A Q&A with Youvmerch, the bright spot of independent music merchandise
Typically we cover independent artists across the spectrum, but when a company comes across our desk like this, it was 100% a no-brainer to have a quick chat. Mathew Marrone of Youvmerch was kind enough to answer some our questions surrounding what it’s like to run an independent merchandise company these days. We learned plenty about the industry, but go ahead and learn for yourselves by reading our Q&A below!
WWAM: For people discovering youvmerch for the first time, what is the company all about?
Youvmerch: We're the indie label of the artist merch industry. Much like owning your masters, it's important to own your merch business. And unlike traditional merch companies, artists who work with us keep 100% of what's theirs.
WWAM: How did youvmerch first come together?
Youvmerch: We were all reflecting on our experiences in the music industry at a cafe while home for Christmas. Realizing how beneficial Mat's streetwear infrastructure was to poptropicaslutz!'s merch business, it felt wrong not to share the wealth with other artists who could benefit just as much.
WWAM: What inspired you to challenge the traditional merchandise model?
Youvmerch: Christian experienced the penny pinching of touring. Trying to profit on tour, artists can compromise on cheaper equipment, transportation, etc., all of which can have a negative impact on the show/morale of the touring party. When it came down to it, the only way to maximize profit margin without sacrificing the quality of the show or quality of life, was to save on merch. With Uvsailles’ production infrastructure, there was a clear path to do so. This ended up being the factor that made poptropicaslutz! exponentially more profitable on tour.
WWAM: What makes youvmerch different from larger merchandise providers?
Youvmerch: There are two routes you can take when you’re an artist. You can work with a company who will front the cost of your merch in exchange for a percentage of your profit. The other route is to use a contract printer who will tack on miscellaneous ghost fees and more likely than not, be unable to service a touring band’s needs. We clearly saw that we could sit somewhere between the two, taking the strengths of each while dropping the shortcomings.
WWAM: Why do you think so many artists are paying more than they should for merchandise?
Youvmerch: It just became the status quo of the merch industry to charge outrageous prices because companies knew that they could get away with it, but we're here to show them that they can't. Artists don't know the true cost of a tee with a print on it. A lot of people thought that our pricing was too good to be true till they worked with us and now people realize that it's possible and it's changing the narrative.
WWAM: Beyond lower costs, what are some of the biggest pain points you currently see in the industry?
Youvmerch: An artist who runs out of merch on a Saturday night doesn’t want to wait for an answer from their merch supplier until Monday. There’s a clear discrepancy between an artists’ needs on tour and what they’re getting from their merch suppliers. We’ve heard so many horror stories about late deliveries, lack of communication and overall misunderstanding of what is required when supplying a tour. We’ve been there firsthand so when somebody calls us on a Sunday night with a tight deadline, we’re there to solve the problem. No support ticket needed.
WWAM: What has been the response from artists so far?
Youvmerch: Disbelief. They’re able to make great margins on tour. They’re able to see their artistic vision come to life without compromise or parameters. They have a point person from start to finish that will be there to be their personalized merch department all along their tour. Abstracting the complexity of tour merch fulfillment is something we haven’t seen other companies achieve. More times than not, this is what makes or breaks a successful tour run.
WWAM: What's the long-term vision for youvmerch?
Youvmerch: Our long-term vision is to be the north star for touring artists. We want them to have ownership over their merch business while we facilitate bringing their vision to life.
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