These music merchandise innovations range from AR festival gear apps to exclusive sneakers that celebrate hip hop alter egos. While the 'King-fu Kenny' Nike Cortez shoe pays tribute to Kendrick Lamar's alter ego, Coachella's recent AR shopping experience app is a collaboration between the annual music event and American Express.
While music merchandise has been in circulation for decades, the resurgence of exclusive and hard to obtain pieces has changed the definition of luxury among Millennial and Gen-Z audiences -- thanks to the hype surrounding merch and its limited stock. In addition to the rise of wearable music merchandise that is an elevated take on classic concert tees, celebrities are branching out with personalized cosmetics collaborations, cook books and even charitable snack kits that are promoted with their personal stamp.
Other music merchandise innovations to note include limited run merchandise pop-ups that follow a streetwear business model while taking products outside of a concert or e-commerce environment and into a stand-alone, brick-and-mortar space.
50 Music Merchandise Innovations
50
Specialized Custom Hoodies
Advisory Board Crystals Created a One-of-One Hoodie for a Rapper
49
American Parody Streetwear
Rapper Tommy Cash's Fashion Line is a Commentary on Pop Culture
48
Pizzeria-Themed Rapper Apparel
Yachty’s Pizzeria is a Pop-Up Showcasing the Star's New Merchandise
47
Celebrity Valentine's Day Merch
Beyonce Created a New Line of Valentine's Day Merch
46
Repurposed Popstar Streetwear
H&M Will Retail Justin Bieber's Leftover Stadium Merchandise
45
Co-Created Rapper Merchandise
2 Chainz and Gucci Ghost Team Up for an Exclusive Merchandise Range
44
Rapper Bodega Pop-Ups
A$AP Rocky's AWGE x Selfridges Bodega is Inspired by the Star's Home Town
43
Glowing Rapper Sneakers
The Converse One Star 'Toxic' Shoe is Designed by Yung Lean
42
Vibrant Rapper Clothing Lines
Tyler the Creator's Collection Features Brightly Colored Fan Apparel
41
Collectible Hip Hop Pins
Etsy's LeeRickCollective Shop Celebrates Famous Rap Icons
40
Hip Hop Comic Book Apparel
Pizzaslime and Wu Wear Joined to Create Black Panther Merchandise
39
Rapper-Made Merchandise Lines
A$AP Ferg Has Released His 'Mad Man' Line
38
Elusive Rapper Pop-Ups
This New Travis Scott Pop-Up Will Be Open for Two Days Only
37
Bootleg Band Tees
This Unofficial N*E*R*D Tee Was Created in Response to Sold Out Merchandise
36
70s-Inspired Music Video Merchandise
Selena Gomez Launched New Apparel to Promote 'Bad Liar'
35
Nostalgically Branded Music Apparel
Fool’s Gold Records Launched a New Collection for Spring
34
Trippy R&B Apparel
This Jhene Aiko Merchandise Promotes the Singer's Latest Album
33
Rapper Merch-Selling Pop-Ups
The Location of Damn Pop-Ups Will Coincide With Kendrick Lamar's Tour
32
Exclusive Mugshot Merchandise
Rapper Travis Scott Released a New T-Shirt with His Mugshot on It
31
Egyptian Queen-Inspired Merchandise
Beyoncé's New Merchandise is Inspired by the Queen Nefertiti
30
Colorful Slogan-Heavy Merchandise
BROCKHAMPTON Unveiled Its Merchandise For Spring/Summer 2018
29
Vivid Rapper-Designed Clothing
Converse X GOLF LE FLEUR* One Star Collaboration Released Apparel
28
Rapper-Influenced Lipstick Launches
The New MAC Nicki Minaj Line Boasts a Range of Stunning Nudes
27
Singer-Branded Holiday Merchandise
The Beyoncé Holiday Collection Features Apparel and Decor
26
Remixed Rapper Sneakers
The Skepta x Nike 'AIR MAX 97 SK' Shoe is Inspired by the Star's Childhood
25
Orange-Dyed Artist Merchandise
The Weeknd Launched 2018 RELEASE 001 in Collaboration with Bravado
24
Ice Cream-Emblazoned Sneakers
These Gucci Mane Sneakers Feature the Rapper's Iconic Ice Cream Cone
23
Exclusive Songstress Merchandise Lines
Urban Outfitters Released the Dangerous Woman Tour Merch
