There’s been a lot of activity at the top tier of the music merchandise business lately. Last week saw Sony Music’s merchandising division, The Thread Shop, ink a deal to acquire the music merch division of The Araca Group.
This week brings more news from this increasingly lucrative sector.
Represent, which was bought by Custom Ink in 2016 for $100 million, has acquired Sidestep, a service enabling artists to sell concert merchandise to their fans before, during, and after live events.
The likes of Beyoncé, Selena Gomez, Adele, Guns N’ Roses, Panic! at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Carrie Underwood, Train, and Sia have previously used Sidestep to sell concert merch.
Beyoncé and her management company Parkwood Entertainment even invested $150,000 into the platform a few years ago.
Following the acquisition, founder and CEO of Sidestep Eric Jones will take a new role as Represent’s Head of Music, responsible for all Represent products, sales, and solutions designed for artists and events in the music industry.
Based in Los Angeles, Sidestep was launched in 2014, and it has expanded its services since then to support concert experiences across North America, Europe, and Australia.
Using Sidestep’s website or mobile app, fans can pre-order t-shirts or other apparel before the show and skip the long lines to pick them up, or they can make purchases even if they can’t attend the event. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Represent is a digital marketing and merchandising platform that allows celebrities and influencers to sell merchandise through limited-run campaigns or evergreen custom stores.
Sidestep will be integrated into the Represent platform to create a “full-service merchandise solution” for artists and entertainers, allowing them to seamlessly design, market, print, and distribute custom merchandise to fans around the world for every event and opportunity.
“Our ultimate vision was to reshape the industry more broadly by extending each concert experience to fans around the world. With this new partnership, we’re in such an incredible position to fulfill that original goal and vision, and we are thrilled to be doing so alongside the incredible teams at Represent and Custom Ink.”
Eric Jones, Sidestep
“When we first launched Sidestep, our goal was to super-serve artists in the music industry by bridging the gap between technology and merchandising to make it easier to sell and distribute merch,” said Sidetep’s Jones.
“Our ultimate vision was to reshape the industry more broadly by extending each concert experience to fans around the world. With this new partnership, we’re in such an incredible position to fulfill that original goal and vision, and we are thrilled to be doing so alongside the incredible teams at Represent and Custom Ink.”
“By integrating Sidestep’s technology into the Represent platform, artists get access to a full-service solution that helps fans buy new merchandise throughout the year, from viral social media-driven campaigns to tour pre-orders and evergreen fan gear.”
Daniel Rosenberg, Represent
Daniel Rosenberg, COO of Represent added: “When you’re at a concert, the last thing you want to be is stuck in line and missing the music.
“Using Sidestep, artists can ensure higher sales and happier fans by offering easy advance and on-site orders for their fans, so they can spend less time waiting and more time wearing the merchandise.
“By integrating Sidestep’s technology into the Represent platform, artists get access to a full-service solution that helps fans buy new merchandise throughout the year, from viral social media-driven campaigns to tour pre-orders and evergreen fan gear.”Music Business Worldwide
