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musicians guide to merch

Musician Guide on How to Sell Merch at Shows and Online

Here’s everything you need to know about creating, manufacturing, and selling merchandise as an artist, both online and in-person with this musicians guide on how to sell merch.

a person sitting with a record in hand

An All-in-One Artist Guide for How to Sell Merch

By Ryan DiLello via DIY Musician Blog

Merchandise is a primary revenue stream for independent musicians. Recent studies show fans in 2025 are buying more than ever, averaging 2.1 items per purchase and $64 pre-tax on merchandise.

But success requires so much more than designing, printing, and bringing your merch to a show.

Whether you’ve already got a full merch line or you’re looking to creating your first product, this guide covers everything from choosing items fans want to marketing them effectively — online and in person. Read on for actionable tips to improve your merchandise operations.

Start with your brand visuals

Your artist merchandise is about more than just making a profit — it’s free advertising for your music. A fan wearing your shirt around town or hanging your poster in their home will spark countless first impressions and conversations. As such, tailor your designs around your artist brand to ensure that first impression represents you well.

Choose merch items

Start simple. If you’re new to merch, stick to one or two timeless essentials like shirts, hoodies, or stickers. Use fan data from streaming/socials—or better yet, poll your audience directly—to see what excites them. Here are some of the most common merch items to consider:

Apparel:

  • T-shirts
  • Hoodies
  • Hats

Accessories:

  • Stickers
  • Posters
  • Tote bags

Looking at fan demographics through streaming and social media platforms may help if you have a strong fanbase, but for emerging artists, don’t hesitate to ask your fans! Set up a poll on social media with a few merch options and ask them to weigh in.

You can also get creative with merch. Here are some more off-the-beaten path ideas:

  • Buy a polaroid camera and take behind-the-scenes photos by the pack, then sell the packs
  • Cassette tapes are seeing a comeback! Whether fans have devices to play these or not, they can be fun keepsakes and they’re cheap to make.
  • Key chains or lighters: These are small, easy to customize, and sure to get recognition when a fan puts them on their keys or carries them around.

Design, print, and order your merch

Once you’ve decided on merch items, it’s time to design and order your merch. Choose a design that aligns with your aesthetic. Remember that your merchandise is a way for fans to represent your brand so include your artist name.

When it comes to printing, you have a few options. You can order from a global merch company, a local business, or do it yourself! You can also choose to order a stock amount of merch or order by demand. Some printers will allow you to set up a design and place orders as you receive them from fans.

In deciding how much merch to order, consider your fanbase size, upcoming live shows, and how evergreen the merch is. Is it tied to a specific release or tour? If it’s your first run of merch, order less than you think will sell — that will create scarcity and demand among your fanbase.

Price Your Merchandise

Price your merchandise to cover costs and ensure profit. A good rule of thumb is to price retail at least double the production cost. Typical ranges for reference:

  • Shirts: $20–30
  • Hats: $25–30
  • Hoodies: $30–40
  • Stickers: $5 or free with an email signup
  • Posters: $10 or less
  • Tote bags: $15–25

The average price ranges for items:

  • Shirts: $20-30
  • Hats: $25-30
  • Hoodies: $30-40
  • Stickers: $5 or less (often free with an email signup)
  • Posters: $10 or less
  • Tote bags: $15-25
a merch table at a band's concert

What to do once your merchandise arrives

You can take several steps once your merch arrives to ensure it’s organized and ready to sell.

First, if you’ve ordered merch in various sizes or designs, sort and label them. A common practice with clothes is to roll them up with painter’s tape and label the tape with sharpie. Then, you’ll need to prepare assets for marketing your merchandise in-person and online.

  • In-person: Create a merch table sign with prices and a method of payment. It’s handy to have at least one way of accepting electronic payments – with a QR code to do so.
  • Online: Take high quality photos of the merchandise set up and on models (you can model your own merch!)

