Use Lyrics for Print-on-Demand Inspiration

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We all have different methods and strategies for our print-on-demand businesses. There are those that focus on remixing what others have shown already works. There are those that focus their time on coming up with completely original concepts. There’s most likely a high proportion of people that sit somewhere in between and just like to create whatever is going to make you sales or bring attention to your store.

One of the most reliable places I head for inspiration for phrases to include on print-on-demand artwork – particularly t-shirts – is my own CD collection. As well as being a great break from my screen, it gives me a chance to collate phrases that are likely to resonate with people enough to want to buy them.

Most people probably don’t have CD collections these days, but streaming services are just as good. Literally all you need to do is to scan through your favourite Spotify/Apple Music/Tidal playlists and look at the song titles. Songwriters have a way with words and they can come up with very succinct ways of conveying things with two/three/four words. Slap that on a t-shirt and you’ve got cash.

So long as you’re not copy and pasting whole verses of songs (and you’re not using the names of artists in product titles), you’re not going to run into any legal issues with this. There are just so many options out there that it’s a waste of time giving you examples. Just know that you have infinite possibilities with this.

The other way that you can do this – a method which is probably going to be more convenient – is to check through OfficialCharts.com and getting lost in the many, many archives they have. As well as the main singles chart, check through the genre-based ones too and you’re going to get inspired by what you’re going to come across.

This is just one of many ways to get your head in the right mind frame to come up with designs that people are likely to be drawn towards. If you want to be a bit more strategic, then try combining this approach with standard keyword research. Again, make life easy on yourself, use a tool like this keyword research service. This could give you a bit of an edge if you’re aiming to break into a competitive sector. It could work even better if you combine it with strategic niching.

This is a method I use for domaining too, so if you’re in print-on-demand as well as other online businesses, it may also help you out with that extra something too.