March 27, 2024
How to sell Music & Merchandise online using Rekisa
The art of music is characterized by its fluidity and creativity. Conversely, the act of marketing and selling music requires practical and dependable tools. Whether you are a musician, a DJ, or manage a record store, Rekisa provides all the necessary resources for selling your music and related merchandise through use of the internet.
The following resources are included:
· The option to download high-quality audio files with a maximum size of 25 GB per file.
· The option to complement digital downloads with physical items such as CDs, records, and cassettes.
· The option to include information about compatible media players in the product descriptions.
· The ability to integrate with drop shipping services like Printful, which can create and deliver merchandise with your custom design.
Now, let us explore all of this and learn precisely how to establish your store.
Aside from selling music and merchandise, your store provides the opportunity to sell event tickets, as well as services such as instructional sessions, instrument classes, and audio mastering. Moreover, you can gather donations from patrons who desire to show their appreciation and support.
Before delving into the details, here's a brief summary
It is advisable to create an account, if you haven't done so yet. All you need to provide is your name and email address.
After registering, you can begin configuring your store. This can be done through the general procedure shown below:
· Add your products
· Configure payment options
· Determine shipping/delivery/pickup methods
· Customize the appearance of your store.
This guide will cover all of the necessary steps, and you can refer to our article "Getting started with Rekisa" for a brief overview of the initial setup.
Once you have set up your store, it is possible to integrate it into nearly any website. If you already have a website, well done! It is a straight forward task to add a store with a simple copy and paste. If you do not have a website yet, no need to don't worry, as every Rekisa account includes a free Instant Site that as a store already set up.
The Free plan permits the sale of physical products, such as records or merchandise. However, if you want to sell downloadable files, a paid subscription is required. You may upgrade your Free plan at any time, either immediately or at a later date. To find out more about the Rekisa plans and features, please visit our website.
If you choose to subscribe to the paid plan, you will be able to utilize Rekisa's mobile applications for iOS or Android, and therefore handle your store remotely. On the other hand, with the Free plan, you can evaluate the mobile apps for a limited period of 28 days.
Establishing methods of payment
In the case where you don't intend to use your store as a catalog, such as having a physical record store where customers can only buy in-person without online sales, you must include at least one payment option. You can accomplish this by accessing the Payment page within the Rekisa website.
However, note that the type of payment option included will depend on the products you offer.
Providing online credit card payment is essential for selling downloadable files as it is the most efficient method for customers to purchase your music. So go ahead and select any payment gateway that is accessible in your region.
Selling physical items such as CDs, cassettes or merchandise and shipping them to different regions can be made easier through the use of online payments.
If you have a physical store where customers can collect their purchases in exchange for cash, or if you're considering accepting payment methods such as bank transfers or invoices, you have the option to utilize offline payments.
Include clear payment guidelines to ensure that the entire transaction is easily understood by your clients.
Establishing the process of delivering goods
If your intention is to exclusively sell digital files, then you may disregard this particular section. However, if you plan on offering physical items such as records or merchandise, it's necessary to consider the logistics of delivering the orders to your customers. The means of delivery can include:
· Self-pickup (where customers can come to a store to collect their orders, this is suitable for stores with a comfortable environment).
· Local delivery (service that delivers products to nearby areas).
· Shipping for national and international customers.
On the Shipping & Pickup page of your Rekisa administrator account, it is possible to establish methods for shipping, delivery, or pickup.
Acquire the knowledge of selecting the appropriate shipping approach for your shop.
Establishing and designing a store and website.
In case you want to incorporate your store into a pre-existing website, you just need to modify the appearance of your storefront in a way that allows it to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the website.
If you don't currently have a website, fear not! You can utilize our Instant Site service. Within the Website section, there is an Overview tab where you can access the Edit Site function. This will take you to the Instant Site editor which makes it simple to add content to your website. The good news is that you have the option of utilizing pre-designed website templates to quicken the process.
After completing the task, you have the option to further customize your store and website by applying your own branding or incorporating some CSS.
Ensure that you include hyperlinks to your social media profiles.
Additionally, you have the option to associate a domain with your Instant Site to make your web address more prominent (for example, yourbandname.com instead ofhttps://yourbandname.company.site).
