Band merchandise and vinyl record releases have existed since the beginning of music. Well, not really. But it’s definitely been around for a while. They’re two of the best ways musicians earn money.
Though there were periods when vinyl records were almost deemed dead, we have now seen its resurgence. And it has become more prized than before as it has become some kind of collectible rather than just an album or format with songs you can listen to.
Looking up the latest releases and even the past ones, we can see a great number of independent artists releasing their vinyl records and custom merch US manufactured goods. Los Angeles and New York (among others) are the most important US cities when it comes to music, vinyl records, custom merch and music production.
Why is custom merch popular among indie artists?
Merch in general has been popular, not just among indie artists, but all of them. You see, merch is a good way to promote themselves and to gain extra income from. And that’s why it is even more popular among these indie musicians because they’ll try to find ways to stay afloat.
After all, talent is cool but if you can’t afford to play music anymore because you have bills to pay, then you won’t last long in the music industry.
Indie musicians may be signed to independent labels who help them at a minimum for their releases and promotions.
Some may just be releasing their music on their own and within the limits of their bank accounts and wallets. This means they have to allocate some of their personal money for the releases they want to happen and may even have to use their savings if they ever have one.
If these financially struggling indie artists get to release their custom merch, they will have extra money. With the extra money they have they can now financially support the next single or album releases they will plan in the future. But this all boils down to the success of selling these custom merch.
How to have positive results in merch sales?
There are many ways to go about this. But I think the best thing to do first is to decide on what should be done is to decide on what kind of custom merch you will be releasing.
Then next is to try finding out how many fans would surely buy and would possibly buy them.
If there’s a positive response from a hundred and more people, then that would be the GO signal to proceed with it. If they’re less than a hundred, there are two options: proceed if there is extra money that can be spared, and don’t if there is none.
Proceeding with the release would mean that there is a need for designs for the custom merch.
It would be best to have a unique design that would attract people and satisfy your buyers. It would be a failure if the fans would think that the custom merch they bought was not worth their money, right?
Moreover, a band might expand their fanbase if their custom merch is cool and attractive, pulling in curious people into their band and eventually into their music.
After finalizing everything and estimating possible buyers, it's time to find a good custom merch maker and order from them a hundred more pieces from the estimated one. This is to ensure that you won’t get out of stock and leave some for the undecided.
What’s a good merch to release?
One of the coolest custom merch these indie artists could release are custom vinyl records. Yes, it is a merch, but a highly regarded one!
In the past few years since the CDs replaced it, vinyl records have given that feeling of novelty though they are not technically new and have been around for ages now.
This feeling was what made it come back to the top of the physical album sales in the US. It surpassed CDs sales for the first time last year, and many vinyl record enthusiasts are celebrating. Moreover, the feeling of tangible albums in this digital album dominated world has become a driving force for the very tactile format’s increasing audience.
These custom vinyl records are very popular among independent artists too because of the fact that it is not only an audio format but also a tool for promotion.
Having a vinyl record release means there will be an upgrade in the quality of your album, not just in music but in visual arts as well.
We already know how vinyl records offer a better and fuller sound when compared to the digital ones we now hear. They also have much more space compared to CD albums and digital album covers.
And on top of these is the rise of custom vinyl records notice the addition of the word custom. In the past, there was only standard black, a few colored vinyl records, single jackets and plain boring inner sleeves. Now, there are many more customization options to make it more personal and unique for you that it’s a bit overwhelming.
I admit the format is a bit pricey but it will surely be worth it because it would surely boost the number of audience you have. That is, if you have an attractive or unique vinyl album that would attract non-fans and vinyl collectors.
Would fans love the release of these custom merch and custom vinyl records?
My answer would be an absolute YES!
Fans love showing support to their idols, not just to musicians they love but to almost anyone they idolize. And buying these released custom merch and custom vinyl records is their way to show this support. So there’s no need to hesitate having a vinyl record pressing or a custom merch produced and be afraid of fans not loving the releases.
A mistake would be if the design is not attractive and generic.
If you’re a musician and you’re wondering if you should invest in merch and vinyl, you know our answer. As with any kind of career in art, you need to earn some moolah! And earn you will but only if you have something physical to sell.