**Guest post written by Julia Kater for Bandzoogle.com.

 

 

 

"Whether you’re gearing up for your next album release and upcoming tour, or simply want to give your fans a reason to buy now (and buy direct), music and merch bundles are a great way to make money as a musician and reward your followers. Bundles are a smart way to sell your music and clear out merchandise while reinforcing the artist-to-fan connection. They also increase average order value (AOV) and can streamline fulfillment — especially if you pre-kit bundles or ship items from a single location. Setting up and promoting your bundles on your music website can revitalize your site and help you move digital music, physical merch, and print-on-demand items.

How to make a product bundle

One of the best things about product bundles is that you can sell them directly from your music website. That means all sales are commission-free. So you can create product bundles based on what will work for you and your music, using what’s already in your store. Start with:

• A theme (album era, tour city, season, vibe)
• A hero item (vinyl, hoodie, lyric zine)
• A price anchor (show the full value vs. the bundle price)
• Inventory rules (set stock counts and sizes so bundles don’t oversell)

Pro tip: Photograph the bundle together and list what’s inside in bullets so fans instantly see the value.
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How to sell bundles from your music website

Try any or all of these options:

1. Offer creative merch bundles

Exercise your creativity by pairing unconventional products with tried-and-true music merch items like a classic band T-shirt. Some great ideas to incorporate into your merch include song lyrics, silhouettes of your band members, your unique band logo, and album artwork. You can also up the ante with useful items like bottle openers, key tags, blankets, tote bags, and playing cards. Other fan-loved add-ons: enamel pins, postcards, stickers, patches, guitar picks, and sheet-music PDFs.

Try mixing and matching classic items with featured items, and of course, your music. If you need ideas, try these 25 creative band merch ideas to pair into a bundle. Consider tiered bundles so fans at every budget can participate.

Pro tip: If you include apparel, let fans choose a size with a simple dropdown and add a size chart image to your photos.
+25 Creative Band Merch Ideas

2. Create an experience bundle

Interaction between artist and fan doesn’t need to be limited to live shows and social media. If you’re thoughtful and inventive with what you offer, product bundles can improve your connection with fans.Curating an experience with your bundles is a nice way to strengthen your bond with the people who love your music.

Imagine how and where your fans might be listening to your work, and build a product bundle around that experience.If your latest album is best suited for cozy days, create a bundle that features a coffee mug, a warm sweater or blanket, and a digital version of your record.Or if you’re an active type with upbeat songs, incorporate a tank top along with your album, perfect for running or hiking. Other ideas: a “road-trip kit” (hat, sticker pack, download card), “studio vibes” (lyric notebook, pencil set, stems pack), or “night in” (candle, tea sample, digital album).

Pro tip: Name the experience in the product title (e.g., “Night-In Bundle: Candle + Mug + Digital Album”) — bundles with names convert to higher sales.

3. Try limited-edition bundles

If you want to promote a new single or tour, try creating a limited-edition bundle in anticipation of the event. You can combine the music or tickets with a merchandise staple (like a band T-shirt), and add one special item to sweeten the deal for your fans. This could be a personalized photo, and hand-printed card, or a limited run of signed album artwork to incentivize fans to get excited about your new release or upcoming show.

If you want to experiment with new merch ideas, but aren’t sure how your fans will respond to creative items, try assembling a limited-edition bundle that combines your experimental product with a classic merch item. You can set a specific in-stock number for this bundle in your music store and see how quickly that inventory gets sold out — that timing can indicate whether your experimental item should become a staple moving forward. Add a countdown timer and display "Only X left" to create urgency.

Pro tip: Number the items in series (1/100, 2/100…) or include a certificate of authenticity to elevate perceived value.
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4. Make music bundles

Getting your music heard is a huge part of what drives artists to make sales. There are a few things to consider when it comes to setting up music bundles.

If you are looking to chart with a new music release, be aware that there are some rules in place at Billboard. In recent updates, only tightly defined merch + physical-album bundles have been eligible (typically limited to two variations, with each item also sold separately, so add them to your merch store as well, on their own). Policies evolve, so confirm details before launching your single or album to avoid any surprises.