Further reading:
· Configuring design and content for New-gen Instant Site
· Adding welcome texts and banner sin your store
Creating products: Music
In order to market music, it is necessary to transform it into items that can be sold in your shop. In your situation, a product can refer to any sound piece that you wish to sell separately, such as an album, a single track, a sample pack, or a collection of beats.
The method of adding products can vary depending on whether you intend to sell them digitally or in a physical format. The following are detailed instructions for the most common scenarios.
Case 1: Selling your music through physical means
E.g. CDs, vinyl records, cassettes, or any other form of medium that is available, it is a straightforward process to add these items to your store. Adding and selling physical media products can be done in a matter of minutes.
One strategy to enhance the customer's listening experience is by offering additional products that complement vinyl, such as microfiber cleaning cloths or storage boxes. By doing so, customers will have the option to purchase all the necessary items in one place.
If you want to include a physical object in your shop, here's what you should do:
1. Navigate to Catalog and select Products. Then, click on the + Add New Product button.
2. Next, fill in the Name field with the title of your album or single on the page that appears.
It is possible to input the name of the band and some initial details such as the year of release. However, it is recommended to avoid adding excessive information to this field.
3. To share information with your customers, include the track list and other details in the Description section.
4. If you use product SKUs, make sure to enter the product Weight and SKU.
5. You can add photos of the product by clicking on + Upload Images. Since physical media are valued for their authenticity and design, feel free to add as many images as you need to showcase your product. Insert a link: learn how to capture good product photos.
6. In the Pricing section, set the price either as a fixed amount or use the Pay What You Want pricing where customers can pay what they think is appropriate (with a minimum price level set by you).
7. Save your changes.
Great! The item has been successfully added to your store. Click on "Open in storefront" to view how it appears there.
Once you have established your payment and delivery procedures, clients have the ability to purchase this product from you.
You can keep a record of your inventory to avoid overselling by utilizing an automated tracking system. It is recommended to attach ribbons to new releases to distinguish them.
Subtitles and attributes can provide relevant but less significant details such as genre, record label, etc.
To facilitate customer navigation in your store, consider creating categories especially if you offer a diverse range of products.
Case 2: Selling your music through digital means
A beneficial option to quickly distribute your artwork is by selling digital files. As soon as you finish creating your music track, album, or sample, you can offer it to your audience without having to wait for physical copies to be produced.
Rekisa will provide the hosting for all the files, and you have the flexibility to attach as many files as you require, with each file having a maximum size of 25 GB.
To incorporate a downloadable item into your store:
1. Visit Catalog → Products and select+ Add New Product.
2. Input the album/track title and other important information into the Name field.
3. Within the Description field ,provide the track list and any other information you want to share with your customers. This is also where you can clarify that the item is a digital release by describing the download process (for instance, "upon purchase, you will receive a link to a high-quality MP3 (320 kbps) download").
4. Select + Upload Images to include the cover and any other visuals that represent the release (such as a back cover or artwork).
5. Deselect the Requires shipping or pickup option.
6. To establish the price for your product or service, navigate to the Pricing section. You have the option to either establish a set price or implement our Pay What You Want model, which enables customers to pay whatever amount they desire (with a minimum price level that you establish).
7. Then proceed to the Files tab and select the + Upload Files option as shown below.
8. To get started, click on "Choose file" and pick a file from your device. This file can either be a one sound file or a compressed .zip file that has all the tracks, lyrics, and artwork in it.
9. If you prefer to have your download split into multiple pieces, you can click on the plus sign and add more files as an option.
You are allowed to include up to 10 files at once. Therefore, if you require additional files, you can simply duplicate the process once you have uploaded the initial set of 10 files.
10. Select the option "Upload Files"
11. If you wish, you can provide a brief explanation of the file in the Description field once it has been successfully uploaded.
The message that will be displayed on the download link for your customers to click on after they receive their orders can be customized. Leaving this field blank will result in the link displaying the same text as the file name on your device. For example, if the file name is "Twirling Green.mp3," the link will show that exact name.
