How to Sell Band Merch Online: Shops, Stock and UK Rules

Merch earns its keep twice over. It brings in money on days when there’s no gig, and it lets fans walk around wearing a bit of your band. The problem is that plenty of acts either sell nothing online at all or open three shops at once and let every one of them go stale.

This guide is for independent UK bands and artists who want to start small and sell sensibly. It covers where to sell and what to stock, then how to photograph and post it, and finally what the law expects of you.

Where should a band sell merch online?

There are three common routes. Each suits a different kind of act. Lots of bands pick one main route and link to it from everywhere else.

What does Bandcamp charge?

Bandcamp’s help centre on fees says its revenue share on physical merch is 10%, with shipping and tax left out of the sum, and that the share applies to the first $100 of a single item. Payment processor fees come on top. Bandcamp says they typically run between 4% and 6%. Check the current figures before you price anything, because they can change.

Is print-on-demand worth it?

It can be a low-risk way to try out a design. Nothing gets printed until someone orders, so you never sit on stock. The catch is that each item usually costs more than it would in a bulk print run, and you’re relying on someone else for quality and speed. Order a sample of every product yourself before you put it on sale.

If you want your merch to sit next to your music and tour dates, plus a sign-up form, a dedicated website for musicians gives all of it one home, with either a link out to your shop or a shop built in.

What merch should a band stock first?

Don’t order everything. Look at what people already ask for at gigs and start there. A sensible first range looks like this:

• One T-shirt design in a small, honest size range. Plain, well-printed designs outsell clever ones.
• Your music on a physical format, if your following buys it: vinyl, CD or a signed copy.
• One cheap item such as a sticker pack, badge or tote bag, so a fan who isn’t ready for a T-shirt can still buy something.

Function and wedding bands play to a different crowd, so for them a shop may count for less than a strong booking page. A small range, or a printed card with a link, is often enough.

Every so often, add a limited run, such as a tour edition or an anniversary print. It gives you a reason to email and post. It also makes buying feel urgent.

How do you photograph merch so it sells?

Nobody can touch your merch online. The photos have to do the selling. Every product needs a sharp shot on a plain background and at least one photo of someone wearing or holding it. Real photos of band members in the shirts beat flat mock-ups every time.

• Use natural daylight and a plain wall or sheet.
• Show the front, back and any print detail close up.
• Show the size range and, for clothing, how it fits on a real person.
• Keep colours accurate, because returns often start with “it looked different online”.

A shoot of the band in the merch gives you fresh images for social media and your gig posters as well. Our photography for musicians covers exactly that kind of session.

How should you handle postage and packing?

Settle the rules before the first order lands. Weigh each item once it’s packed and check current Royal Mail or courier prices. Then decide whether to charge postage separately or build it into the price. Put the delivery cost and expected timescale on the product page, where people see it early, instead of springing it on them at the last step of checkout.

• Pack in a sturdy, flat mailer and keep a stock of labels and tape.
• Post within a stated window, and email a dispatch note with tracking where you can.
• Set a clear policy for overseas orders, or say you post to the UK only.
• Keep a spare of each size at gigs and a separate list of online orders so the same stock doesn’t get sold twice.

What UK consumer rules apply when you sell merch online?

Sell to the public and you’re a trader, which means consumer law applies to you, however small the band. GOV.UK’s guidance on distance selling lists what you have to tell customers before they order:

• your business name, contact details and address;
• the full price including taxes;
• the payment methods you accept;
• delivery arrangements, costs and timescales.

The same guidance flags two points to plan for:

• The right to cancel. Customers can cancel up to 14 days after delivery without giving a reason. If you don’t tell them about that right, it can last up to 12 months.
• Delivery time. Unless you agree otherwise, goods must be delivered within 30 days.

That page also says the general rules on returns and refunds apply, but it doesn’t go into detail. It says nothing about personalised or made-to-order items either, so look at further guidance for those, and take advice if you’re unsure. Putting your policy in writing on the shop, and emailing a copy of each order, keeps you on the right side of the rules.

How do you get people to buy?

A shop nobody visits sells nothing. Put the link in your social bios and on gig posters. Stick a QR code on the merch table and drop the link into every email to your mailing list. Show the merch in your posts and videos, not just in the shop. Wear it on stage, and thank people who send in photos of themselves wearing it.

For a wider plan, read our guide to marketing for musicians.

How we can help

We design websites for musicians with a proper place for music and tour dates, with room for merch and sign-ups. We photograph bands as well. That way the merch and the website look like one brand. Take a look at our website design for musicians to see how a merch page fits in. We agree a clear brief, scope and fee with you before any work begins.

Sources

• Bandcamp Help: What are Bandcamp’s fees?
• GOV.UK: Online and distance selling for businesses