Spotify has launched an in-app dedicated Merch Hub that will offer personalized purchase recommendations based on listening habits. Previously, the music streamer’s shopping opportunities were through artist profile pages as well as via the Now Playing view and new release pages. Now, “instead of having to browse artist by artist, this update makes it easier than ever to access all artist merch in one place,” Spotify says. Last year, the streamer reported “the highest-grossing merch sales week for artists in Spotify history” in its annual Wrapped report.

For artists struggling to make money from streaming, merch offers a lifeline,” The Verge writes, noting “Spotify does not take a cut from sales” in an attempt to make up for “how little artists take home from their music streams.”

Merchandise sales are notable for being high-margin. “If Spotify wants to keep artists happy (or at least stop them from revolting), the company has to make merch part of the user experience,” The Verge suggests.

Items on offer at the Merch Hub on launch include T-shirts, vinyl records and a brass Lana Del Rey lighter. Taylor Swift and Metro Boomin were also prominently featured in the new merchandise displays.

“Spotify pulls personalized recommendations for you, specifically, into your merch hub experience, so offerings from your favorite artists find you — not the other way around,” Spotify Product Marketing Manager Heather Ellis tells TechCrunch.

The announcement “comes as Spotify has been spotted gearing up for the launch of a $19.99 per month ‘Superpremium’ subscription tier that would come with lossless audio, AI playlists, advanced mixing tools, additional hours of audiobook listening and a personalized offering called ‘Your Sound Capsule,’” TechCrunch reports. The new tier is reportedly going to let users filter content by mood, genre or activity.

The Merch Hub is powered by Shopify, which has been working with Spotify for the past two years (and also works with YouTube). In recent weeks, Amazon Music launched its own merch hub serving 600,000 artists as part of a collaboration with Bandsintown.

Related:
Shop for Merch from Your Favorite Artists in Spotify’s New Hub, Spotify, 10/16/23
Spotify Rolls Out ‘Dedicated Merch Hub’ After Retooling Artist-Profile Tabs, Digital Music News, 10/17/23