28 Band Merch Ideas Your Fans Will Actually Want To Buy
Looking for cool band merch ideas? You’re in the right place.
We all know how tough it can be to make a living in the music industry. Streaming revenues alone are rarely enough to support artists, let alone bands who have to split the proceeds between members.
So if you want to get that bread, you’re going to need to diversify your income streams. And one of the best ways to do that is to start selling band merch.
With that in mind, I’ve put together this list of some of the most popular (and lucrative) band merchandise you can sell. There are a lot of ideas here, so to keep things organized, I’ve grouped them into logical categories.
We’ll start with different types of physical band merch. Then, we’ll look at digital products you can sell, as well as some more out-of-the-box ideas for bands that want to get really creative.
Note: A lot of these products can be sold as print-on-demand (POD). This means you can sell merch without having to pay up front for stock, store that stock, or handle any logistics.
Most merch examples in this post can be sold using Sellfy – an ecommerce store builder with native print-on-demand functionality.
So, if you’re looking for an easy way to sell merch, you can sign up for a free trial and launch your own store within minutes.
You’ll also see pricing in some screenshots. These are subject to change and can be confirmed while setting up your Sellfy store.
Physical band merch ideas: Apparel
Selling custom apparel printed with your band logo or artwork is a great idea. Why? Because fans who buy that apparel are going to wear it in public, turning them into walking advertisements for your music. Here are some of the best types of apparel you can sell.
#1 – T-shirts
Band tees are an absolute staple of any merch collection—they’re often the first thing fans who want to show their support will look for. It’s easy to design your own custom t-shirts with Sellfy’s print-on-demand service, and you only pay for what you sell.
It’s up to you how you design your tees. A lot of bands opt for a large graphic on the back and a smaller design on the front. And if in doubt, tie dye always sells well.
Top tip: Make sure to choose a good-quality fabric for your t-shirts, and consider pricing them in the $25-30 range as this seems to be the sweet spot.
#2 – Hoodies & sweatshirts
Band hoodies & sweatshirts can sell for a higher price than t-shirts, and the margins can be a little better too. Again, it’s easy to design your own custom versions using print-on-demand services like Sellfy. You could incorporate your band logo, album artwork, lyrics, or anything else you can think of into your designs.
#3 – Hats
Hats are less bulky than t-shirts, hoodies, and sweatshirts. And the manufacturing costs tend to be lower, so the margins are great. The best-selling band hats tend to be caps and bucket hats. Bandanas can sell really well too in certain music genres (like Hip Hop or Rock).
#4 – Sweatpants
Lots of bands sell t-shirts, hoodies, and caps—but few sell sweatpants. Differentiate your band from the crowd by selling them on your online merch store or at your concert stalls.
Physical band merch ideas: Accessories
Accessories are another essential type of band merch that you should be selling. Unlike apparel, accessories tend to be smaller and cheaper to make, so they’re popular amongst fans who want a small keepsake/memento to show their support but don’t want to spend a fortune.
#5 – Koozies
Koozies (also known as can coolers) are insulated sleeves that you wrap around your beer to keep your hands from getting too cold. They sell very well, especially at concerts where fans will already be drinking.
Top tip: You’ll move more koozies at a lower price point. Try to keep them under $5 if you can make the margins work—anything over that and you’ll be losing customers
#6 – Patches
One of the most common ways that fans like to show their support for bands is to add a patch featuring their logo or artwork to their clothes & accessories. So naturally, patches are one of the best band merch ideas you can sell. Sew-on patches are the most popular, but you can also sell iron-on patches or even Velcro patches.
#7 – Stickers
The great thing about stickers is they’re small, lightweight, and super cheap to produce. You can get tons of custom stickers printed with your band logo or artwork for next to nothing, and sell them at excellent margins. They’re a fan-favorite too, and they help with your marketing efforts as they act like ads for your band wherever your fans stick them.
#8 – Lighters
Fans who smoke, and concert-goers in general, will no doubt like to show their support with custom band lighters. Lighters are small so there’s no room for large artwork on there—just stick your band logo on and start selling.
#9 – Pins
Pins are another fan favorite. Like patches, they allow fans to personalize their clothes and accessories to highlight their favorite bands, and they’re small so they take up very little space on your merch stall.
#10 – Guitar picks
A lot of people like to collect guitar picks, so selling custom band picks is a no-brainer. Most of the best print-on-demand sites for artists offer picks that you can add your band logo or artwork to and sell at high margins.
Top tip: Consider pre-punching a hole in your guitar picks so that fans can add a string through them and wear them as a necklace or earring.
#11 – Keychains
Keychains are another type of custom merch that sell best at lower price points as they’re cheap to produce. They make it easy for fans to show their support without spending an arm and a leg. And they tend to be big sellers. After all, pretty much everyone has keys.
Physical band merch ideas (homeware)
Next, let’s look at some custom band merch products that fall in the homeware category. These are products that fans can buy and display/use around their home.
#12 – Wall art
By wall art, I’m talking about things like band posters, calendars, and framed prints. They’re super popular as many fans enjoy personalizing their bedroom with artwork from their favorite bands.
Top tip: To design the artwork for your wall art, consider partnering with local artists, and lean into local icons in the cities you’re performing in to add a personal touch.
