There once was a time when artists were paid from CD sales, merchandise, and concerts. Now a days, the main objective is streaming numbers and profiting off of how many streams your album or track can produce. Although, an artist or content creator can make some easy passive income from monetizing their craft, I think that most have forgotten about how important it is to have another stream of income in addition to this. Since physical CD sales are not "IN" at the moment, the most forgotten element is the profit that comes with merchandise sales.
Merchandise sales are one of the easiest wins for an artist and content creators, especially if they have a fanbase. If you think about it, you would have to have at least 800 Tidal spins to make $10 in profit. But if you sold let's say 10 shirts, you would make $100 or more. Below is the current number of streams required to make a $1.
It's important that on your journey of being an independent artist that you stay innovative and explore all options to make a profit. The more you maximize your options the better for you to grow and increase your revenue. If you are interested in getting your own custom merch and being a part of Keyline ® Mag's Artist merch program, you can apply here. We'd love to have you onboard. In the meantime, be on the lookout for our upcoming Indie Music podcast series, where we discuss more about the music industry and cover need to know topics.