22
Fashion-Inspired Rapper Merchandise
Migos' 'Culture II' Merchandise Takes Inspiration from Gucci
21
NYC Rapper-Designed Sportswear
This Action Bronson Apparel Line Was Created with Packer Shoes
20
Iconic Music Duo Holiday Collections
This New Daft Punk Merchandise Line Includes Apparel and More
19
Vibrant Rapper-Made Tour Merch
Tyler the Creator's Flower Boy Tour Merchandise is Now Available
18
Cotton-Constructed Rapper Capsules
Joey Bada$$ Unveils His Highly Anticipated Collection With PONY
17
Designer Tour Merch Collaborations
Virgil Abloh Designed Kid Cudi's 'Mr. Rager' Tour Merchandise
16
Rapper-Inspired Clothing Lines
Fear of God's New Clothing Line Was Inspired by Jay Z's 4:44 Album
15
Old-School Rapper Sneakers
Vans and A Tribe Called Quest Created a Limited Range of Shoes for Kids
14
Rapper Alter Ego Sneakers
The New 'King-fu Kenny' Nike Cortez Honors Kendrick Lamar
13
AR Festival Merch Shops
At Coachella, American Express Unveiled a Shoppable AR Experience
12
Rap Duo Clothing Collaborations
Pacsun and Rae Sremmurd Released the Sremmlife Capsule Collection
11
Rapper-Reimagined Footwear Capsules
PUMA Tapped Big Sean for a Pop Culture Debut Collection
10
Exclusive Songstress Merchandise
Lady Gaga is Releasing 'Joanne' Merchandise at Urban Outfitters
9
Unabashed Rapper Lifestyle Books
'F*ck, That's Delicious' by Action Bronson is Lifestyle-Focused
8
Galaxy-Inspired Songstress Lines
Solange's Saint Heron Line Will Retail During Mercury Retrograde
7
Designer Rapper-Made Clothing Lines
Lil Wayne's Young Money Line is Retailed at Neiman Marcus
6
Musical Lipstick Campaign Collaborations
Spotify and Pat Mcgrath Have Partnered in 'So Obsessed'
5
Rap Legend-Inspired Sneakers
FILA's '96GL' Model Honors the Late Rapper 2Pac
4
Moody Singer Capsule Collections
The Weekend's Line Celebrates the Double Platinum Album 'Trilogy'
3
Charitable Gingerbread Cookie Kits
This Kit Benefits the Always Strive and Prosper Foundation
2
Musical Band Collectibles
Airspoken's Band Merchandise Helps Fans Instantly Access Digital Content
1
Rapper-Created Cocktails
Hennessy and A$AP Ferg Collaborated on a Campaign and a Cocktail
Related Ideas
Artist-Musician Streetwear Collabs
Post Malone and Takashi Murakami Partner on Apparel Collection
Artist-Inspired Printed Sneakers
Tyler, the Creator Reunites with Converse for a Sneaker Launch
Limited-Edition Festival Fashion Collections
Forever 21 Partners with Bunny Zingler & Rolling Loud
AR Runway Experiences
Vogue & Snap Created Custom Augmented Reality Experiences for Vogue World
AR Retail Kiosks
BIG Digital and DeepAR Bring Mobile & Desktop Try-Ons to Store Settings
Streetwear Festival Collaborations
Culture Kings Partner with Rolling Loud for a New Drop
RFID-Enabled Sport Sneakers
BANBROKEN ARTDesign Sport Shoes Have the TAP-Tech Feature
AR Fashion Pop-Ups
ZERO10 + Crosby Studios Set Up a Shop with Digital-Only Clothing
K-Pop Tech Accessories
Casetify and Aespa Collaborate on a Tech Accessories Line
Vintage-Inspired Legacy Sneakers
Nike and Foot Locker, Inc. Partner to Launch a New Collection
’90s Streetwear-Inspired Collections
Kangol's New Line is Inspired by Old School Streetwear Styles
Interactive Arcade Storefronts
JD & Snap London Created an AR Storefront for Christmas
Retro Sporty Luxe Accessories
adidas Presents a New Series of Nostalgic Retro Accessories
Expressive AR Fashion
Innovation Metaverse Design Story is a Digital Collection from H&M
Gen Z-Focused Fashion Labels
The 'MIXT' Label Caters to Youthful Fashion-Forward Indian Consumers
Hip Hop-Themed Purple Boots
Timberland Presents the New Hip Hop Royalty Boot with Stencil
Live-Painting Sneaker Experiences
The Martell Sneaker Atelier Turns Brainwaves into Unique Styles
Futurist Footwear Collections
Norse Projects Dropped the ARKTISK Footwear Capsule for 2023
