With AUS Music T-Shirt Day just around the
corner, there couldn't be a better time to look back on
memories of lining up at the merchandise stand after a concert, and
look forward to the future of what music merchandise may hold in
the digital arena.
Limited movement during the global pandemic has meant artists
and fans alike have embraced the digital economy as a means of
maintaining connection. This has perhaps been seen most acutely in
the recent frenzy of creation and sales of non-fungible tokens
(NFTs). NFTs have been released in relation to a
variety of assets, including traditional music merchandise such as
t-shirts, posters and even collectible ticket stubs, as well as
rarer assets such as Kings of Leon's live recording of their
recent single 'Time in Disguise' that was played in space
by a crew member of Inspiration4,1 a recontextualised
version of Jay Z's 'Reasonable Doubt' album
cover,2 and collectibles and experiences celebrating the
GRAMMY Awards.3 The