Is that the sound of happy fans? 4 must-haves for a great music merch drop

Music and merch have gone hand-in-hand for, forever. But what makes some merch drops particularly memorable? It comes down to these four factors.

For music fans, the love of an artist transcends simple enjoyment, it defines identity. By that token, music merchandise is a vital expression of fandom, representing a tangible connection between fans and musicians. Merch means everything to fans because it represents an opportunity to engage more deeply with their favorite artists and find community by connecting over shared passions. 

At the intersection of fandom and style, music merch drops generate massive excitement amongst artists’ followers, but some drops stand out above the rest.

Let’s dive into four things that make a music merch drop particularly special, and the lessons that artists and labels can use to plan a launch that keeps fans talking, listening, and wearing, for years to come.

#1: An awesome product 

Sure, an artist’s most die-hard fans would likely buy just about anything that reps their favorite musical act. But fans can tell the difference between a low-effort merch line and the ones that go above and beyond. To capture enthusiasm from the widest possible range of fans, it’s worth it for labels to put in the time and creativity to produce merch that will make an impact.

Merch drops can be creative and out-of-the-box to get fans talking. Playing off of song lyrics or artist lore is a sure way to blow up the internet. Case in point: “Mom’s Spaghetti” pasta sauce released by Eminem as a cheeky nod to the much-memed lyrics from his hit track “Lose Yourself.” The concept was so popular that Eminem’s team spun it up into a full-blown restaurant in Detroit, complete with decor nods to his movie 8 Mile. 

Or take the recent Brain x Green Day “Dookie Demastered” drops, powered by EQL. The launches consisted of 15 unique (to say the least) products featuring de-mastered tracks of Green Day’s famous 1994 album. This included Billy the Big Mouth Bass singing “Basket Case” and a Teddy Ruxpin bear that recites “Chump.” (Honestly, it’s hard to explain just check it out here.)

Fans went wild for the merch, blowing up Green Day’s socials and creating buzz from every corner of the internet. 

But, merch doesn’t always have to be meme-able to be memorable. 

Collaborations are another tried-and-true approach to creating merch that fans can’t wait to get their hands on. Music and fashion fandoms often heavily overlap and inspire each other, so merch offers a natural opportunity to bring them together. When a style icon is given free rein to bring an artist’s vibe to life, the result is often stunning and unexpected. Take Post Malone’s team-up with Japanese streetwear designer Takashi Murakami, which delivered a fashion-forward capsule collection that sparked fans’ passion.

Beyond the wearable, there’s always an opportunity to deliver merch in the form of utility items that fans will cherish — like the iconic star-spangled lavender tumbler that Olivia Rodrigo created with Stanley. Allowing 'Livies' to stay hydrated while also spotting each other out and about, the cup is a great example of the type of merch collabs that fans thirst for.

#2: Focus on community building

A core tenet of fandom is the feeling of belonging that it gives us. After all, music isn’t just about sound, and a love of an artist often reflects deeper meaning, like identifying with a subculture or the social values that a specific musician might stand for. Therefore, connecting with fellow fans is an opportunity to find friendships with people who share similar core values and traits. 

By making fans identifiable to each other at a glance, merch can amplify the experience of being part of a fan community — but artists and labels can lean in and take this even further.

The way an artist promotes their merch goes a long way in stoking fan passions, and the more passionate their base becomes, the more the merch drop becomes a flashpoint to get people talking. For example, circling back to what we mentioned above, Olivia Rodrigo was filmed backstage drinking from her Stanley cup, which instantly amped up fan enthusiasm.

Using merch to build off of fan experiences is another way that artists can use their products to bring people together and emphasize the community experience of their followers. After Taylor Swift fans took to creating friendship bracelets at her concerts, Taylor released an Eras Tour hoodie featuring a friendship bracelet print. This doesn’t just help Swifties identify each other, but it also represents the shared value of connection that is foundational to the fandom, deepening the bonds between fellow fans.

#3: Creating a memorable moment

It should be clear by now, but the hype around music merch is rarely about the product itself. Rather, fans get stoked to own a tangible item that symbolizes something key to their personality. In addition to representing love for an artist, merch can capture memories about specific experiences related to the fandom. The most obvious example of this is merch that’s tied to a tour or concert, encouraging the fans to indulge in the memories and the “I was there” feeling of having been part of something special.

Artists and labels can also create experiences around a merch drop that allow it to take on a life and meaning of its own. Adding something fun or exciting around the release of merch — like opening a popup shop where fans can mingle with each other — amps up the emotional impact of the products by linking them to a fun experience. 

Adding an element of exclusivity is another way to make product drops memorable. For example, instead of opening a merch sale to the general public, artists can extend invites only to their top fans, or to those who attended certain events. In late 2022, Spotify started teaming up with artists to offer early access to merch sales to top fans. Receiving a special invitation to participate in a merch drop is an incredible way to make fans feel special and recognized for their passion, which in turn adds emotional weight to the merch itself.

#4: Prioritizing the fan experience

Fans will do a lot to show their dedication. Many fans travel long distances to catch as many tour dates as possible from their favorite artists. Fans express love for their favorite musicians by being generous with their money, time, and energy. Tour tickets in particular can be challenging to purchase, requiring fans to shell out for high sale prices, perfectly time their purchase attempts in order to get in before sellout, and often sit in long queues waiting for the chance to buy. But when it comes to merch, there’s an opportunity for artists to show appreciation to their fans by making things a bit easier.

Although, when a merch drop is hot enough, it can be almost as challenging to buy as Eras Tour tickets. Especially if a limited quantity of merch is produced, passionate fans can wipe out inventory in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, the high levels of demand can lead to a lucrative secondary market, and some purchasers turn to shady tactics, like using bots, to buy up as much product as possible in order to resell for a profit.

Again, fans are left in the dust.

By selling merch on platforms that have been specifically built for high-heat, limited edition product sales, artists can protect fans from some of the biggest hassles and stressors of merch drops. 

Platforms like EQL, which powered the aforementioned Olivia Rodrigo x Stanley drop, are designed to filter out bots and put fairness first for fans. And by operating on a raffle system, these merch launches can give fans a wider window of time to enter — unlike a first-come-first-serve drop, the successful buyers will be randomly selected from the pool of entrants after the entry period closes. That means no stressful scrambling to sign on the second the drop opens. 

Simply making things easier for fans communicates volumes about how much artists see and appreciate their dedication.

EQL for music merch drops

Having partnered with some of music’s biggest artists and labels to make hundreds of hot merch drops a success, the EQL team is a wealth of knowledge on how to make the most of the opportunity that music merch represents.

In part 2 of this blog series, we’ll dig into the nitty-gritty of EQL’s features and how they can make a difference for merch sales, delighting fans and deepening their connections with artists.

Ready to chat? Our team (most of whom are probably wearing band shirts right now) is here to chat about how we’ve powered fan-favorite merch drops, and what we can do for your next high-demand launch.