Celebrity-Approved Luxury Fashion Lines
The Louis Vuitton x Tyler, the Creator Line is Chic
Digital Metaverse Sportswear
Adidas x Rush X on Roblox Shares Apparel & Accessories for Avatars
Rock Band Athletic Wear
Roark and Black Sabbath Unveil Thrilling Active Collection
Vintage-Inspired Football Apparel
Russell Athletic and Ceeze Launch the 'Kick-Off' Collection
Metaverse Fashion Collections
The DRx X Walker World Collab Features Digital & Physical Apparel
Flea Market-Inspired Apparel
Nike and Cactus Plant Partner to Launch a Six-Piece 'Go Flea' Capsule
Diverse Sporty Apparel Collaborations
Liverpool FC Joins Converse on a Collaborative Capsule
Experimental Virtual Sneaker Activations
Fendi Celebrates Its 'Faster' Sneaker in the Metaverse
Virtual Monster Sneakers
LG Electronics is Unveiling Digital Shoe NFTs at CES 2023
One-of-One Clothing Collections
mmERCH Uses Generative Design to Create "Neo-Couture"
New Wave-Inspired Fashion Collections
ALYX and END. Debut the Neon Capsule at Milan Fashion Week
DIY Fandom Initiatives
Scotiabank's Make it Merch Launch Promotes Inclusivity & Sustainability
Refined Festive Streetwear Staples
Axel Arigato Presents its Latest Range for the Holidays
Avant-Garde AR Wearables
Guild and the Fabricant Launched the Ground-Breaking 'Master Peace'
French Museum-Themed Tech Accessories
The Louvre Museum and CASETiFY Join Forces on a Capsule
Album Launch Merch Collections
SZA Launches Merchandise Celebrating the Launch of her SOS Album
Scent-Inspired Streetwear
The Fresh af Collection Shares Styles That Celebrate 25 Years of Febreze
Remixed Monogrammed Collections
The LV Remix Collection Celebrates Heritage While Looking Ahead
Content-Inspired Physical Retail Experience
Netflix House Creates a Space for Fans to Buy Merch
Artwork-Covered Tech Products
The Lexon x Keith Haring Collection Includes Four Products
Music-Informed Fashion Collections
Roc Nation and Moncler Join Forces on a New Capsule
AR Shopping Malls
American Express' Door to Shop Small Highlights 10 Small Businesses
Luxe Grocer Merch
The Erewhon x Balenciaga Collab Shares High-End Merch
Camo Streetwear Basketball Jerseys
Mitchell & Ness Teams Up with BAPE to Launch New NBA Capsule
Rapper-Backed Trilogy Merchandise
KAWS and Kid Cudi Debut the 'Man on the Moon' Box Set and Merch
Reimagined Rock Band Merch
NOAH and the Red Hot Chili Peppers Unveil New 'Unlimited Love' Merch
Menu-Inspired Merch Collections
Mellow Mushroom's Merch Conveys the Menu's Retro-Futuristic Style
Luxury Sportswear Capsules
Adidas Basketball Launches its Debut Luxury Sportswear Collection
Winter-Ready Minimal Apparel
Axel Arigato Presents a Look at its New Winter Apparel Designs
Avant-Garde Fall Menswear
Rick Owens Unveils the LUXOR Collection for Fall/Winter 2023
Punk-Informed Streetwear Capsules
MARKET and My Chemical Romance Join Forces on a Collection
Historic Fashion Try-Ons
The Design Museum's London Fashion Exhibition Integrates AR Mirrors
Fine Art-Inspired Fashion
Pacsun & The Met Collaborated on a Covetable Apparel Capsule
Dynamic Artful Outerwear Capsule
Moncler and adidas Join on the Art of Explorers Collection
Creative-Focused Sportswear Campaigns
adidas Celebrates Creativity with Ama Qamata and Dee Koala
Metaverse Fragrance Experiences
Fortnite & Armani Beauty Fragrance are Promoting Scents for Men
Hip Hop Fashion Exhibitions
MFIT Presents Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style
Hip Hop-Inspired Menswear
HIDDEN.NY Partners with Rap Group N.E.R.D On New Apparel Capsule
QSR-Inspired Apparel Capsules
Chick-fil-A Drops its First Unisex Merchandise Collection
AR Music Concerts
The Rolling Stones Bitmoji Show Lens Promotes a New Album
Olympic-Ready Elevated Footwear
Nike Optimizes its Air Cushioning Tech in New Range of Shoes
