**Guest post written by James Hill, a veteran of the music industry. He has worked at Warner Reprise Records and then Interscope/ Geffen Records and now helps indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD, custom vinyl records and merch company in LA.

 

"The second half of the year [has just started]. You guys still have [a little less than] 6 months to release your merch line together with a music release, gig show, or a tour.

If you’re having second thoughts on releasing them, then I urge you to go on with it. They’re a great promotional tour for whatever you have going on.

Still worried if they’ll sell well? Don’t worry, so long as they’re high quality and beautiful, then there won’t be a problem selling them out.

Here are 22 custom merch band ideas to help you start planning.

#1. CUSTOM T-SHIRT

Shirts will never not be a part of any list of custom band merch ideas. Shirts are the staples of any merchandise line released by a band.

No merch table ever lacks a shirt, unless they’re sold out.

What makes them such a popular band merch is the fact that they’re a very effective promotional tool.

Just by printing your shirts with your band’s logo or your new album’s artwork, you’ve already got a walking billboard. And the best thing is they’re unisex.

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#2. CUSTOM TRUCKER CAP

Trucker hats are a great choice if you want to offer your fans a headwear they can buy.

They’re cheaper to produce than the others but look stylish worn on whatever time of the year.

It’s broader front gives you ample space to design it with whatever you want. Another perfect unisex merch for your fans, leaving you worrying less of whether you have something for everyone.

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#3. CUSTOM TOTE BAG

Tote bags are another popular band merch you can customize for your release.

Depending on what material you have for it, the price changes and even if canvas is costlier than the others, it would be best to go with this durable material.

This will greatly appeal to those eco-friendly fans you have since it’s a reusable bag.

And aside from a wider space for your design, fans will have some for them to customize themselves with your pins and patches, if you have them.
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#4. CUSTOM MESSENGER BAG

Compared to a tote bag, a messenger bag is obviously more durable and would surely last longer than the former.

If you think that your fans would prefer a more durable and stylish messenger bag with your logo or artwork, then go for it.

It may be more expensive to produce for your and to buy for fans, but if it’s high quality and good looking, who wouldn’t want to spend extra for it?

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#5. CUSTOM BLANKETS

Blankets may be a peculiar choice to have for your merch table, but it’s something that many fans will surely love to have.

If you’re planning to release a Christmas album, then why not have your Christmas album artwork printed on it, and maybe throw in a pillow with it.

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#6. CUSTOM MUGS

Mugs never go unnoticed wherever they may be and however they may be used by your fans.

Whether they’re used for coffee or tea or for holding pens, they will always be on display to whoever they interact with.

You can go all out with a colorful design on black or white mug or maybe a simple one with just your lyrics in a nice calligraphy font.

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#7. CUSTOM TEMPORARY TATTOOS

Having tattoos is such a big decision because some people will surely regret getting an ex-lover’s name tattooed above their chest, or regret having it on that spot.

With your temporary tattoo merch, they’ll be able to get a free trial of making this decision.

If you’ve got tattoos on you, then maybe have one of your tattoos on these temporary tattoos. Your fans would love to experience twinning with you, I’m very sure of it.
+11 Band Merch Ideas Proven to Boost Sales, Fan Loyalty, and Excitement

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#8. CUSTOM USB WRISTBANDS

This is a good custom merch band to add to your store.

I guarantee you that these will sell out as soon as they are displayed or put in your store. But you better have exclusive stuff inside the USB drive.

Let’s say you have exclusive footage of you behind the scenes during your song recordings, your rehearsals, and more.

You can also have never before seen photos from previous tours or gigs and maybe a handwritten thank you letter, too.

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#9. CUSTOM SHOT GLASSES

It’s not every day that you get to drink with friends and family, so I’m pretty sure fans won’t have much shot glasses stored.

If you have this, fans might buy it and maybe fondly advertise you to their family and friends while in their drunken state.

They don’t cost much so why not try it out. Just be careful with handling them since they’re fragile.

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#10. CUSTOM LIGHTERS

Lighters are a cool merch to have, especially those Zippo ones.

Most of the ones who’ll love to possess your custom lighters though would probably be smokers, so I suggest you don’t include this if your fan base is on the younger demographics.

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#11. CUSTOM BOTTLE OPENERS

Keychain bottle openers are another good merch to have.

Maybe ordering around a 100 of them would be enough. They’re not carried around but are still a necessity at home and when you’re drinking with others.

Your band can be a perfect topic for a drunken conversation.
+10 Smart Ways To Analyze Your Fans

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#12 SOCKS

You want to sell something unique that’s why you’re searching for the best custom band merch ideas.

