Looking for Christmas merchandise ideas for musicians?
With the Christmas season in full swing, you can leverage the excitement people have this time of year to benefit your platform in a number of ways.
For example, you can increase engagement and awareness through Christmas themed projects and marketing, holding your own Christmas themed shows or by playing at charity events.
However, for this post, we want to focus on one specific area that could help you to increase the sales of your merchandise. To do this, we highly suggest that you incorporate some Christmas themed items for sale at your next show or even on your website.
As an artist, the planning for this should take place well in advance because the more prepared you are to capitalize on this the greater the return you will see in the end.
With that said here are 13 great Christmas merchandise ideas for musicians during the holiday season!
Contents
1) Ugly Christmas Sweaters
This is an obvious one but if you can come up with an interesting design related to your music these will be popular among your fan base. With people carrying on traditions of “Ugly Christmas Sweater” themed parties or even better are the “Ugly Christmas Sweater” themed photoshoots, it would be pretty awesome if your fans were reaching for your branded sweater when participating in these events!
Check out Ugly Christmas Sweater to customize your sweaters today!
2) Hoodies & Crewnecks
Although similar to the Christmas sweaters, these are worth mentioning for the fact of seasonalities. I remember being at a music festival trying to sell thick black hoodies to people who just saw our set but it was a hard sell considering the scorching weather at the time. Around Christmas however, especially if you reside in an area that sees a drop in the temperature, hoodies/crewnecks are a very popular item.
Check out Printful which is an awesome resource for getting merch!
3) Lighters & Matches
I don’t think this one gets enough attention but it certainly should. When it comes to merch you have to consider the usability of what you are selling. You may think your CDs and posters are the best things to grace this earth but someone who doesn’t know you sure as heck doesn’t feel that way, even if they like your music.
So when your making merch, think about how the end user will interact with your product. Lighters and matches are great because of the many uses for them. Throw your Christmas themed logo on there and you can be certain that these will sell.
You can customize both matches & lighters over at Deluxe!
4) Weed & Smokers Parefinialia
This one ties in nicely with the last suggestion. If you know who your fan base is and what their hobbies and interests are, then you can tap into this knowledge and cater specifically to their wants and needs. From rolling papers to grinders, weed trays, etc. You can easily get these things branded and ready for sale at your next show during the holidays.
5) Candles
Again knowing your audience is key for some of these next suggestions and if your audience consists of women then it wouldn’t hurt to include some things that they typically purchase. Candles are something that they certainly enjoy and if you have your own branded version then you can be confident that you’ll sell a few of these as well.
6) Christmas Ornaments, Wrapping Paper & Stockings
Your fans are spending a ton of time decorating for the holidays and it would be rude not to help them out, considering all the support they give you throughout the year. Make decorating a bit easier for them with a branded ornament they can throw up on their tree, Wrapping paper sporting your logo or even a nice pair of branded stockings to hang above the fireplace!
7) Bath Bombs
Again more for the ladies in your audience and this may seem a bit unorthodox but women use these religiously. If I had a dollar for every Snapchat bubble-bath-bath-bomb-drop (say that ten times fast) I’d be rich. With that said, think about your logo being on the face of that bath bomb while the beautiful lady broadcasts her bubble bath to her close friends.
8) Scarf, Socks & Touques
These are amazing for the holidays and could easily be your hottest items. They don’t necessarily need to be Christmas themed and can simply include your logo but these are easy and just make sense around this time!
9) Coffee Mugs
When it comes to usability these are perfect. The coffee and tea drinkers of the world may certainly reside in your audience and for those addicted to this stuff, seeing your branded coffee mug every morning can be a constant reminder of how great your music is!
10) Branded Food Items
This one can be cool as long as you keep it simple. I don’t recommend branding steaks anytime soon especially if you have a primarily vegan fanbase. However, if you can get holiday candy with your logo, cookies, chocolate, etc. this could be a good idea. Your branding does not have to be on the food itself but could be on the wrapper for example.
11) Christmas buttons, pins, stickers, posters
This one is simple and might be something you already do. Adding a Christmas twist to it can bring new life to this and as always make sure to hand these out in exchange for an email!
12) Limited edition vinyl, CDs, etc
You know that album you released a year or two ago but haven’t promoted since? Well, I’m here to tell you that you are leaving dollars on the table. Instead, repurpose the artwork or add a bonus track to it and roll it out again as a limited edition.
13) Coasters, Pint Glasses & Beer Cozies
Another classic that you may have already implemented but you can put a Christmas twist on these and sell them around the holidays.
Check out Bands On A Budget and get $50 off your next order!
13 Great Christmas Merchandise Ideas For Musicians: Wrapping It Up
The key is to think about your audience, understand what they actually would use in there everyday life and be realistic to the time of year it is. Just be creative and have some fun with this and I am confident that you will boost not only your merchandise sales but also your fan engagement.
Kevin is the founder of Music With Flavor, which joined Whipped Cream Sounds in 2023. He is a seasoned musician turned industry expert. His passion for music goes beyond melodies; he delves deep into the intricate world of music marketing, striving to unearth the most effective strategies for indie musicians. However, Music With Flavor isn’t just about Kevin’s knowledge; it’s a network of industry experts handpicked to provide the most trusted advice. Kevin’s role is to pose the right questions, not just answer them, as he and his team tirelessly research trends, connect with artists, and gather valuable insights.