Mixed-Reality Shopping Apps
StockX Launched an Immersive Way to Shop with the Apple Vision Pro
Content House-Backed Collections
FaZe Clan and Nike Debut a New Apparel and Footwear Collaboration
Hip-Hop Heritage Jerseys
Mitchell & Ness Partners with Brands to Launch a Special Jersey Range
Holographic Game-Inspired Apparel
PUMA Unveils a New Collaboration with PlayStation
Festival-Backed Merch Collections
Levi's and Rolling Loud Boasts a Co-Branded Merch Collection
Personalized AI Album Covers
Hennessy Created an AI Tool That Turns Selfies into Hip-Hop Album Art
Rapper-Inspired Technical Jackets
Moose Knuckles Taps Post Malone For 10-Piece Outwear Collection
Digital-First Luxury Apparel
Maison Margiela Unveils a New Digital Product Collection with Mmerch
Retro-Tinged Beer-Branded Apparel
Coors Joins Huckberry to Launch a Capsule of Apparel
Circular Metaverse Capsules
H&M Releases a Metaverse-Inspired Collection at Its Williamsburg Store
Trendy Metaverse Sportswear
adidas Enters the Virtual World Through a Roblox Collaboration
Music-Collaborative Graphic Streetwear
AMBUSH Joins Forces with 88rising on ETERNAL SURF DREAM
Idol Singer Breakfast Promotions
Mos Burger Offers Dining Experience with Idols via AR
Exclusive Women-Celebrating Apparel Collections
Foot Locker Launches Women’s History Month Apparel
Collaborative Y2K Handbag Collections
Coach Teamed Up with Little Nas X for 'The Lil Nas X Drop'
Rapper Tour Graphic Merchandise
Kendrick Lamar Drops the Big Steppers Tour Merchandise
Sportswear Imprint Art Exhibitions
adidas Originals Presents the Originals Newcastle Exhibition
AR Fragrance Campaigns
Lacoste's Two-Day Experiential Pop-Up Targets Gen Z Shoppers
Interactive Phygital Hoodies
Beyond's Phygital Fashion Capsule Can Be Tried on with AR
Stylish Platform-Branded Merchandise
OnlyFans Debuts a Merchandise Capsule Ahead of Father's Day
Personalized Video Game Merchandise
MARKET Launches a Personalized 'Call of Duty' Collection
Fall-Centric Essential Streetwear
Pharrell and adidas Deliver the Premium Basics Collection
Retro Printed Casual Apparel
BLACK COMME des GARÇONS Joins Nike on a New Graphic Capsule
Streetwear-Informed Sporty Kits
Arsenal Football Club and maharishi Join on a New Capsule
Iconic Artist-Adorned Jeans Lines
The Lee x Jean-Michel Basquiat Capsule is Effortlessly Stylish
Rapper-Backed Tech Accessories
CASETiFY Debuts its First Collaboration with Drake's OVO Label
Vibrant Streetwear-Backed Accessories
Palace Unveils its New Collection of Accessories and Objects
Footwear Heritage-Honoring Fashion
Clints Celebrates its Footwear Archives in its Latest Capsule
Exclusive Vegan Lifestyle Sneakers
Reebok and Milk Makeup Unveil Apparel and Footwear Collection
Luxurious Graphic Retro-Tinged Fashion
YSL Presents The Vintage Collection of Band Merch
NYC-Inspired Lifestyle Capsule
Quatersnacks Joined Forces with Carhartt WIP on a Collection
Artist-Styled Nostalgic Lookbooks
AURALEE and New Balance Reimagine Archival Fashion Designs
Reimagined Footwear Releases
The Dr. Martens x ACW* FW22 Boasts an Incredibly Chic Aesthetic
Musician-Themed Online Games
Fortnite Festival Lets Players Get in on the Concert Action
Musician-Backed Luxury Fashion Capsules
Harry Styles and Gucci Presents its HA HA HA Collection
NBA-Themed Collaborative Apparel Collections
OVO and NBA Launch Collaborative City-Edition Apparel
Hip-Hop-Commemorating Concerts
Levi's and Rolling Loud Unite for an Intimate Little Simz Concert
AR Garment Try-Ons
H&M Launches a Virtual Try-On Lens Wearable Through Augmented Reality
AR-Fueled Musical Camera Apps
Minibeats by Artiphon Allows Users to Transform Their Movements
Musical NFC Hoodies
Balenciaga's Limited-Edition Apparel Shares an Exclusive Music Track
Basketball-Inspired Fashion Lines