The link to the file is created using the location of the file on your device. As an illustration, the link https://my.Rekisa.com/file/37497010/66891534/55851991/Twirling%20Green.mp3 is an instance of such a link.
12. Click on Save.
Great! You have successfully added the track/album/sample pack to your store.
Once your payment gateway is established, customers can purchase this audio item from your store without the need for shipping or delivery, as it is entirely digital.
After the payment has been made and the order status is updated to "Paid", customers will receive the download link automatically.
Further reading:
Learn how downloading the files looks to your customers and how you can protect and manage your download links →
Digital product buyers within the European Union are required to pay value-added tax at the applicable rate in their own nation, regardless of the seller's location.
Case 3: Selling your music through digital and physical means
There are two methods to sell the same music in different formats.
1. Firstly, you can list downloads and physical releases separately as individual products in your store and link them together through the "You may also like" section. This will allow customers to see other available formats as related products.
2. Alternatively, you can offer product options and variations on a single page, allowing customers to select their preferred format of purchase, whether it is a download or a combination of a download and a record. The price will differ depending on the selection made.
Let's focus on the second strategy, which involves offering your release in three different options:
· MP3 format only, priced at R6.
· MP3 format along with a CD, priced at a total of R10.
· MP3 format along with a Vinyl record, priced at a total of R25.
To include multiple formats in a single product:
1. Navigate to Catalog and select Products, then choose to Add New Product.
2. Input the name of the album or single and other essential information in the Name field.
3. In the Description section, add the list of tracks and any other pertinent information to share with your customers. You may also describe the various packages available (such as MP3,CD, and Vinyl in our case).
4. Enter the maximum weight of the product and, if applicable, the SKU.
5. To include images such as the cover and artwork, select + Upload Images.
6. In the Pricing section, set the base price for the product. For instance, in our example, the cost is R6.
7. Navigate to the Files tab and select the + Upload Files button.
8. Choose a file (or multiple files) from your device to upload. You can upload as many files as necessary for your product, but no more than 10 at a time. If you need to add more files, simply repeat the process after the initial 10 are uploaded.
9. Once the files are selected, click Upload Files.
10. Additionally, you have the option to enter a file description in the Description field, which will appear on the download link for your customers.
11. Click Save once you have completed this step.
12. After all of your files have been uploaded, head to the Options tab and select + Add New Option.
13. Enter the name "Package" (or any other name that represents the formats included in your release) in the Option name field.
14. Click + Add New Value and input the name of the first format, such as "MP3" in this example
15. To add another option, click on the button labeled "+ Add New Value" and type in the name of the second choice. For instance, let's say the second option is "MP3 +CD."
16. In the Price modifier section, input the amount R4. The base product costs R6, while selecting the"MP3 + CD" option will cost R10. Therefore, by adding $4 to the base price, the total price will become R10.
17. To add the third option "MP3 +Vinyl", click on the "+ Add New Value" button again.
18. Enter R19 in the Price modifier field, which will make the total price R25 (R6 + R19).
19. If you want customers to choose a format before adding the product to their cart, tick the "Do not preselect default value" field. However, if you want a certain package option to be selected by default on the product page, untick the "Do not preselect default value" field and select the default package option (e.g., MP3).
20. You can complete the setup now, but if you don't want the digital-only option to require shipping or pickup at checkout, you should create product variations. To do this, go to Options→ Variations.
Under the Business and Unlimited plans, there are options for different versions of the product.
21. Select "MP3" from the options list by clicking on the dropdown menu and then clicking on "New Variation".
22. Deselect the option that says "Requires shipping or pickup" and then press the "OK" button.
23. If you want, you can also make different versions for your "MP3 + CD" and "MP3 + Vinyl" choices.
By utilizing product variations, you can allocate weight, image, and SKU to each type of package, and monitor the inventory of your CDs and records separately. Further information on how to manage product options and stock.
24. Click on save.
That’s it! Your product is available in your store. Customers now have the option to select their preferred format for purchasing your music: either as a standalone MP3, as a combination of MP3 and CD, or as a combination of MP3and vinyl.
Once the payment for the order is made, customers can obtain digital downloads, while the physical component needs to be shipped using the delivery/shipping methods that have been established in your store.
