Which artists make the most from online merch sales? (WARNING: Big numbers ahead!)

Back in the day, buying a T-shirt or some piece of band swag at a concert was often an afterthought. Maybe you wanted an extra souvenir of the night beyond your ticket stub. If there was money left over, then maybe you’d grab a shirt or something on the way out.

Since then, though, artist merch has turned into a multi-billion dollar business. And with the collapse of physical music sales, merch has become a vital revenue stream for every artist. And you don’t even have to go to a show anymore. Everyone operates their own online stores.

In another one of those surveys that are actually commercials in disguise, a company called NetCredit (okay, I’ll bite but only because I find this interesting) sought to quantify exactly who is selling the most merchandise from their online stores. The annual sales numbers are staggering.