The PUMA x Rhuigi Capsule Draws Inspiration from NYC Basketball
AR Secondhand Shops
American Eagle Outfitters' RE/AE Shop Spotlights Sustainable Goods
Artistic Musician-Backed Merch
Pharrell's JOOPITER Label Launches the 'Just Phriends' Merchandise
Sustainable Joint Graphic Accessories
Arvin Goods Joins Anwar Carrots on a New Graphic Collection
Music Group Graphic Streetwear
N*E*R*D Delivers the New 20 Years Strong Collection
Album-Inspired Vibrant Sneakers
9th Wonder Launches a Charles Doutit Design of the Nike KD 15
QSR-Inspired Graphic Merchandise
McDonald's and Cactus Plant Flea Market Drop a Capsule
Streaming Shows-Inspired Apparel Collections
Lacoste and Netflix Unveil New Apparel Collection
Collectibles-Focused Auction Departments
Department X by Christie's Shares Sneakers & Streetwear
Hip Hop-Honoring Exclusive Campaigns
Hennessy and cHIP sHOP Join Forces on a New Campaign
Artist-Approved Tech Accessories
Velvet Caviar Partners with Artist Keith Haring on a New Capsule
Jazz-Inspired Apparel Collections
The National Jazz Museum and Book Works Launching Tee Collection
Metal Band-Inspired Merchandise
Sleep Token Debuts a Carrying Collection Exclusively with Revolver
Vintage Game Tech Accessories
CASETiFY Unveils a Street Fighter-Themed Tech Collaboration
QSR Movie Merch Collections
Arby’s x GOOD BURGER 2 Merch Celebrates the Upcoming Movie
Football Singer Collections
Mitchell & Ness Unveils Exclusive Apparel Collaboration with USHER
Rapper-Collaborative Lifestyle Footwear
NOCTA and Nike Join Forces on a New Air Force 1 Sneaker
NYC Fall-Ready Militaristic Streetwear
maharishi Presents the Art of the Invisible Warrior
Music Producer-Backed Sneakers
DJ Khaled Presents the AJ 5 in a Crimson Bliss Colorway
Luxe Esports Merchandise Capsules
Mercedes-Benz Launches an Esports Collection with Saul Nash
Culturally Inspired Smartphone Accessories
The Samsung Accessories Lineup Showcases Artists
Hip-Hop-Inspired Apparel Collections
Stüssy and Gang Starr Announced New Collaboration Collection
Exclusive Subscription-Based Merchandise
Disney+ Expands Into E-Commerce with a Merch Shop
Limited Vibrant Graphic Streetwear
Roland Lifestyle Joins PLEASURES on a New Collection
Singer-Starring Outerwear Campaigns
LORENZ.OG Introduces a New Arc-Teryx Collection
Stylish Festival Merch Lines
Fragment Design and BLACKPINK Collaborate During Coachella 2023
Celebrity-Designed Wireless Earbuds
Kim Kardashian Partners with Beats for the 'Beats Fit Pro'
Dating Culture-Inspired Apparel
Grailz Taps 2000Archives for a New Dating App-Themed Capsule
Celebratory Hip-Hop Collaborations
Mitchell & Ness Collaborates with Legendary Graffiti Crew Tats
Label-Backed Musical Merch
Warner Music Partners with DRESSX for Digital Merchandise Collections
Nostalgic NFC-Enabled Sneakers
Puma’s Limited-Edition RS-XL Sneakers Link to Exclusive Content
Heritage Music-Inspired Menswear
Roland Joins BEDWIN & THE HEARTBREAKERS on a New Capsule
Stylish Rapper-Backed Merchandise
NBA Youngboy Debuts a New Capsule with Westside Merchandising
Music Culture-Honoring Graphic Tees
Patta's Dance T-Shirt Celebrates the UK's Music Culture
Jazz Artist-Starring Lookbooks
Ella Knight Stars in the Latest Billionaire Boys Club Series
Kung Fu-Themed Sporty Capsule
Better Gift Shop Celebrates the Hong Kong Kung Fu Club with Vans
Community-Honoring Eerie Graphic Merchandise
Boiler Room Presents its New Capsule for FW23
Collaboration Rum-Themed Merch
The Kraken Rum x Butcher Billy Merch is Here for One Week Only
Classic Americana Fall Streetwear
New Era Launches the MAKE IT YOURS Capsule for the FW22 Season
Luxe Artful Limited Vinyls
Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly Vinyl is Gucci-Cladded
App-Assistive Concert Discoveries
Apple Added Concert Discovery Features to Its Music and Maps