Thank You Very Merch: The Evolution of Merchandise Beyond the Realm of Music

From radio play and vinyls, to CDs and online streaming, the music industry has morphed and grown exponentially throughout the last century. However, the emergence of technology has also shifted the dynamics in how music is released and valued. The last great physical music medium involved purchasing CDs but was then replaced by digital downloads -- which ushered in an era of illegal downloads and streaming. Despite this, live performances and merchandising simply cannot be replaced. The live pe...