However, if you’re just looking to move your music, making different music bundles is a great way to go. If you have a catalog of releases that are outside of the charting window, consider bundling them together to motivate fans to purchase your full range of work. You can even set up one bundle that includes all of your back catalog — an especially appealing product for your lifelong fans. Consider digital deluxe bundles that include liner notes PDFs, behind-the-scenes photos, and commentary tracks.

Another ingenious way to sell music bundles is to compile the demos or stems of your releases along the way. Release these as bundles for your diehard fans to dig into. Often, artists will also create acoustic versions of their albums that can be bundled as B-Sides offerings, with printed items featuring alternate album artwork. This type of bundle can also be a limited edition for your ultimate fans. If you license stems, include a simple usage note in the product description.

Pro tip: Create a back-catalog bundle (all past releases as one digital download) at 25–40% off for your superfans.

5. Move merch with deadstock bundles

As a touring musician, you might have timestamped merch left over from previous tours, like “USA Tour 2018.” It’s difficult to offload these items once the date has passed, but selling band merch products online makes it easy to combine these items with a limited-edition print of your latest album artwork, or signed band photos.

You can price this type of bundle just above the regular price of the artwork so you can break even on the merch you had printed and move the products quickly — win-win for you and your fans!

Pro tip: Label clearly as "warehouse find" or "vault bundle." Fans love a good story, so add a short note about where the items came from, including a memory from that time.
+A Blueprint for Building Your Own Fan Data Strategy on Tour

6. Set up a retro bundle

You might remember the days when you’d buy a physical copy of an album and it would include a lyric booklet with interesting artwork, song lyrics, never-before-seen photos, or handwritten annotations from the artist.Now that fans can purchase music online and carry it wherever they go, fewer people sit by a stereo poring over song lyrics and album artwork as they listen along.

If you’re an artist who wants to emphasize your lyrical output, create a bundle for fellow wordsmiths.You can write out your lyrics manually and scan them, or make something using graphic layout software if you want to get fancy. You can then print your lyric booklets through your local printer, or compile them digitally. Start with the lyric booklet for your item, then bundle it with your digital album to please all the fans who love your writing. This can be especially cool if you have an album of unreleased demos — fans love to explore songs that didn’t make the final album cut.

To make this bundle even more attractive, add a tote bag to the offer. Encourage fans to head to their local park, carrying the booklet in their new tote, to watch clouds and refer to the lyric sheets or artwork while they’re listening along. (Of course, you can set the scene to match the specific vibe of your music.) You can also format this as a lyric zine or chapbook to keep costs low and aesthetics (and indie factor) high.

Pro tip: Include a QR code in the booklet that links to a hidden playlist or voice notes.

Marketing your bundles

Now that you’ve made product bundles your fans will love, think about innovative ways to let your fans know they’re available. Marketing your band merch bundles can be as easy as posting a link to your online music store through your social media channels. To guide your fans from scroll to checkout, add strategies that broaden your reach:

Set up a landing page
Create and share a Smart Link
Invest in digital ad campaigns and track sales funnels
Use your mailing list by sending an exclusive offer
Post a short try-on, unboxing, or candid new music video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts)
Pin the bundle to the top of your music website during launch week
Consult fellow musicians for creative ideas to market your music online

Marketing your product bundles is a great way to sell more music. By creating a unique package that combines your music release with other merch products, you can creatively drum up interest from your fans, driving momentum toward your website and boosting your music sales. This can result not only in more money for you, but in deeper fan engagement as well, reinforcing your music career overall. Round out your strategy with a 'last-chance' email on the final day to capture fence-sitters.
+The Importance of Accurate Targeting in Advertising

Mini music bundle FAQ

What is a music bundle? A music bundle is a product package that combines your music (digital or physical) with band merch or fan experiences at a single price.

Do bundles count for charts? Sometimes. Billboard’s rules have changed over time; recent 'fan pack' rules allow limited merch-and-physical-album bundles to count, with tight restrictions. Always verify current guidelines before your launch.

How should I price a bundle? Aim for 15–30% savings for your fans vs. buying items separately, and clearly show the value in your bundle details.

What if I have leftover tour merch? Prepare a deadstock bundle: pair dated items with a fresh print or signed photo and price just above the new item’s cost to move that inventory quickly."

 

 

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