Music merch sales boom amid bundling controversy
The music merchandising sector is in rude health, but its growth comes amid a backlash against bundling and its impact on the US charts
News By | 4 July 2019
Sales of music merchandise were worth nearly US$3.5 billion in 2018, IQ can reveal, as controversy continues to rage over bundling and its impact on record and box-office charts.
According to the Global Licensing Survey 2019, produced by trade body Licensing International (formerly LIMA), worldwide retail sales of licensed goods based on music properties were worth $3.48bn in 2018, up from $3.33bn in 2017 and $3.08bn in 2016.
Commenting on the growth in demand for music merch, the report says the move towards streaming (“low-margin…