ISM x Delic Sessions: Using merchandise to diversify your revenue

From a 2-Chainz nodding dog toy to a set of FKA Twigs silk pyjamas, artist merchandise has become big business. For many years musicians sold merch like t-shirts and posters simply as a way to make extra cash, but when fans stopped buying music and flocked to piracy sites like Napster, and then onto streaming giants like Spotify, Amazon Music, Pandora and the like, merch sales took on a new importance. Artists of all sizes now need to bring in additional revenue wherever they can, especially those in the early stages of their career. So how do you find your place in this ever-growing marketplace? What merch could you create, how could you sell it, and who to? We look at the environmental cost of creating physical products, and how musicians can earn responsibly, while discussing some of the most successful examples of fan merch in recent memory.