Industry news & advice blog

Never can the importance of merchandise be underplayed. Be it as a genuine revenue stream to accompany your CD & download sales at gigs or as a branding exercise to help spread your band name across your fanbase and beyond, the right choice of merchandise can work wonders for your music.

Even if you set-up a small record label, recording studio, rehearsal rooms or independent PR company, using merchandise to help promote your services can be a very useful tool to help establish what you do. 

It seems an obvious question but why is merchandise so important for your band or label? Most crucially merchandise is your lifeline to help raise funds for your band, but is also your opportunity to turn your fans into walking, talking - and in many cases moshing - adverts for your band, helping promote your band anywhere and everywhere they go. Having a good range of merchandise not only generates you income but raises your profile as a band and can help get you new fans!

When getting started with merchandise, the key is to setting a budget you have to invest and sticking to it! Work out whether your campaign is to giveaway items purely for promotional reasons or it is indeed a micro-business designed to raise funds for your band and remember stick to your goals from the outset. Be creative with your choice of novelty or promo items and brainstorm with the other band members the type of products you think your fans would like – you can get some ideas here.

You can always go for simple, low-budget merchandise products such as badges, stickers & keyrings and If you have a larger budget it is worth looking at what your fans would like? Do some research and ask them and even develop a small range.

Novelty Products specialise in producing fun and eye-catching crowd pleasers - everything branded with your venue, event, festival, or band. From stress pianos, guitars, decks, microphones to light up LED wristbands, light-up balls and even sunglasses! Their selection of cost effective giveaways will get you seen and heard at your next gig. From 1 to a million, whatever size or following you have Novelty Products can help.