Want to cut right to the case? The best ecommerce platforms for musicians right now are Nexcess and Wix.
From selling merchandise to booking gigs, there are tons of reasons why musicians seek out e-commerce platforms.
For some artists, the right e-commerce site will be a place where fans and listeners can download their music, purchase an album, or score some exclusive merch like a shirt or a poster. For others, like wedding bands or live performers, an e-commerce platform allows them to promote their available services and book gigs.
There are a multitude of great e-commerce platforms out there for musicians, each with different capabilities and benefits that set them apart. From the variety of features offered, to the cost and range of customization options, every platform has a unique position in the market, and it can be hard to decide which is the best.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the most popular e-commerce options on the market that musicians and artists use to sell their services. Read on to discover our recommendations, and what we like best about each of these top e-commerce platforms for musicians.
Best Ecommerce Platforms For Musicians, Bands & Artists (Summary)
| Brand | Starting price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nexcess | $18/month | User-friendly interface |
| 2. Wix | $29.95/month | Businesses of all sizes |
| 3. BigCommerce | $19/month | Customizability |
| 4. Thumbtack | Request quote | Selling and buying services |
| 5. AirGigs | 8 – 15% | Hiring professional session musicians |
| 6. Fiverr | 20% commission fee | Freelance musicians |
| 7. Shopify | $29/month | Global scale |
1. Nexcess Storebuilder
Storebuilder by Nexcess is a powerful, intuitive, and easy-to-use software for eCommerce stores. Though not a music-specific platform, it does have features that musicians and bands can utilize.
Why it’s great
Nexcess Storebuilder provides amazing tools and features that make designing and creating an online store for all kinds of products very easy. You do not need coding knowledge, and you get many customization options. Storebuilder supports sales of all kinds of digital products, and as a musician, you can curate your music store to upload and market your songs and albums. You can add a feature for your fans to download your songs and albums or listen to them online.
Storebuilder comes with an SSL and is PCI-compliant, and you can set up payment channels to accept payments, such as PayPal and Stripe. With Storebuilder’s powerful analytics, sales performance and monitoring features, and WordPress plugins, you can gain insights into your sales, shares, plays, and music stats.
You can also set up a booking portal where people can book for your services to perform at their events. Moreover, you can market your concert tickets in your music store and receive payments from ticket purchasers.
Storebuilder integrates with other solutions and platforms, including Facebook and Amazon, and you can share your catalog with other online marketplaces and social media pages to reach more listeners.
How much does it cost?
Storebuilder’s pricing starts at $19/month, but you can try it out risk-free for 30 days.
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2. Wix
As one of the biggest website building platforms in the world, Wix gained its popularity due to its free basic website templates and a user-friendly interface. But its e-commerce capabilities and Wix Music category also make it one of the best for building a website as a musician.
Why it’s great
Wix Music offers some intuitive features that appeal to artists that many other general e-commerce platforms don’t tout quite as much, including commission-free music sales directly from the site, and integrations specifically with platforms built for promoting tours and ticket sales, such as Bandisintown and Songkick.
Wix Music also provides intuitive analytics, including stats about music plays, shares, sales, and downloads all in one place. Albums can be added directly to the site, with the ability to listen to song previews before downloading and purchasing.
The platform also features some of the standard e-commerce offerings such as the ability to create an online store to sell merchandise or equipment.
Email marketing integrations make it easy for Wix Music users to reach their fan base, sharing news about everything from new music releases, tour dates, merchandise sales, and more, right through the platform.
How much does it cost?
While the basic website building features of Wix are free, pricing for plans that allow access to e-commerce start at $18 per month.
Whether you’re in need of an online store to sell your music and merchandise, or a platform to help you reach customers who are searching for songwriting skills, music lessons, or audio recording technology, there is a platform out there that’s right for you and your needs.
No matter what your goals are as a musician seeking an e-commerce platform, by doing the right research and exploring the many different options available, you are bound to discover the platform that helps you accomplish your e-commerce goals.
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3. BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a leader in the e-commerce space, designed to help businesses of all sizes, including musicians, performers, and artists, sell their work with a highly-customizable and straightforward platform.
Why it’s great
BigCommerce has earned its reputation as a top e-commerce provider, working with music technology powerhouse brands like Skullcandy. Its popularity is due to the many customization options and wide range of integrations designed to make the platform work best for your specific needs.
For musicians especially, the platform is fully customizable, so it can be designed to capture your personal look and feel, while offering any services or products you choose to sell.
For those looking for a platform on which to sell their music, digital download integrations make it incredibly easy to do so. Beyond music downloads, digital downloads can also enable you to sell things like ringtones, exclusive videos, and even printables of album artwork or illustrated lyrics. The possibilities are endless!
