Top 11 Merch Ideas to Increase Your Brand’s
                     Top 11 Merch Ideas to 
Increase Your Brand’s 
Visibility
WORKWEAR PRINTING
 Every band has a different style, method, and genre but every band has 
merchandise for its audience. At the end of the day, a band is also a business 
and if you are in a band you must treat your band like a business. Bands and 
musicians also need to reach larger audiences, like businesses, if they really 
want to promote their music, and make money.
 The best way, to reach more people, is by making custom merch to catch their 
attention. Custom band merch provides you with the opportunity to take your 
band’s visibility to the next level. However, not all products sell the same.
 In order to sell your band promotional items you need unique ideas, and we 
have got you covered with the best ones, so you do not have to do the 
homework.  Read our 11 merch ideas to improve your music and band image 
drastically:
1. Custom T-Shirts
 The most tried and true cool merchandise for a business, brand or influencer – custom 
band shirts and band hoodies. There’s no better way to promote your band’s image, 
excite someone who is a big merch fan, and raise money all at the same time than with a 
perfectly-designed custom band merch.
 Well-thought artist merchandise can do wonders for your brand. Concert t-shirts are the 
fans way of saying that they were there. Good music merch allows your fans to take back 
a piece of your band home with them. Even though it is a common idea, only a few know 
how to come up with appropriate concert tshirt ideas.
 One good way to start is by brainstorming a few different band t shirts ideas that 
represent your band’s spirit. Come up with unique band merchandise ideas but do not 
forget to include your band’s name or logo on it. Here are a few things that you can print 
on your merch:
o Tour dates on the back of a shirt or hoodie.
o Album artwork is always a crowd favourite
o The lyrics from your most popular song.
o A tee featuring images that capture the vibe of your music
 And last, but certainly not the least, make sure that your merch, whether it is shirts or 
hoodies, is comfortable, fashion-fitted, soft, and light by opting for a cotton/poly blend.
2. Posters
 Posters are another great way to advertise your band. You can not only raise 
extra funds with them but also urge people to buy your merch by giving out 
some posters for free. Their value as a form of a promotional tool is greater 
than their monetary value, so giving them away for free can be a smart 
move on your part.
 Moreover, posters are one of those band promotional items that let you 
explore creative ways to sell your art especially if your band has visual 
artists. You can ask your fans to send in their versions of designs for posters 
as a part of a poster design contest.
 So, if you want to target the most effective DIY band merch ideas then 
posters are it for you. Almost everyone is surrounded by posters of their 
favourite musicians growing up. Plus, you can divide them into 4 categories:
o Gig: These are designed for a specific show, and are generally hand 
screen printed with makes them highly collectible.
o Tour: These usually feature a promotional photo or the album cover with the 
upcoming tour dates.
o Album: This usually has the upcoming album, and is usually designed by the 
record label for record stores. 
o Generic: These just have the photo of the band or any of their graphics.
3. CDs and Vinyl Records
 CDs and vinyl records make up a large portion of 
promotional and merch strategies. This form of merch 
makes your music transportable and representable and 
let your fans connect with your music in a way that 
guarantees a continued engagement.
 Vinyl records, in particular, have seen a surge in their 
popularity in the last decade which makes them an 
amazing tool for musicians who want to promote their 
music directly to their followers. Keep in mind that 
custom printed vinyl records are expensive but if your 
fanbase has an interest in them, they can seriously pay 
off.
4. Tote Bags
 Totes bags are not only affordable promotional 
accessories, but they are very reliable in terms of 
generating sales because your fans need something to 
carry all their band swag.
 They are easy to design, and you can just print your 
favourite shirt or poster design on a tote bag. 
Besides, with plastic bags getting banned, a reusable 
stylish tote bag is the right thing to advertise.
 Use your imagination when designing tote bags. If you 
like to produce rock and roll music, go for an edgy 
black design. If you are more of a pop band, then 
experiment with bright colours. And before you even 
know it, your fans will be rocking your band’s logo in 
grocery stores and markets. 
