Branded merchandise has become an essential means for modern musicians to monetize their art.
Thanks to SoundCloud, music producers now have a new platform to produce and sell great stuff.
The audio/music streaming service this week launched the SoundCloud Store, an online shopping destination where select musicians can design and sell exclusive branded merchandise.
“We always want to help artists get heard, gain fans and make money,” SoundCloud said in a statement announcing the offering on August 13. “And with today’s launch, it’s never been easier to connect with fans about your latest release, whether it’s a brand new track, a limited edition hoodie or both.”
It is particularly important to note that artists do not have to pay any upfront costs to participate, nor do they have to forego their profits, as SoundCloud does not retain a share of the margins that artists make on their merchandising sales in the store – which can be particularly beneficial for independent musicians with relatively tight budgets.
Instead, artists create their own designs and SoundCloud takes care of the order processing, i.e. production and shipping. “100% of the profits go directly to the artists,” SoundCloud said.
In addition to artist giveaways, SoundCloud also offers its own merchandise in its store, including this Green Room Cap, which retails for $25 at the time of this writing.
The SoundCloud Store is not open to all music artists and consumers – at least not yet.
Currently, the offer is only available to buyers and artists based in the United States, European Union, and Canada. To design and sell merchandise in the store, artists must own 100% of the rights to their merchandise and be subscribed to SoundCloud’s Next Pro offering, which starts at $99 annually ($8.25 monthly).
“Stay tuned for more information as we look to open the store to more artists in more territories to sell their merchandise,” SoundCloud said.
As part of the launch, the SoundCloud store features merchandise from artists such as Wiz Khalifa, Denzel Curry, Armani White and BKTHERULA. T-shirts are currently the main product for these artists.
In the meantime, SoundCloud also wants to build its brand and generate sales directly from consumers through its store, where the company offers the Essentials Collection – a line of SoundCloud-branded products that includes t-shirts, hoodies and hats.
In recent years, musicians have increasingly relied on merchandise sales, using giveaways as their primary source of income. Perhaps one of the best examples of music merch in action is pop star Taylor Swift, who reportedly made $200 million from selling t-shirts, sweatshirts and other items bearing her name and logo at concerts on her 2023 The Eras Tour.