Well, then, give them socks!

Socks as a merch is not unique anymore, but it still is a rare item bands sell, so why not be one of those that have it on their merch table?

I’m pretty sure fans would love to buy them. There’s also a lot of designs you can have for it.

You can try having a chibi version of you and your band members and have it scattered around. Or maybe have your heads cropped instead and have it scattered.

You can also try to have a lyric from your new release and have the pair completing the line when put side by side.

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#13.CUSTOM MAGNETS

Magnets are a good way to be on top of people’s minds since they can be used at home, in school, and at work. They can be stuck on refrigerators, a board, and more.

You can also try having bumper sticker magnets for your merch, this will let more people see your brand since they’re attached to cars which go to different places.

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#14. CUSTOM GUITAR PICKS AND DRUMSTICKS

This isn’t just a good custom band merch idea, it’s a classic one!

Most band fans play band instruments too and a great way to keep these fans would be to acknowledge them.

One way of acknowledging them is through releasing a merch line that has guitar picks and drumsticks included.

They’re regular top sellers for bands, so you needn’t worry about not selling them out.
+5 Urgent Reasons Why Music Merch is Essential for Every Gigging Artist

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#15. CUSTOM KEYCHAIN

Keychains are one of the best if you want a lot of options for customization because you can have it with any shape, in almost any material you want, and however you want the design to be put on it.

They have varying prices though, so you’ll still be limited if you have a tight budget.

If you’re going for this, the best suggestion we have is to have it on metal. They’re durable and long-lasting, something fans would appreciate. Avoid designs with sharp edges though and don’t over do it.

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#16. CUSTOM SKATEBOARD

This might be a bit expensive for a merch, but it is a pretty niche idea that I think you need not to mull over too much.

It’s a high-end band merch you can release as part of a limited edition merch line. This way you won’t be spending so much on a bulk of it and you’ll be able to gauge your fans’ interest in it.

You can design your skateboard merch with a memorable line from your new album, or maybe a phrase that your fans associate to your band.

You might also consider having a spray painted art of your band on the board, though that might be more expensive.

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#17 CUSTOM PUZZLE

Among your fans, there surely are ones that love puzzles.

Give your fans something to do and feel accomplishment from, by having them complete a puzzle of your new album’s artwork.

You can also have a new band photo on the puzzle, they’ll be happier.

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#18. CUSTOM POSTERS & TAPESTRIES

Poster and tapestry merch would surely look good on a blank wall which your fans surely have in their homes or offices.

What’s better about tapestries is that they can be your fans’ makeshift blankets during music festivals or your outdoor concerts.

Make sure to have a cool design printed on them, let your fans be proud and tell the world of your band’s music and existence.
+Eleven Winning Strategies For Selling Your Band

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#19. CUSTOM PHONE ACCESSORIES

Smartphones have become a necessity for all of us it doesn’t come as a surprise that it’s included in our list of custom band merch ideas.

Instead of holding up lighters or light sticks during your ballads, they’d be raising their phones with the flashlight on. This means that you could never go wrong with phone accessories!

You can have custom popsockets, phone stands, chargers, custom phone cases and more.

Don’t forget to have accessories for both Android and iPhone, we don’t want some of your fans feeling neglected.

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#20. CUSTOM CANDLES

Are you a fan of candles? I bet not.

But if you are, I’m pretty sure you can relate to those who love them.

Candles are not there just to light up a room or spread sweet scent around it. It can also remind a person of another person, a certain feeling or experience.

So if your band was a scent, what would it be?

What scent would you want your fans to associate you with?

Aside from it being scented, you can maybe leave a short message underneath the candle after everything’s melted down or accompany it with a customized matchbox.

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#21. CUSTOM COZY SWEATSHIRTS & SWEATERS

If you’ll be releasing your album or going on a tour in the fall or winter, why not try replacing shirts with custom sweaters instead?

They almost have the same purpose for both you and your fans.

To make it more interesting, you can have a design printed along the length of one of the sleeves, that’d be something different.

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#22. CUSTOM INCENSE

Because why the hell not, right? Nirvana would have done it.

We already had candles, so why not have incense too, right? They’re practically the same, the difference is that they’re used more for relaxation and meditation.

If you want to have your own incense, I suggest you pack them in your band’s aesthetics. It would even be better if the scents you have inside are named after your albums’ song titles.

That’s it, folks! Our favorite custom band merch ideas!

If you’re still starting your custom band merch line, you gotta have a good printer (ahem, that’s us) and an amazing website to start your merch store."

 

 

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