At present, there is no provision to include various file formats (such as MP3, WAV, and FLAC) as product options for customers to choose from. Instead, all the product files are downloadable together.
Improving the quality of product descriptions by adding audio samples
The built-in text editor provides the ability to create visually appealing and informative product descriptions. Its features include:
· Incorporation of images,
· Incorporation of links
· Incorporation of videos such as a new single or a live performance.
· Additionally, users can utilize different font colors for elements like lyrics
· Edit text in HTML mode
· Etc.
Adding music samples for customers to preview before purchasing is a simple process that can be done while editing the description in HTML mode.
To include a player for a track:
1. Upload the track to a file hosting platform, such as your website. This can either be the complete version of the track or a brief preview.
2. To access a specific product (such as an album), navigate to Catalog > Products within your Rekisa administrator interface.
3. Then, click on the < > symbol within the Description field to switch to HTML mode.
4. Use this piece of code:
5. Insert the code you have copied into the Description section and modify the section the link part into the link to your file.
6. Save changes made.
7. Repeat this process for all the remaining music samples that you intend to include in order to demonstrate this release.
That’s it! The product description includes a track or a list of tracks that are ready to be listened to.
Your music samples are now available for your customers to listen to multiple times before making a purchase.
Additionally, you have the ability to customize the color of the player controls using CSS to match the design of your website. The code for this customization is provided below.
Substitute the hexadecimal color code #a0276e with the desired color code that you want to be displayed.
Further reading:
· Click here to learn how to incorporate CSS code into your store.
It is possible to utilize services such as SoundCloud to upload your music and insert tracks or playlists into product descriptions using codes in HTML mode.
Further reading:
· Using the built-in text editor
· Adding tabs to product descriptions
· Adding a video to a product description
Producing items such as merchandise for sale
A typical range of merchandise includes items such as stickers, posters, enamel pins, cups, and branded clothing. However, you can get creative and develop your own merchandise, like jewelry or specially designed collections that represent the essence and style of your music.
If you're not interested in manufacturing merchandise yourself, you can partner with Printful. By integrating your store with Printful, you can select from a variety of their products and easily add your graphics, such as a logo. To discover more about using Printful, check out their website.
In order to offer merchandise for sale, you must create them as separate items within your shop:
1. Navigate to the Catalog section and select the Products option. Then, select the option to add a new product by clicking on the + symbol.
2. Input the product name, such as "Logo Women's Tee," into the designated Name field.
3. Provide additional details about the product in the Description field, including information about the fabric, size chart, design concept, and other relevant information.
Discover the method of breaking down comprehensive product explanations into appealing accordion sections.
4. Provide the product weight and SKU (if applicable).
5. Then, select the option to upload images of the product, which can include pictures of people wearing the products, it is also recommended to show different angles of the item.
6. Next, set the price in the Pricing field, choosing between a fixed price or utilizing our Pay What You Want pricing model, which allows customers to pay any amount they wish (with a minimum price level that you set).
7. You may also add product options such as size and color on the Options tab and create product variations from them.
8. If necessary, enter the quantity you have in stock in the Stock Control field.
9. Finally, save your changes.
Great! The item has been included in your store. To check its appearance, you can select the "Open in storefront" option:
Once you have established your payment and shipping options, customers can purchase this merchandise from you.
To entice customers to purchase your products, include different types of discounts.
What’s next?
The following are the subsequent actions that you can take with Rekisa stores beyond just selling your music and merchandise:
· Incorporate a mini-blog to document your updates
· Send newsletters
· Customise email notifications to match your style and tone
· Generate staff accounts for employees who process orders
· Link your Instagram and Facebook accounts
As opposed to traditional businesses, you already possess the products and a targeted audience. All that is left is for you to commence the selling phase.
You can select the settings that suit your preferences and start disseminating your art to individuals worldwide.
Guides in this section
· Selling music and merchandise online
· Selling clothes online: how to set up an apparel store
· Selling food online: how to start your business
· All things festive: selling gifts and flowers online
· How to sell art online
· Selling event tickets online with Rekisa
Recently reviewed articles
· Using the built-in text editor
· Adding tabs to product descriptions
