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Spotify now sells makeup

Spotify now sells makeup

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Attention Pat McGrath and Maggie Lindemann fans

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Spotify has added another side hustle: selling makeup. Celebrated makeup artist Pat McGrath, known for her beauty brand Pat McGrath Labs, is partnering with “Pretty Girl” singer Maggie Lindemann to release a makeup collection that’ll be sold on Lindemann’s artist page. The “So Obsessed” collaboration is notable because it’s the first time Spotify will sell products outside of standard merchandise like band tees and posters through its Merchbar platform. It also opens the door for other collaborations between artists to sell a wider range of products.

The fashion industry is known for being early adopters of new or emerging technology. Designer Diane von Furstenberg collaborated with Google to release a limited edition series of Google Glass in 2014, while creative director of Chanel and Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld, was one of the first people spotted donning the Apple Watch (the $10,000 edition, of course) back in 2015.

McGrath is known for her Instagram page which has 1.6 million followers; Lindemann has 2.4 million. Though McGrath’s makeup collections sell out within minutes of release, the partnership with Spotify opens up a new avenue for her products, the young fans of Lindemann’s music. “Beauty, fashion, and music have been intrinsically linked since the 1960s,” McGrath said in a statement. “In this digitally-empowered, digital era of make-up, where fans crave instant glamour gratification I always want to reach fans where they’re most engaged.” Spotify has a user base of 140 million paid and ad-subsidized users.

“Beauty, fashion, and music have been intrinsically linked since the 1960s.”

The collection will be released with Lindemann’s new single “Obsessed,” on November 17th, and will feature lipsticks starting from £16 (about $21) all the way to face palettes that cost £95 (about $125). The move essentially allows fans to “shop Lindemann’s look,” something that influencers already do on Instagram to great effect.

TechCrunch notes that the move isn’t a new revenue stream for Spotify, which does not take a cut from the sales. In that way it’s similar to when Spotify introduced the ability for artists to sell merchandise through their profile pages in 2014 without any commission. But it does make the Spotify platform move attractive to artists who can earn money beyond just streaming.