The Shopify x Spotify Collab We’ve Been Waiting For!
It’s official, artists can now sell on Spotify via Shopify! In this blog post, we explore the details of this swanky new sales integration (a collaboration that we speculated on back in 2019!), along with its impact on musicians and fans.
Written By
Hannah Smiddy
Back in March 2019, the musically-minded team here at Swanky got to thinking about a potential sales integration between Shopify and Spotify. We thought it would be pretty cool if one day, artists would be able to link their Shopify stores with their Spotify profiles to promote and sell merch.
We even wrote a blog post about it, which you can read here.
Well, fast forward two and a bit years, and it’s actually happened! Yes, musicians are now able to sell directly to their fans on Spotify using Shopify.
Speaking in a LinkedIn post about this boost to artists’ ecommerce capabilities, Shopify President Harley Finkelstein said:
“We see artists and creators as the next generation of entrepreneurs, and with this integration, we’re empowering artists to monetize across every surface where their fans are.” 1
This integration between two of tech’s biggest names makes it easy for an artist to list their merch on their Spotify profile, where listeners are already engaging with their music most. It means that fans can buy where they listen and support their favourite artists directly with just a couple of clicks.
Start selling on Spotify with Shopify
To get started, all you need is admin access to your Spotify for Artists account and a Shopify store.
Simply log in to your Spotify for Artists dashboard (on desktop), head to the “Profile” tab, and hit “Merch” to connect to your Shopify store.
You’ll then be able to choose three items from your Shopify store to feature on your artist profile.
Source: Shopify
You can manage everything about your store from your Shopify admin, including inventory and orders. Speaking of inventory, out-of-stock items will automatically get removed from your profile – meaning customers can enjoy a frustration-free shopping experience.
What’s more, you can leverage Shopify functionality to turn your biggest fans into your most loyal customers. For instance, you can reward superfans with discounts or pre-sale access, and keep the conversation going with Shopify Email.
Source: Shopify
The impact on musicians and fans
We caught up with Ben Homer, Head of Client Services at Swanky and budding musician, to get his thoughts now that the Shopify x Spotify integration we speculated about in 2019 has become a reality. What are the benefits of the partnership for both artists and fans?
“It’s pretty cool that this integration has actually come to fruition! I remember discussing this a couple of years ago and thinking what a game-changer it would be if it ever happened.
Being able to sell on Spotify via Shopify provides a much slicker merch discovery experience for fans, not to mention makes the sales process a lot easier for artists, freeing up time to focus on their music.
First off, it lessens the admin burden for artists, as they no longer have to create and manage a whole new Merchbar sales channel on Spotify. It also reduces the technical complexity of selling merch online as a musician – you don’t need to be a technical expert to get set up and start making sales.”
So, what are you waiting for? Set up your 24/7 merch table with Shopify and Spotify now!
And, in the meantime, we’ll get our crystal ball out to predict the next swanky Shopify sales integration 🔮😜
For reference:
[1] https://www.linkedin.com/posts/harleyf_as-of-today-musicians-can-sell-directly-activity-6856591172270465024-quCR