Fans search for you on Google. They type your band name, an album title, sometimes a lyric. Google Merchant Center (GMC) puts something they can buy on that results page.
Musicians and bands use it to sell merch, albums and even concert tickets online.
What does GMC get you?
Sales from search, first. A search for your band name, an album or a lyric can show your products front and center. Your merch can even come up when people search a genre linked to your music.
Then YouTube. Connect GMC to YouTube and a fan watching your music video can buy the T-shirt you’re wearing in it.
It also opens up ads. Performance Max is a Google Ads campaign type that runs your ads across Google Search, YouTube, Discover and Google’s other platforms. With your products in GMC, you can run it for your merch. Part 6 gets into how.
Fans anywhere in the world can find your products this way, and GMC’s analytics show which ones they respond to. A garage band gets the same shot at those results as a global act.
How do you set it up?
The core steps are the same as for any online store.
- Verify and claim your website. It confirms to Google that you’re the one representing your band or brand.
- Write listings with something to say. For an album, add a line or a story about the songs. For merch, say what inspired the design.
- Set shipping and returns for fans everywhere. Offer international shipping, bundle deals and return policies that are easy on fans.
Which store platforms work with GMC?
All the major platforms connect to GMC. For musicians, three stand out.
Bandzoogle is built for musicians and supports GMC natively, so moving your merch store onto Google Shopping takes little effort. Shopify suits you if you sell a wide range, from digital albums to apparel, and its GMC integration keeps setup simple. Big Cartel is known for putting artists first, and it works well with GMC.
This week, verify and claim your website in Merchant Center. It's the first setup step.
