Musicians extend their brands with fashion merchandise

London - T-shirts, hoodies, denim, beanies, accessories, ceramics and posters are just some of the items today's music stars are selling on their websites and on tour. Fashion merchandise is an increasingly key component for musicians and performers who are extending their brands as cultural icons into non-licensed fashion wear.

Fashion merch requires no licensing

While many celebrities have lucrative licensing deals in place - think Madonna's Material Girl, Pharrel's Billionaire's Boys Club, Beyonce's Ivy Park, Gwynn Stefani's LAMB, Rihanna for River Island, etc, etc - it is their own fashion merchandise which requires little or no endorsement as they are being sold directly from the source.

The source being their own websites and on tour. Justin Bieber on his website has one link to music, but four links to the sale of merchandise. His categories? T-shirts, outerwear, girl's apparel and accessories.

But items are no longer just t-shirts printed with a musician's tour info. The clothes, which usually stick to the categories of staples, are thoughtfully designed and wearable pieces. Even if there is a reference to a pop star on the item, there is a departure from traditional merch into the fashion arena by being more considered.

Fashion is a key revenue stream for artists

Merchandise has become an even more important revenue stream for musicians in the era of downloadable music. By creating a strong collection of merchandise, which includes collaborating with well-known brands and established designers, artists are raising the price per piece, for example selling an exclusive-graphic tee that would once cost 30 dollars could now be marketed as a limited edition designer item and sold for 150 dollars.

According to the Future of Music Organization, merch, as it’s known in the industry, accounted for about 6 percent of an average rock band's income just five years ago and today for some artisst is nearer to 10 percent. While a band is unlikely to get rich on t-shirt sales, merch serves another important purpose: building a brand.

One of the earliest examples of musicians building their brand via sales of merchandise is the Beatles. Back in the day of Beatle-mania fans around the world copied the the band’s signature mop top hairstyles. If fans couldn’t achieve the style naturally, they could buy it in wig form.

What better way to build a brand then by designing items fans will wear on a daily basis. One Direction toothbrushes anyone?

Images: Beyonce merch, Justin Bieber merch, Drake merch