Merchandise

Every band on the Internet and playing in your local club has it, and you should to. But if your are a new band and just starting out you  need to think it through first. There is no need to spend $1000's on t shirts, hats, jackets or other flashy unique items to start with.

Start simple and build up to it as you play more shows. No need to go broke for the first gig.

How to start simple? This is an easy one, get stickers made with your band name and logo. These are great to hand out at shows, yours or at gigs you checking out. Plus people love to get free stuff. And keep it simple, there is no need to go with a bumper sticker when one about the size of a business card will do.
make sure you have:

• Band name / Logo
• Web site address
• A Simple graphic 

Once you start playing more shows and are sounding a bit more polished think about recording a live show. Drop three or four of your original songs on to a Cd or a Cd ROM. You should be able to record a live show right off the mixing board or P.A. system. You don't need to spend a lot at first with a recording. This is a great way to give any new fans an opportunity to take home a little bit of your music.
If you go this rout some suggestions to start with:

• All song names listed in order
• Name of band
• Web site address
• Name of the band members
• Contact information (more for press kits)
• A label with the top three above on both the Cd and with the case
• Throw in a free sticker or two

Now a days you can find bulk disks and cases for very reasonable prices almost every place. So this should give you a basic finished product for about $0.90 to $1.70 to sell and hand out. If you have say three to five songs on the disk make sure you have your most attention grabbing song first. You should be able to resell these at you shows for about $3.50 to $6.00 each giving you a little extra income. Park the profits away so that you can save up to record a better copy of your songs, or use it to take your merchandise to the next level like getting a t shirt printed.

• For blank Discs
AmazonBasics 700MB 52x CD-R (100-Pack Spindle)
• For Disc Jewel Cases  
Verbatim 94178 Slim CD and DVD Storage Cases, 5 Assorted Colors, 50-Pack

Once you start to sell more and gig more you might want to up it a notch. There are a bunch of online site that can do print on demand for a lot of items. You can get almost anything in any amount you wish these days. Places like Zazzle and CafePress can put you logo on nearly anything you wish. With these sites you can open up your own little online store for your stuff at no cost to you, you make a little money when someone buys your stuff on line. Even Reverb Nation offers bands and artist a store front to sell t shirts and other items like Cd's and even ring tones. The best part is you are not out any money and don't have to have a pile of swag sitting in a box waiting to be sold. You can order in bulk from these places so you can sell at you shows as well.

Now say your Live Cd is selling well and you have no time to burn nearly enough for your next gig. You can go online to a lot of places and have bulk made up. A places like Disc Makers offers small run quantities with a more pro look to the product. I'm sure if you surf the net you will find about three dozen other bulk companies that offer this as well. I like disc makers for the face that they are well known and if you get their news letter you some times get the scoop on sales specials and a lot of great reading.

This is all the beginning of marketing your band and building a brand name. There are a lot of products and web site to help you along the way with marketing and promotions. You may have to dig but you can find a lot of helpful sites, tips and articles along the way.

That should help you get started and give you some ideas, so ...

Rock and Roll and Have Fun!