For musicians looking to sell merchandise, BigCommerce offers a number of print-on-demand integrations, making it an ideal platform to do this. These print-on-demand service apps can be added to your shop, and every aspect of the process, from manufacturing, to shipping, to logistics, can be outsourced to a third party. For musicians on the road, this is a great way to ensure that your fans and followers making purchases from afar are receiving prompt service, allowing you to focus on your music.
How much does it cost?
BigCommerce pricing begins at $29.95 per month.
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4. Thumbtack
Thumbtack is a leading e-commerce platform designed for those selling and buying services, with more than 1,000 different services offered for hire. This platform is best for those looking to hire talent in their local area, making it a great choice for performers to get hired for gigs without the need for a standalone website.
Why it’s great
Thumbtack is a great e-commerce choice for those looking to book gigs and performances. Especially great for artists without their own website, or for those seeking to target shoppers in a specific area, the platform enables prospective clients to check out your work, see reviews from past customers, and more all on the user-friendly platform.
While the services offered on Thumbtack range from photography and videography to home renovation projects, the platform’s sweet spot is in performance-based services, making it a great choice for bands, DJs, voice talent, songwriters, music teachers, and more.
Even for those looking to provide music-based technology services, such as audio equipment rentals or audio recording services, there is a market in Thumbtack’s customer base.
How much does it cost?
Thumbtack charges a small fee, called “credits” for contacting prospective leads on the platform, which can be purchased individually or in bundles.
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5. AirGigs
AirGigs is an early player in the music-specific e-commerce space, having been the first marketplace platform online designed especially for hiring professional session musicians, vocalists, and audio engineers. Having been featured in top music news outlets like Rolling Stone, Billboard, and MusicRadar, AirGigs has made a name for itself by connecting music creators with top studio talent in more than 160 countries.
Why it’s great:
Founded by musicians for musicians, AirGigs knows exactly what those in the music industry need in an e-commerce platform, and provides just that.
From production services, to vocalists, to drummers, to audio editing and mixing, just about any service needed to produce a world-class music track can be bought or sold via the AirGigs platform.
For musicians selling their services, AirGigs handles all of the marketing and promotion needed to get their talent noticed. This means less time spent creating a website or marketing services, and more time focusing on making music.
All communication happens between buyers and sellers directly on the platform, and payment is processed via PayPal, making it a seamless and turnkey option for musicians and their customers alike.
How much does it cost?
AirGigs charges sellers a commission on the sales of their services ranging from 8 to 15%. Percentages are based on a number of factors including seniority, bonuses, and promotions on the platform.
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6. Fiverr
Fiverr is a well-known and highly-popular platform that’s taking off in the freelance e-commerce arena, but what many don’t realize is that it’s a great marketplace for the talent of freelance musicians as well.
Why it’s great
Fiverr offers sellers a platform across a huge range of music and audio services, including voice overs, mixing and mastering, producing and composing, songwriting, music lessons, vocal talent, music transcription, DJ mixing, jingle writing, and much more.
With such a wide breadth of music and audio categories, just about any type of musician looking to sell their services can find a home on the Fiverr platform.
Fiverr’s flexibility allows sellers to set their own prices as well as their own timelines for turnaround based on the scope of work, and even gives the ability to create custom offers for prospective clients in order to close the deal.
The safety of buyers and sellers is a priority, so all communication and delivery of services takes place over the secure platform, making it easy for even the least tech-savvy individuals to effectively set up their profiles and sell their services.
How much does it cost?
Fiverr charges a small service fee on top of purchases made through the platform. A 20% commission fee is also deducted from all sellers’ earnings.
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7. Shopify
As one of the leading cloud-based, multi-channel platforms around, Shopify is no stranger to the world of e-commerce. But, as times go digital, more and more musicians are turning to the Shopify platform as their go-to for selling everything from their merch to their music to their fans and listeners on a global scale.
In fact, some of the platform’s users are recognizable brands and household names, including some major players in the music space like Lady Gaga and Beyonce.
Why it’s great
Shopify offers one of the most user-friendly interfaces that allows users to easily create and fully customize the look and feel of their digital shop. Musicians and artists can create a destination for their fans and shoppers that feels on-brand and creates a real connection to their audiences.
Because it’s one of the larger players in the e-commerce industry, Shopify has worlds of experience handling rushes of traffic to sites, meaning it’s a great choice for larger musical artists who may be launching highly sought after merchandise or music.
Shopify’s wide range of payment methods include everything from Paypal and Apple Pay to direct payments like credit cards, and its ability to process multiple currencies means you can reach fans and listeners in even the farthest corners of the globe.
How much does it cost?
Shopify pricing begins at $29 per month.
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