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Band Merch

Who Gets the Royalties When You Buy Band Merch in High Street Shops?

Band Merch

Ever wondered where the cash goes when someone picks up a Ramones, Rolling Stones or Nirvana t-shirt in high street stores such as H&M or Primark? The answer to who receives the royalties when a band’s brand almost becomes bigger than its sound mostly boils down to whether or not the artist kept hold of their merchandising rights.

Bands like the Ramones, or more specifically, the estates or surviving members of the band, generally receive royalties from the sale of merchandise featuring their name, likeness, or logos, depending on the legal agreements in place. However, the situation is often more complex than it appears for iconic bands which tend to have diverse approaches to managing their merchandise rights. How they handle these rights varies based on factors like their business acumen, the management they had during their peak, and the longevity of their popularity.

Here’s how other notable bands have managed their merch:

  1. The Beatles

The Beatles were pioneers not just in music but also in merchandising. Their legacy is one of the most heavily controlled and protected in the music industry. Apple Corps Ltd., the company founded by the band in 1968, still manages their branding and image. Any official Beatles merchandise, from T-shirts to toys, must be licensed through Apple Corps, which means the band’s estate or surviving members still receive a cut from sales.

In fact, The Beatles are so protective of their image that Apple Corps has been known to pursue legal action against unauthorised use of their name or likeness. Consequently, any Beatles-themed merchandise in shops like Primark or H&M is almost certainly licensed, and the band’s estate profits from it.

  1. Nirvana

Nirvana’s branding, including their iconic smiley face logo, is another example of heavily managed merchandising. After Kurt Cobain’s death, Courtney Love (his widow) initially controlled much of the rights to Nirvana’s name and likeness. Over time, those rights have been shared with surviving members, like Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, and Cobain’s estate.

Nirvana merchandise continues to sell well in mainstream fashion retailers. This success has led to disputes over trademark ownership. In 2020, Love sued Marc Jacobs for allegedly using the smiley face logo without proper licensing. This highlights the legal complexity behind who profits from band merchandise, particularly when the members have passed away or the band has disbanded.

  1. Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin has taken a very careful and selective approach to licensing their brand. The band controls their merchandise through their company, Warner Music Group’s Warner Music Artist Services. Their merchandising strategy has been somewhat minimalist, focusing on premium products and collaborations with high-end designers. While you might not find their merchandise as easily in stores like H&M, the band and their representatives likely receive significant royalties from the more exclusive deals they make.

The band members, particularly Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, have been notoriously strict about licensing. This ensures that any merchandise sold is not only officially licensed but also provides a solid revenue stream for them.

  1. KISS

If there’s one band synonymous with the concept of merchandising, it’s KISS. From action figures to coffins (yes, really), KISS has mastered the art of turning their image into an empire. Gene Simmons, the band’s co-founder, is known for his entrepreneurial spirit and has made merchandising a core part of KISS’s business model.

KISS doesn’t just license merchandise—they actively seek out new opportunities for branded products. As a result, the band reportedly earns more from merchandise sales than from music itself. In retail settings like Primark or H&M, you’re likely to find a wealth of KISS-branded items, all officially licensed with royalties funnelling back to the band.

  1. The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones’ iconic “tongue and lips” logo is one of the most recognisable in music history, and the band has capitalised on it extensively. Managed by Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandising division, their branding is seen across a wide range of products, from high-end fashion collaborations to budget-friendly apparel in mainstream retailers.

The Stones have maintained strict control over their image and branding, ensuring that they see revenue from all officially licensed products. The band’s management is highly protective of their intellectual property, and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have long been known for their business savvy, ensuring a steady stream of income from merchandise sales.

  1. Metallica

Metallica is another band that has managed to maintain strong control over their merch. Through their company, Metallica’s Blackened Recordings, they’ve taken steps to ensure their branding is protected and well-managed. Like The Beatles and Nirvana, Metallica actively seeks out partnerships with major retailers and ensures that their brand is represented officially.

Interestingly, Metallica has also embraced more affordable merchandise lines, allowing their fans to access products at various price points. This strategy helps keep their name visible and ensures that they receive royalties from a broad range of retail outlets.

Summary of Merchandise Management Approaches:

  • Strict Control: Bands like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin manage their merchandising carefully, often working through established companies like Apple Corps or Warner Music Group to ensure quality control and royalty protection.
  • Aggressive Licensing: KISS, in particular, is a master of aggressive merchandising, turning every aspect of their brand into a product. Their approach is more entrepreneurial, focusing on volume and visibility.
  • Legacy Protection: Bands like Nirvana and Ramones face complex legal scenarios when it comes to their merch. Often, the rights are split among estates and surviving members, leading to occasional disputes or inconsistent financial returns.