#13 – Drinkware
A lot of bands sell drinkware featuring their logos, lyrics, or artwork. Bottles and mugs are always big sellers. You can also try selling other types of drinkware like shot glasses, whiskey glasses, etc.
#14 – Bags
Custom tote bags are another great item to add to your band merch collection. They’re easy to source through print-on-demand suppliers like Sellfy. You can also sell other types of bags like draw-string bags and even backpacks.
Digital band merch ideas
Aside from custom physical merch, you can also sell custom digital merch through your band website. The great thing about this is that with digital merch, there are no manufacturing or fulfillment costs, so margins are sky-high—almost 100% of your revenue will be profit.
#15 – Sheet music
There’s a good chance a lot of your fans will be musicians themselves, and they may be interested in buying your sheet music. It’s easy to sell your Sheet music with Sellfy – just upload it as a digital product and set your price. Customers can then purchase it, download it, and print it at home.
Top tip: We’ve written a complete guide on how to sell sheet music online, including on your own site and online marketplaces. Make sure you check it out!
#16 – Behind-the-scenes videos
Give your die-hard fans a glimpse behind the curtain by recording a short video to show them what your band gets up to behind the scenes.
#17 – Tutorials & online courses
Use your expertise to create tutorials to show other would-be musicians how to write and perform music like your band.
At a bare minimum, you don’t need much to create courses/tutorials. You may just need screen capture software or your phone and a tripod.
Once you’ve created the content, you can use a course platform like Thinkific to handle everything else for you – including the hosting, delivery, and selling of your course.
Top tip: Package your tutorials together in one large online course, and sell monthly subscription packages giving your customers access to that course for a lucrative recurring revenue stream.
#18 – Sample packs
Package all the loops and one-shots you use in your songs into sample packs and sell them to other musicians on your band’s website. You can also sell them on online marketplaces.
Top tip: Check out our complete guide on how to sell sample packs for more advice and to learn how to get started.
#19 – Concert videos
Set up a camera to record your band performance at each concert, and then sell the video to attendees who want to relive it again at home.
#20 – NFTs
NFT stands for non-fungible token. They’re built on the blockchain and designed to give buyers ownership of a digital work, like an album, single, or piece of artwork.
A lot of artists and bands are cashing in on the NFT trend. For example, Linkin Park vocalist Mike Shinoda has sold NFTs with exclusive artwork from some of his singles, as well as music clips, for thousands of dollars. You could do the same.
Top tip: Selling NFTs is an innovative new way for bands to generate an income, but keep in mind that lots of fans are wary of NFTs are they’re commonly associated with ‘scams’ and ‘cash grabs’. As such, it’s a high-risk idea that might not work for every band.
Commemorative band merch ideas
Next, we’re going to look at some commemorative band merch ideas. These are band merch items that you can sell to fans at your live performances to help them remember the experience.
#21 – Ticket stubs
A lot of music fans enjoy collecting stubs from all the gigs, concerts, and festivals they go to. You could cash in on this by selling special, commemorative ticket stubs at your merch table. If you want to get creative, you could even turn them into magnets.
#22 – USB flash drives
Record each concert you perform at and sell USB flash drives with the recordings. You could just record the audio, or video the whole thing. You could even incorporate the USB flash drives into commemorative wristbands or other wearables.
#23 – Setlists
Setlists are ordered lists of the songs your band performs at specific performances. Sell them on your merch stall for attendees to pick up at your shows, or after the fact on your website, to serve as a treasured reminder of their experience.
Creative band merch ideas
Finally, let’s take a look at some out-of-the-box band merch ideas for bands who want to push the envelope and do something different.
#24 – Pillowcases
When most people think of band merch, they don’t think of pillowcases. But while it might sound weird, it’s been done before. For example, American rock band The Front Bottoms used to sell a pillowcase printed with their band’s logo, and the phrase ‘The Front Bottoms wish you happy dreams’. Morrissey from The Smiths has also sold pillowcases.
#25 – Band magazine
Is someone in your band a talented writer, or do you know someone who is? Write your own fan magazine and fill it with exclusive artwork, photos, personal anecdotes, and gear reviews. Then, sell it to your fans.
#26 – Comic
On a similar note to magazines, you could create an exclusive comic with your band members as the main characters. It’ll take some work to pull it off, but it’s bound to be a huge hit with your fans.
#27 – Temporary tattoos
One of the most creative merch items I’ve seen sold at band gigs is temporary tattoos. The tats can feature band-related designs like your logo, album cover, lyrics, etc. and they’ll disappear within a few days or so. Not only do temporary tattoos sell well at concerts, but they also serve as a great promotional tool.
#28 – Mystery bags & subscription boxes
Put together a mystery bag or subscription box full of goodies your fans will enjoy (this can be a great way to get rid of leftover merch that hasn’t sold). For example, you could throw in a t-shirt, guitar pick, sticker pack, and a signed autograph. Then, sell them at your merch stall or on your website.
Final thoughts
Hopefully, these cool merch ideas have given you some inspiration for products to sell.
Remember, you can source many of these merch products through Sellfy’s print-on-demand catalog, and add your designs to them in a couple of clicks.
So, sign up for a free trial and get your store live. It won’t take you long at all.
For more advice on how to get started, check out our comprehensive guide to selling band merch. You might also want to check out these other ways to make money from your music.
