-
Spotify Now Selling Swag
January 20, 2014 at 11:33 AM (PT)
What do you think? Add your comment below. -
SPOTIFY is launching a new program to let artists list merchandise on the site for free, MEDIAPOST.COM reports. From now on, artists' pages will also display T-shirts, vinyl, posters and other items, powered by marketing software partner TOPSPIN.
The merchandising feature will roll out in nine countries at launch, including the U.S., U.K. and SWEDEN, where SPOTIFY is based. The company emphasized that neither it nor TOPSPIN are taking any fees or commissions in connection with the service, which allows artists to sell up to three items at any given time.
“We’ve been testing this merchandise functionality with a number of artists over the last month and the response from fans has been fantastic," SPOTIFY posted on its blog. "We’re really excited that SPOTIFY’s 24 million music-loving users can now see merchandise and concerts while listening to their favorite artists, and that we, in turn, can provide additional revenue opportunities for artists of all sizes."
SPOTIFY has been criticized by many in the artist community for underpaying its artists. The service claimed that it has paid more than $1 billion in royalties since its 2008 debut -- at an average of $0.0007 per play.

