Branded merchandise has become an essential vehicle through which modern musical artists monetize their art.
Now, melody makers have a new platform through which they can produce and sell swag thanks to SoundCloud.
The audio/music streaming service this week launched SoundCloud Store, an online shopping destination where select musical artists can design and retail exclusive branded merchandise.
“We’re always looking to help artists get heard, get fans and get paid,” said SoundCloud in a statement announcing the offering on Aug. 13. “And with today’s launch, it’s never been easier to connect with fans around your latest drop, whether that’s a fresh new track, a limited-edition hoodie or both.”
Notably, artists don’t have to bear upfront costs or give up any of their profits to participate, as SoundCloud isn’t taking dollars from the margins made on the entertainers’ merch sales from the store – something that may be a particular boon to independent musicians operating on relatively sparse budgets.
Rather, the artists create their own designs and SoundCloud handles the fulfillment, seeing to production and shipping. “100% of the profits [go] directly to the artists,” SoundCloud said.
The SoundCloud Store isn’t open to all musical artists and consumers – at least not yet.
Currently, the offering is only available for shoppers and artists based in the United States, European Union and Canada. To design and sell merch from the store, artists must own 100% of their merchandise rights and be subscribed to SoundCloud’s Next Pro offering, which starts at $99 annually ($8.25 per month).
“Stay tuned for additional information as we look to open up the store for additional artists, in additional territories, to sell their merch,” SoundCloud stated.
As part of the launch, the SoundCloud Store is featuring merch from artists that include Wiz Khalifa, Denzel Curry, Armani White and BKTHERULA. T-shirts are the mainstay product for these artists at the moment.
Meanwhile, SoundCloud is also looking to do a bit of brand building and revenue generating directly with consumers through the store, where it’s featuring the Essentials Collection – a line of SoundCloud-branded merchandise that includes T-shirts, hoodies and hats.
In recent years, musical artists have increasingly relied on merch sales, using swag as a primary stream of revenue generation. Perhaps one of the greatest recent examples of music merch in action comes from pop star Taylor Swift, who reportedly made $200 million from the sale of T-shirts, sweatshirts and other items featuring her name and logo at the concerts on her 2023 The Eras Tour.
