TOP STORIES 

Booming Economy Boosts NAMM

Sales weren’t an issue at NAMM, as buoyant consumer demand swelled exhibitor order books. Staying profitable, however, was another matter as mail order competition and the proliferation of brands continue to pressure margins.

As the preeminent showcase for everything from fine violins to advanced stage lighting systems, the NAMM Show...

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Servco Pacific Increases Stake In Fender

One of the original investors in the 1985 buyout from CBS offers a vote of confidence in Fender’s future. Management and policies to remain unchanged.

The ownership structure of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. is set to change...

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Sweetwater Has Record Year, Revenues Up 11% To $805 Million

Hiring was also up, bringing 150 new employees to the Sweetwater team.

Revenues at Sweetwater were $805 million in 2019, up 11% from $725 million in 2018. Sales at the leading online retailer have advanced between 11% and 28% every year since 2010. During the 12 months...

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North American Guitar Partners With Nashville’s Cotten Music

U.K. specialty retailer establishes U.S. presence.

U.K.-based The North American Guitar (TNAG), a specialist in custom and boutique guitars since 2010, has now opened a North American location, partnering with Nashville-based Cotten Music....

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Top U.S. Bechstein Dealers Attend 165th Anniversary Gala

Top C. Bechstein and W. Hoffmann dealers from the U.S. recently visited the C. Bechstein factory in Seiffennersdorf, Germany to participate in the famed piano maker’s 165th Anniversary. The event attracted more than 600 people from all over the globe. The gala event culminated with...

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Strong School Music Sector Faces New Challenges

At NASMD, “recruitment and retention” takes on double meaning in current school band and orchestra market

Blue water and white beaches provided an inviting backdrop to the recent meeting of the National Association of School Music Dealers. Held April 11-14 at the Margaritaville Resort in Hollywood, Florida, the annual get-together...

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FEATURED DATA REPORTS
                        

Top 225 Global Report: 2019 Edition

Turn to this two-part report for: 1) A list of the leading 225 music companies worldwide, ranked by revenues, plus key information on each. 2) Sales and demographic data on 41 countries where music products are sold.

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Music Industry Census Report: 2019 Edition

Comprehensive U.S. data on 55 product categories across the music products industry. Find ten years of figures showing sales by unit volume, wholesale and retail value, average unit price, and year-to-year trends, plus complete analysis.

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MORE THIS MONTH

More from NAMM: How To Secure Sustainable Wood For The Guitar Industry

Panel addresses legal and cultural change in acoustic instrument building.

The world’s forests sustain the acoustic guitar sector, but what is the acoustic guitar sector doing to sustain the world’s forests? In a NAMM Show panel, a varied group of stakeholders discussed trends and strategies...

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ESP Guitars Celebrates 45th Anniversary

Japan-based guitar maker recounts its path to global success.

ESP Guitar Company, the international multi-brand instrument manufacturer based in Japan with subsidiaries and distributorships around the world, is celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2020. The company was founded...

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Sustainably Sourced, Affordably Priced

Breedlove’s new Organic Collection combines meticulously sourced tonewoods and superlative construction with MAP prices starting at $500.

Loggers who take down trees illegally—that is without proper permits, on protected lands, or on private property—deforest an area...

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Wittner At 125

While its signature metronomes embody tradition, Wittner has also shown an innovative stripe in a product category that hardly welcomes change—the violin.

It is rare for any family-owned business to make it past the 100-year milestone. The inertia of time alone...

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