Every musician can now sell merch on Spotify – here’s how

Thanks to a collaboration with Shopify, artists can now sell merch and music through Spotify. Here, we break down how to integrate the two and gain access to this new revenue stream.

Guest post by James Shotwell of Haulix

Spotify just announced its integration with Shopify e-commerce stores. Anyone with a Shopify store can now display and sell merchandise on their Spotify profile page. Yes, everyone. Even you.

Selling merch isn’t just about commerce; it’s about connection, too. Shane Cody, the drummer for the Indiana-bred alternative/indie band Houndmouth, recognizes it as an important part of the fan experience:

“Merch is a connection to the fans on a tangible level. Our music is the emotional connection, [so] sharing both on Spotify is essential.”

And when Houndmouth’s new album, Good For You, drops on Nov. 5, they’ll make the most of the release moment by featuring new merch on their artist profile.

Shopify makes it simple for artists and their teams to manage inventory and control which featured items on their profiles. (For example, out-of-stock items get automatically removed from your profile.) As soon as you’re ready to drop new merch, you’ll immediately be able to share it with fans and capitalize on your release moments so that they can browse your merch while they stream your new music.

“For many fans, Spotify is the primary way they interact with an artists’ music, and we are excited to give artists a new way to capitalize on that moment. We want to provide artists with as many resources as possible to help turn listeners into fans, fans into superfans and, ultimately, help artists earn more…”

Camille Hearst, Head of Spotify for Artists.

How to Connect Shopify with Spotify for Artists:

You need to connect your Shopify store to an artist before you can list merch on your artist profile. (Note: You’ll need your Shopify store login info for this.)

• Log in to artists.spotify.com.
• Go to Profile.
• Click Merch.
• Click LOG IN TO SHOPIFY.
• Enter your Shopify store URL and click LINK SHOP. (Tip: This is the URL in the address bar when you’re on your Shopify store, e.g. “your-store-name.myshopify.com”.)
• Log in to Shopify, then follow the steps to set up your accounts. (Note: You’ll get prompted to Add sales channel, accept the terms, and choose the artist you want to link your shop to.)

How to Publish Merch to Spotify for Artists:

Once your Shopify store’s connected, you can publish up to 250 merch items from Shopify to Spotify for Artists. You can then choose up to 3 of these items to show on your artist profile.

• Log in to Shopify.
• Go to Settings.
• Click Products, then All products.
• Choose a product. (Note: Check the product uses plain text and static images for the description and media.)
• Click Manage next to SALES CHANNELS AND APPS.
• Make sure Spotify is checked, then click Done.
• Click Save at the top of the product page.

How to Add Merch:

If you add more merch to your Shopify store in the future, publish it to Spotify for Artists to list it on your artist profile. — Once your merch is published from Shopify, you can pick up to 3 items to list on your artist profile.

• Log in to artists.spotify.com.
• Go to Profile.
• Click Merch.
• Click ADD TO SHOP on the merch you want to show on your profile.
• Your merch appears on your profile in the order you add it. To re-order merch, remove it all, then add it again in the order you want.
• You can remove merch any time to add different merch to your artist profile. Out of stock items get automatically removed from your profile.

That’s it! You are a short amount of time away from making your merchandise available on the world’s biggest streaming platform. What are you waiting for?

James Shotwell is the Director of Customer Engagement at Haulix and host of the company’s podcast, Inside Music. He is also a public speaker known for promoting careers in the entertainment industry, as well as an entertainment journalist with over a decade of experience. His bylines include Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Substream Magazine, Nu Sound, and Under The Gun Review, among other popular outlets.