Shirtify helps Musicians make money from their online music
Vancouver startup Wantering launched their latest project today - Shirtify. And it sounds like a great idea.
The basic premise is really simple: you listen to music on your favourite online music service and the Shirtify system sends you a t-shirt from your most listened to bands.
Users sign up for a Shirtify account, link it with their music listening history, and are delivered a new band t-shirt every month from their most listened to artists.
In addition to keeping its customers looking hip, Shirtify also offers a new way to support musicians. Unlike online radio services like Spotify, music download services like iTunes, or CD sales, merchandise revenue typically goes directly to artists without going through record labels first.
This means that a signed artist could earn ~100X more from a t-shirt sale than an iTunes download, and ~2250X more than a Spotify play. Plus, you can’t illegally download a t-shirt for free. All Shirtify shirts are either sold directly by the band, or are officially licensed, to maximize payout to artists.
Shirtify offers monthly and annual plans, as well as 3-shirt gift packs for the music aficionado on your holiday shopping list. The monthly plan is $35 in the US and $40 in Canada, including free shipping and a “no questions asked” return policy.
Wantering was co-founded by Nick Cairns, Peter Cellik, Matt Friesen, and Nick Molnar.
It's been a big day for Friesen - early today he annouced that his digital production house Thirdi has been acquired by HootSuite creator Invoke Media.
