Music streaming service SoundCloud has launched a merchandise marketplace called SoundCloud Store. The store will sell SoundCloud-themed items, but will also serve as a service for artists who want to release their own designs.
The store’s first iteration includes designs from Wiz Khalifa, Denzel Curry, wolfacejoeyy, Bk The Rula and Armani White. The company is also partnering with select Next Pro artists – SoundCloud’s paid service for artists – to allow them to submit their own designs.
SoundCloud said that once the artist submits a design, the company creates mockups for them, produces merchandise for them, and lists the items on the SoundCloud store. In addition, the company handles fan engagement and social promotion of those merchandise. Currently, the service does not charge any fees from artists, but passes on 100% of the profits from sales.
Social platforms want to provide artists and creators with ways to sell their products and make money from them. Both Spotify and Amazon Music offer artists the opportunity to sell merchandise. While Spotify has tools that allow artists to host their merchandise catalog on their sites, Amazon Music has partnered with Bandsintown for similar services.
On the other hand, both TikTok and YouTube have tools that allow creators to tag products in a video and earn money through an affiliate selling system.
SoundCloud recently announced that the store will be open to fans in the US, Canada and Europe at launch.
Over the past year, the company has released numerous tools for artists to increase fan engagement, including analytics tools to help them better understand their listener base and engage fans directly.
