Terrible Merch helps independent artists corner £2.3 billion market
More than ever, merchandise should be an important part of an artist's revenue stream, according to leading merchandise business Terrible Merch.
According to Tersha Willis co-founder and co-director of Terrible Merch, good quality merchandise that 'sells itself' requires a set of skills and experience that many musicians do not possess. Terrible Merch works with artists to maximise their merchandising profit while staying true to themselves.
“Our whole idea is to help artists build a business out of it, whereas I think other merchandise companies are helping themselves build a business; they are not really helping bands” said Tersha, when describing the motivation for creating Terrible Merch.
Increased digitisation in the form of streaming services and cheap downloads has taken its toll on musicians and their income. Fan demand for merchandise, however, remains strong.
Tersha uses skills, contacts and expertise gained as a street-wear designer to tackle problems identified by co-founder and musician Jack McGruer when dealing with major record labels. In conventional merchandise production, many musicians have encountered low quality, a lack of provision for smaller bands and poor profits for the musicians themselves.
“We set up to solve all of those problems” said Tersha in a recent interview, “and the market was hungry for it.” By creating products that fans not only want to buy but will appreciate for a long time to come, Terrible Merch expects to enjoy better long-term revenue.
Terrible Merch uses a stripped-down supply chain to enable bands to purchase relatively small runs of items, rather than being forced to buy more than they may ever sell. They offer full design, production and merchandising for bands and their products. The company also tailor their approach to individual artists and work with a 'roster' of selected artists.
This highly personal method involves anything from visiting shows to see what kind of artist, venues and fans they are working with, to setting up live sessions.
With the assistance of musician and UX designer Max Bloom, the newest asset to Terrible Merch, they are in the process of developing their own all-in-one touring app for musicians. The app will be the first of its kind, allowing bands to easily sell merchandise and replenish stock on the road, manage their day-to-day logistics, and gain valuable insights into their ticket sales. They are planning to rollout the app for testing by September.
Terrible Merch is driven by a love of music, musicians and fans. Its success is delivered through knowledge and passion about the music industry.
ENDS