Hey everyone,
I run a small independent merch operation focused on distributing band merchandise in Asia. There’s a strong demand here for artists from the US and Europe, but official merch is often hard to access or becomes too expensive due to shipping and logistics.
I see a real opportunity to act as a kind of “official Asia merch partner” for these artists—helping make their merch more accessible to fans in this region.
I’ve already done a few collaborations with artists, and they’ve gone well. Now I’m trying to expand the catalog and build more long-term partnerships—similar to companies like Evil Greed, Hello Merch, or Cold Cuts Merch.
I’m curious:
- How do companies like these typically approach artists or labels?
- Is it more effective to go through labels, managers, or directly to the band?
- What kind of deal structures tend to work best (rev share, licensing, etc.)?
- Any advice on building trust as a smaller operation working across regions?
Would really appreciate any insights—especially from anyone on the artist, label, or merch side.
Thanks a lot 🙏