What Type Of Merch Should Your Band Bring On Tour? Part One

AAs we all know the music industry has changed a lot from the days of simply selling CDs to make a living: bands have to tour and bring the live experience to the fans and potential new fans; selling themselves, their show and of course their merch to make ends meet.

However, getting merch made often represents a substantial investment, and you don’t want your car, van, bus or other mode of transport being heavily weighed down by stuff that’s not going to sell. The idea is to get inexpensive, yet good quality items made that you can mark up a little for having your band’s brand on them, and to sell them on to your fans, who will love the opportunity to take home a piece of you with them after the show.

• T-shirts – Pick one simple design with your band name and/or logo and get this printed in a range of sizes – small, medium, large, X-large and even larger if you think you’ll sell them. Experiment with different styles of shirts and colors until you find the winner. Remember to make something for the girls too, some women like to wear men’s shirts in a smaller size, but a lot of the times if you make a wife beater (or in this case boy beater!) or babydoll style shirt you’re likely to sell more to some of your female fans. You can also come up with a more elaborate t-shirt design, involving intricate artwork, or a slogan or image resonating your band’s ethos, whether it be political, humorous, or otherwise – just remember that this is aimed at a more niche market than a simple band logo t-shirt, particularly if the purchaser is faced with any strong political connotations that could make wearing the t-shirt a less attractive proposition. You can also make t-shirts for special events such as Halloween if you have a horrorpunk band, or make up t-shirts commemorating a specific tour if you like – just remember that these have a limited shelf life so go overboard.


Image credit: candicejeanl on Flickr

• Hoodies – Hoodies cost more and weigh more than t-shirts, taking up more space and resources, but by the same token, you can also charge more. Fans do like hoodies. But bear in mind that if you are touring Texas in the height of summer and it’s over 100 degrees each day, you’re probably not going to be selling many hoodies; the reverse applies if you are touring the Midwest in the middle of a snowy Minnesota Winter, so plan accordingly. If, however, it’s a toss-up between t-shirts and hoodies, t-shirts are your best bet because they appeal to just about everyone, are cheaper, and therefore tend to sell more. Hoodies are a little more specialized than t-shirts, but an important part of any band’s full arsenal of merch available. It’s always worth taking a few on tour with you as security, even if you don’t make a full commitment to bring a whole box of them. Fans like the idea of limited edition items that all their friends won’t be wearing.

• Hats – If complementary to your style and sound, hats adorned with your band logo could be a good merch option for you. There are a range of styles to choose from – baseball caps of various styles are the standard for band merch, but don’t be afraid to explore other opportunities – especially if it goes with your image. Jazz or swing bands might want to sell band-branded bowler or fedora hats; taking a risk with less obvious products might be more expensive, but it might just pay off. There’s always prospect of selling printed bandannas as well.
• Keychains – If you decide to get keychains made to sell on tour, you’re going to have to decide between getting metal or plastic keychains made. Plastic keychains are generally cheaper if what you’re doing is a standard bottle opener style keychain. Both are lightweight, don’t take up a lot of space and are a great addition to your merch range. Lanyards are also a similar though potentially pricier option.

Stay tuned for Part Two where we talk CDs, posters, novelty items and more!

This is a guest post by Pandie Suicide of Mixonic, a CD duplication service based in San Francisco. Click to like Mixonic on Facebook.