Merchbar
San Francisco, US · Delaware corporation · 6 known investors
Merchbar is an online store selling official music merchandise—including vinyl records, CDs, shirts, hoodies, hats, posters, and accessories—from artists and bands. It integrates with Spotify to give fans merch alerts and recommendations based on their favorite artists.
Also known as CopThis, Inc.
Founders & leadership
Investors · 6
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$9.9M disclosed across 4 rounds · 2017–2021
▶$1.3MraisedNov 2021 · 7 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Lee HowerDirector
- Edward AtenExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $5M
- Amount sold
- $1.3M
- Minimum investment
- $25K
- First sale
- Sep 2021
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$1MraisedJun 2020 · 12 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Lee HowerDirector
- Edward AtenExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $2M
- Amount sold
- $1M
- Minimum investment
- $10K
- First sale
- Jun 2020
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$3MraisedNov 2018 · 5 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Lee HowerDirector
- Edward AtenExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $3M
- Amount sold
- $3M
- Minimum investment
- $100K
- First sale
- Nov 2018
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$4.6MraisedDec 2017 · 20 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Edward AtenExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $4.6M
- Amount sold
- $4.6M
- Minimum investment
- $10K
- First sale
- Nov 2017
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Merchbar operates an e-commerce site that aggregates official merchandise from artists, bands and music-related brands into a single storefront. Its catalog is organized by product category — vinyl records, CDs, shirts, hoodies, jackets, hats, bags, posters, autographed items and other accessories — as well as by artist, record label, genre and musical style, with filters for vinyl type, album year, size, price and availability.
The site groups inventory into curated collections such as "Best of Merchbar," "Signed Items," "Retro Tour T-Shirts," "Classic Rock Vinyl," "Merchbar Exclusive" and "Colored Vinyl Records," and hosts dedicated store pages for labels and brands including Blue Note Records, Terrible Records, Island Records, Fender, Crosley, Hospital Records and Fueled By Ramen. Fans can connect a Spotify account to receive alerts and recommendations for new merchandise from artists they listen to, and can subscribe to newsletters offering discounts on merchandise and music.
According to the company, Merchbar was founded by Edward Aten and John Hecker to give fans a single place to discover and buy merchandise from the bands they follow, with an emphasis on shopping, purchase and return experience. Its team spans engineering, design, legal, operations and merchandising functions and works with merchandise companies, artists, independent labels and distributors.
Founding story
Edward Aten, who identifies himself as founder and CEO, states that he and John Hecker founded Merchbar to create a single destination where fans could discover and buy merchandise from all of their favorite bands, matching shoppers with merch from artists they follow and providing a reliable purchase and return experience.
Business model
Merchbar sells official artist and brand merchandise directly to consumers through its website, sourcing product by working with merchandise companies, artists, independent labels and distributors. Listings show retail prices and, in some cases, discounted prices against a list price.
Revenue derives from online retail sales of music merchandise such as vinyl records, CDs, apparel, headwear, posters and accessories listed at consumer prices on merchbar.com.
Latest developments
The storefront remains live with current merchandise listings across vinyl, apparel, headwear, posters and accessories, curated collections, label and brand store pages, and Spotify-connected merch alerts and recommendations.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Merchbar operates as an online retailer and aggregator of official music merchandise spanning artists, record labels and music-adjacent brands.
Merchbar positions itself as a single aggregated destination for authentic merchandise across many artists and labels, combining broad catalog coverage with personalization driven by a fan's Spotify listening history.
Technology
The site provides catalog search and filtering by artist, label, genre, style, vinyl type, album year, size, price and availability, curated collection pages, and an integration that links a user's Spotify account to generate merchandise alerts and recommendations.
Go-to-market
Distribution is through the merchbar.com storefront, supported by an email newsletter offering weekly merchandise and music discounts, curated collections and artist/label store pages, and a Spotify account connection that delivers merch alerts and recommendations based on a fan's listening. The company also invites artists, independent merch programs and multi-national merchandise companies to partner with it.
Music fans shopping for official band and artist merchandise, including vinyl collectors and buyers of tour apparel, as well as artists, labels, merchandise companies and distributors seeking a retail channel.
Geography
Headquarters are in San Francisco, California, with the company describing most staff working from the San Francisco office in the SOMA neighborhood and several remote team members. Company blog material also references expansion beyond the United States into additional countries.
History
The company blog, published under the name Legendary Merch, carries posts dating from September 2014 through June 2016, covering topics including Merchbar's Spotify relationship, merchandise bundles, monthly hot merch charts and international expansion. An earlier stated headquarters address was 1355 Market Street, Suite 408, San Francisco, inside the Twitter building, with the entity listed as "Merchbar, via CopThis, Inc."; the company later describes its offices as being in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco.
Compiled by commissioned research from 6 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Competitors · 6
by search overlap
Companies competing with Merchbar for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsA company blog post titled "Hello World – Merchbar expands Beyond the US with 5 New Countries" is listed among the company's posts.
Merchbar lets fans connect a Spotify account to receive alerts and recommendations for new merchandise from artists they follow; a company blog post is titled "Merchbar, Spotify & the Future of Merch".
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structureIn the news
▸Research sources · 6
primary sources listed
- Merchbarmerchbar.com · web
6 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Merchbar do?
- Merchbar is an online marketplace for official music merchandise, including vinyl, apparel, posters and accessories.
- Who founded Merchbar?
- Merchbar was founded by Edward Aten.
- Who are Merchbar's investors?
- Merchbar's investors include 500 Global, Bullpen Capital, Evolution VC Partners, NextView Ventures, MAIDEN LANE, Structure Capital.
- How much funding has Merchbar raised?
- Merchbar has disclosed $9.9M raised across 4 rounds.
- Where is Merchbar headquartered?
- Merchbar is headquartered in San Francisco, US.