5. Socks
 Socks are a great business. Yes. You read that right. 
Socks! The global market for socks was valued at 
about $11.7 billion in 2018. So, novelty socks can be 
a great addition to your merch store.
 You can make socks with your lyrics on them, your 
band’s logo or even rainbow coloured socks with your 
visuals on them. Plus, if your fans are also big 
sneaker heads, then you need to introduce cool socks 
in your merchandise.
6. Caps and Beanies
 Headwear is one of the most overlooked merch ideas of all 
time. Headwear is not as easy to print as other garments, but 
it is worth it because even though not everyone wears them, 
but those who do they wear them all the time.
 Some of the most famous designs at the moment include the 
famous dad hats that are floppy with an adjustable buckle 
strap, and the anvil caps that can be done in a bunch of 
colours.
 The most famous way of designing hats is embroidery. People 
love embroidered headwear. And you do not even need a lot 
of them. Just stock a few hats on your band’s website for the 
headwear connoisseurs out there. And do not forget to stock 
custom printed beanies for the colder months of the year.
7. Stickers
 Who doesn’t adore stickers? Music fans love stickers 
especially those that are free. Of all the promotional merch 
items on our list, these are the ones you should definitely 
distribute for free. You can buy them in bulk to reduce the 
price per piece even more.
 Slip them in your fan’s bag or order after they buy another 
piece of your merch, or you can attract them to your merch 
table with the stickers. Just make sure that your fans can 
spot a clear sign on your table that says “FREE Stickers”.
 Let your stickers do the brand marketing for you when they 
end up on a guitar case, a laptop, a record case, a car 
bumper, a mobile phone or even the bathroom stall at a 
local bar.
8. Custom Mugs
 Coffee mugs are another pretty great tool for increasing 
your brand’s awareness. They can give your fans a fun 
way to kick-start their day with your music in their 
mind. Coffee mugs might not be a good idea for you if 
your audience is younger, but if your fans are adults 
then coffee mugs are going to sell good and fast.
9. Patches
 Patches are a big upgrade from stickers. People love putting 
patches on their clothes especially jean jackets and denim. 
You can design them in all shapes and sizes and customise 
them however you want. Create a custom shape for your 
band’s logo or have your lyrics integrated into iron-on patches.
 Patches have quite a lot of history in the world of music. They 
are usually linked to punk music and bands. However, with the 
popularity of jean jackets, patches have become a hot item to 
customise jackets.
 Start by setting the trend yourself by asking your band 
members to pose in a jacket with your brand’s patches on 
them. You never know who will follow your trend. For all you 
know, you may spot Chris Hemsworth rocking a jacket with 
your band’s merch on it.
10. Keychains
 Custom keychains offer the widest array of options. 
You can make them in any shape you want and 
experiment with rubber, metal, plastic, bevelled 
edges, raised prints, and so much more, depending on 
your budget.
 Keychains are an everyday object which increases 
their marketability. Plus, they are inexpensive to 
produce and sell for a larger profit even when you 
keep them affordable for your followers.
 We suggest going for metal or something long-lasting. 
Stay clear of sharp edges as they don’t feel good in 
the pocket. Design a simple shape with round edges 
and keep the size very minimal.
11. Notebooks
 Notebooks make an excellent merchandise item for 
several different reasons. If your audience is on the 
younger side and still goes to school, then you can 
estimate how much notebooks are going to sell. 
Notebooks can easily expose your band to more 
people that perfectly fit your target demographic.
 On the other hand, if your audience is on the older 
side, then they will need something to take their 
notes during work meetings. So, notebooks cover a lot 
of different age spectrums. Not to forget people who 
like to journal, they too will buy your notebooks.
Final Takeaway
 Providing the best merch to your fans and finding the right 
tools and printing services to bing your merch ideas to life is 
the best recipe for increasing brand awareness. 
 You can reach wider audiences if you market your custom 
band merch the right way. So take some inspiration from our 
list of the best merch ideas and get working.