchandise store. The above image can give you an idea of what products sold the best at live events in 2019 as a benchmark for when you’re creating your online store.
Get started selling merch with Printful today
In today’s music industry, artists earn between 10-35% of their revenue through merch sales. Some of the biggest names bring in $300-400k USD, all in one event! So, if you’re an independent musician in 2024, you need to start selling some merch to increase your revenue streams. Printful is the best solution for independent artists, bands and beatmakers because there is no risk involved using the dropshipping method. Start designing today!