Each band’s situation is unique, but in general, the more control they’ve maintained over their brand and image, the more they can benefit from merch sales in major retailers.

If you’re an independent artist looking to increase your revenue streams through merch, read our guide on how to boost sales.

Article by Amelia Vandergast

Make Music? Here’s Why You Should Participate in Band Shirt Day 2023

Band Shirt Day 2023

Even though you would be forgiven for thinking that National Band Shirt Day is just a day when music fans jump at the opportunity to take a selfie in their favourite band tee (which hopefully hasn’t been sourced from Primark or H&M), the annual event is now so much more than an excuse to indulge in vanity and seek validation.

In 2022, Band Shirt Day became a global charity initiative. The initiative saw many famous and iconic acts participating. Angel Olsen, Blondie, Tori Amos, Sonic Youth, and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard were just a few of the bands that signed themselves up for the initiative by agreeing to donate proceeds from merch sales to charity.

While there are no official figures on how much money was raised in total for the participating charities, including Children of Ukraine, Planned Parenthood, TransLifeline and the ACLU, plenty of benevolent music fans reached for their wallets to support charities and get their hands on limited-edition merch items.

Wherever you are in the world, and have 500 fans or 500,0000, you can take part in Band Shirt Day. This year, it will fall on Friday, the 15th of September.

More initiative partners are joining by the day. So far, they include Bandsintown, Spotify, MerchFriends, Rough Trade NYC, WASTOIDS, and Hello Merch. Rough Trade is even going as far as curating a free Artist Merch Market, which will pop up at the Rough Trade festival, Indieplaza, at the Rockefeller Center on September 9th. Attendees will be able to snag limited-edition merch items made by the fair hands at Hello Merch, rummage through vinyl bins, and get the chance to meet their favourite artists at artist signing stalls.

How Bands Can Participate in Band Shirt Day 2023

Participating in Band Shirt Day 2023 couldn’t be easier. Simply register at BandShirtDay.com. Sell your merch via your usual official channels. Decide on which charity you would prefer to support, and then donate a percentage or all the proceeds from sales made on September 15. You are in complete control over how much of the proceeds from your merch sales you want to give. After all, merch is one of the biggest money-spinners for independent artists!

Although it is not necessary, creating limited-edition lines of merch is highly encouraged by the charity organisers to create an event similar to Record Store Day to make as many music fans as excited about the event as possible. Everyone in the music world has seen how much hype surrounds Record Store Day. People flock to record stores in droves and even go as far as queuing overnight to get their hands on a limited-edition item. With enough promotion and participation from artists, Band Shirt Day 2023 has the potential to be just as big as this year’s Record Store Day, which was reportedly bigger than ever.

If you don’t have the time, money, or resources to create new lines of merch, you can always attempt to clear your old merch stock by letting your fans know that you are participating in the charity event via your social media channels.

If you can’t decide which of the charities you want to donate your proceeds to, you can always choose the official Band Shirt Day Fund, which has been set up by GoFundMe. The official fund will evenly distribute money to Project Hope, Planned Parenthood, the Animal Legal Defence Fund, The Ally Coalition, Music Cares, and the ACLU.

To maximise your merch sales, and in turn, raise more funds for charity,  sell your merch on your Spotify artist profile and consider raising donations via the Fan Support Tool. Bandsintown has also made it easy for artists to announce their participation via their platform and create eye-catching posts for social media.

There are no restrictions on which artists can participate in Band Shirt Day 2023. So there’s no reason why you should sit this annual event out!

How Music Fans Can Get Involved with Band Shirt Day 2023

In addition to setting aside some cash to spend on band tees on the 15th of September, music fans can also support Band Shirt Day by spreading the word about the event to ensure as many people know it as possible. As it is only a year from the inaugural event, the global charity event has some way to go to reach the mainstream conversation.

Here’s how you can help:

  • Subscribe to the Bands Shirt Day newsletter by visiting the official website.
  • Tag @bandshirtday and use the #bandshirtday hashtag in your social media posts.
  • Tell your friends and family about the charity event.
  • Urge bloggers, radio stations, and podcasters to promote the event.
  • Attend a Band Shirt Day event or organise one of your own.
  • Donate to the Band Shirt Go Fund Me.

For more advice on band merch ideas and sales, check out our blog on how independent artists can maximise merch sales in 2023.

Article by Amelia Vandergast

How Independent Artists Can Maximise Merch Sales in 2023

Merch Sales

Legend has it that Elvis started the band merch revolution in 1956 when someone thought to blazon his name across a t-shirt. Fast forward to 2023, band merch is a multibillion-pound cultural phenomenon, with Louis Vuitton incorporating band t-shirts in their catwalks and fulfilling a far less appropriative role in helping artists to put petrol in their tour vans and fund future releases.