Other things to order once you have merch:

  • A plastic storage bin to hold it all
  • A cash box (any small box you already have will do)
  • A sign-holder for your price information sheet
  • A light-source for dark rooms (small lamp, string lights, or light orb work well)
  • Hangers for clothes
  • Optional: Gridwall panels can be helpful for artists playing small rooms or DIY venues, though many venues have their own for you to use

And lastly, not something to order, but to coordinate: a merch seller — that’s not you. You already have plenty on your plate, playing the show and greeting fans. Having a dedicated merch seller ensures your table is always staffed and someone else is monitoring inventory and handling transactions. This saves you time, but also improves your sales operations.

Tips to sell your merchandise in-person

If you’re an independent artist routinely playing live shows, you have ample opportunity to sell your merch in person. But it takes preparation, organization, and sales skills.

First, organize your merch to ensure quick sales. Especially as an emerging artist, you will risk losing new fans if your merch line moves slowly. Keep shirts organized by labeling and sorting them, know your prices, and have the right payment methods available.

Second, be thoughtful about your display. Merch that’s well-presented sells better. Have your merch sign ready. Iron your display shirts, line up your hats, splay out your stickers, and bring what you can to create good mood lighting.

Third, be a good salesperson and/or have a designated merch seller. Mention merch at appropriate times during your set and if you stand by the merch table after (which you should), be friendly, greet your fans, and thank them for coming by.

Tips to sell your merchandise online

Selling merch online is about presentation, placement, and ease of use. You want your merchandise to appeal to your audience, be available in the right places, and be easy to buy.

Choose an online payment processor:

  • Shopify is great for cross-platform sales
  • PayPal is great for more native sales like a DIY website

Buy shipping materials:

  • Many fans who buy online will want their items shipped. Order shipping bags and some paper or bubble wrap to protect your items

Use high quality photos of your merchandise:

  • Model your merch on a person, display on a surface, or creatively photograph to create intrigue

Meet your fans where they are:

  • Create a merch page on your website
  • Create a merch store on major streaming platform stores like Spotify, TikTok, YouTube, and more (more information at the links)
  • Post links to your merch within your social media bios and landing pages like HearNow

Promote your merch strategically:

  • Announce hype-building merch drops on social media
  • Partner merch with any other major activity like upcoming releases or tours
  • Send merch previews to your email list, text list, or closed social media groups

Drive sales with flash sales or discounts:

  • Clear out older merch items by running flash sales
  • Offer fans discounts in exchange for a repost, email address, or other action
  • Offer sales when there’s a moment to celebrate like an upcoming release

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Keep your merchandise operations smooth and successful by avoiding the following pitfalls:

  • Don’t over-order inventory: Sitting on merch that doesn’t sell is just tied up cash. Always lean conservative with your orders. If you sell out of an item, you can make it news. If you still have demand once an item sells out, you can order more and post you ordered more after the first shipment sold out.
  • Don’t skimp on quality: Ultimately, you want your fans to love your merch, wear it all the time, and show their friends. Buying poorly made merch only hurts your chances and isn’t worth what it saves you on the bottom line.
  • Not promoting enough: Be active about selling your merchandise in-person and online by taking the necessary steps to prepare and promote your items.
  • Pricing too high or low: High prices can ward off potential customers while low prices will make it difficult to turn a profit. Be realistic and fair with your pricing to ensure sales.

Conclusion

As an independent artist, your merch is an essential revenue stream. Success stems from great designs and offerings, staying organized, and promoting strategically. If you found this guide helpful, here are a few practical next steps to get started:

  • Test demand with 1–2 low-risk items
  • Poll your fans on product types (and designs if you’re stuck)
  • Partner with a reliable printer (local, global, or print-on-demand)
  • Prep your sales channels with quality photos, pricing, and payment options
  • Promote merch alongside releases, shows, and email campaigns

Jeremy Young on 09/18/2025 in Uncategorized | Permalink | Comments (0)
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