Why Every Band Needs Custom T-shirts

[caption id="attachment_1644" align="aligncenter" width="575"]Band T-Shirt Infographic Image source: Guycodeblog.mtv.com[/caption]   When it comes to marketing, the way that you advertise your brand can be even more important than your message. Musicians and bands are great examples of this. Musicians rely almost entirely on word of mouth and online marketing to share their music with the world. It's rare to see billboards and TV ads, two staples of modern marketing, advertise a band's new CD.   Why is that? A lot of comes down to psychology. Music is an art form that's all about creativity and individual expression. By contrast, many people view corporations as authoritative organizations that stifle creativity and promote uniformity. A billboard or TV commercial advertising a new band sends out the wrong message. Even if a billboard announces a new CD that's about to hit the shelves next week, the subtle implication of the billboard is that the band has sold out, that they're focusing on profit margins and marketing rather than the spirit of their music.   [caption id="attachment_1645" align="aligncenter" width="400"]The Art of the Band T-Shirt Image source: Ebookstore.sony.com[/caption]   It's no surprise that bands rely on custom t-shirts and websites like MySpace to advertise their music. Unlike billboards and commercials, the Internet is a place that promotes creativity and freedom of expression, which is the prefect climate for innovative musicians. It's a similar situation with custom clothing. Whenever a person puts on a shirt that has the name of his favorite band, the message he sends out is, "I'm not wearing this shirt because I'm trying to help some company sell a product -- I just really like their music."   It's absolutely imperative that musicians get a line of custom screen printed t-shirts. Somewhere between practicing their very first song in a garage and signing that multi-million dollar record deal, every band has to figure out how to share its music with the world. For the past 50 years or so, eye-catching band t-shirts have been instrumental in enabling diehard fans to advertise their favorite bands to their friends.   [caption id="attachment_1646" align="aligncenter" width="413"]Celebrity in Ramones T-Shirt Image source: Gigwise.com[/caption]   If you're a member of an upstart band that just landed its first gig, then you really ought to start shopping around for an edgy t-shirt design that really captures the essence of your band. Why? Well, to put it simply, there just aren't many other options available. You can talk to your fans on Twitter and upload your music to YouTube, but outside of social media, word of mouth marketing is the best way to drum up local support for your music.   Screen printing is definitely better than embroidery for band t-shirts. Embroidery tends to look professional and old-fashioned, which is hardly the message that most rock bands want to send out. Screen printing, on the other hand, can easily create massive, colorful images. You might want to aim for brightly-colored yellow or red shirts that will stand out as you sell your band t-shirts in the dim light of a night club or concert hall. If you're trying to attract as many fans as possible, then the classic black-on-white is going to have a hard time competing with pyrotechnics and strobe lights.   [caption id="attachment_1647" align="aligncenter" width="460"]Band T-shirts at a Music Festival Image source: Static.guim.co.uk[/caption]    
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