If selling more band merch made your band’s list of New Year’s Resolutions, the seven points below on how independent artists can maximise merch sales in 2023 will go a long way in helping you to boost your sales revenue.

How Independent Artists Can Maximise Merch Sales in 2023

  1. Add Merch Lines to your Spotify Profile

If you haven’t made your Spotify profile a digital merch stall yet, put it at the top of your to-do list. After the 2022 installation of Spotify Wrapped, the platform broke its weekly merch sales record after music fans rushed to support their favourite artists.

This year, a part of the yearly phenomenon was Spotify compelling music fans to purchase merch from the artists they listened to the most. The 175% sales boost proves that Spotify’s worth transcends its streaming royalties.

To add your popular and best-selling merch to your Spotify profile, link items from your Shopify profile; there is only space for three pieces – choose carefully.

  1. Don’t Take a Generic Approach to Your Merch

There are countless articles floating around the ether advising which pieces of generic merch to sell your fans based on overall sales. None of these vapid puff pieces can guide you towards the perfect merch store that will leave you adding out-of-stock notices all over the shop.

There are some helpful guides on which pieces of merch work best for bands based on genre based on previous sales, but no one will know your fanbase as you do. And if you’re unsure of what your fans would like to see from your future merch lines, ask them on social media.

  1. Create Limited Runs of Merch for Concerts and Festivals

After the return of live music following the pandemic, financial analysts noticed a drastic rise in interest in concert merch. After analysing the revenue via merch sales from 130,000 gigs, atVenu data indicated a 46% increase in money spent on merch at live shows, which took the average spend from $5.54 a head in 2019 to $8.13 in 2022.

Creating merch for specific gigs, tours, and festival appearances, such as t-shirts, posters, and other date-branded ephemera, is risky, as there is no guarantee that you will sell it all while you’re on the road. If you want to make a memento of a tour, ensure there is a demand for it, and it is an ultra-limited edition.

To play it savvy, reserve particular merch lines to sell on tour. When your fans head out to see you, they will be more likely to purchase your merch table items as they know this will be their only opportunity to buy the merch.

  1. Utilise Fan Data from Previous Sales

Using your fan data can get you closer to your merchandising goals if you spend the time improving your digital advertising strategy. Data-driven insights can help you see which the best-selling and performing items are and, more importantly, why.

When placed onto your website or webstore, the Facebook Pixel code collects data that tracks conversions from Facebook ads. The code also optimises ads, helps to build audiences and remarkets your products more accordingly.

Dynamic Ads is also a handy tool for your marketing arsenal through its ability to show ads for specific products that your site visitors have previously shown interest in. Dynamic Ads also recommends other items that complement their previous purchases.

  1. Build Merch Bundles

Merch bundles create a win-win scenario for both artists and music fans. For artists, the average order value increases, and sale conversions improve. For music fans, there is a sense that they are getting more for their money.

When creating your merch bundles, accommodate the budgets of all your fans. Your die-hard fans with cash to burn won’t flinch at forking out for your highest-ticket premium bundle. Your fans on a budget will appreciate your smaller bundles, which throw in smaller items, such as badges, plectrums, stickers, or patches.

If you are selling tickets to an upcoming show, you can also include your tickets in merch bundles to add an incentive to pick up an extra piece of merch! As a bonus, selling your tickets with merch will limit the number of touts purchasing gigs for your show.

  1. Run a Pre-Order Marketing Campaign

While it isn’t immediately obvious why pre-order marketing campaigns can boost merchandising sales in the long run, it is a proven way to add hype around a new piece of merch. In the same way trailers air for films months before their release date, running a pre-release marketing campaign builds anticipation and adds an element of scarcity to the new products.

Furthermore, by selling your merch on pre-sale, you can offer pre-order incentives, such as giving away discounts or only giving access to your pre-release items to people signed up to your mailing list.

Additionally, you will have a longer timeframe to promote your merch on social media by advertising the opening of pre-sales and counting down to when the items will be ready to ship, as opposed to you sharing old news!

  1. Remind Your Fans to Buy Merch on Bandcamp Friday

Bandcamp has announced that it will be continuing Bandcamp Fridays throughout 2023. On the first Friday of every month, 100% of sales will be put into the pockets of artists. This gives artists and bands the chance to remind their fans every month of which items are left for sale in Bandcamp webstores.

For maximum effect, always pair your merch announcements with eye-grabbing images or videos to display your merch and try to drop new items onto your Bandcamp page in line with Bandcamp Fridays!

For further advice on how to start 2023 with a bang and keep the fire stoked, check out our blog on how independent artists should be running their new releases through 2023.

Article by Amelia Vandergast