Ecommerce platform Shopify has announced a new integration with music streamer Spotify to propagate merch sales.
Now, artists can connect their Shopify shops directly to their Spotify profiles to sell their merch and other non-traditional products. The new tools also enable artists and their teams to manage inventory and control which items are featured on their profiles.
Shopify will allow artists on its service to connect their Spotify profiles with their Shopify stores, allowing them to market their merchandise directly to fans through the Spotify app. After connecting their Spotify for Artists accounts with their Shopify online store, artists will be able to sync their product catalog to Spotify to showcase whichever products they choose on their profile in the streaming music app.
From there, fans will be able to browse the products and make purchases. In addition to enabling easier access to artists’ existing Shopify stores, the integration could offer an additional revenue stream for artists that had not yet established a merchandise website and could give those who already have a website elsewhere a reason to switch to Shopify’s platform.
Shopify says it already powers the websites for thousands of artists who are expanding their businesses beyond music alone to build “fully realized” brands.
“Artists today are entrepreneurial. They’re building multifaceted brands and businesses, and now we’re making it easier for them to meet fans where they are,” said Amir Kabbara, Shopify’s director of Product, in a statement. “By bringing entrepreneurship to Spotify, we’re empowering artists to think beyond the traditional merch table with new ways to monetize, and to experiment with their brands through commerce.”
While any artist globally can link their Shopify store, during this beta period, Shopify merch will only be visible to listeners in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S.