What MusicFirst does

MusicFirst is a K-12 music education software platform that aggregates and integrates a portfolio of specialized music teaching tools into a single classroom hub. Founded in 2013 as part of the Digital Education division of Wise Music Group (legal entity: Music Sales Digital Services, LLC) and acquired by the private equity firm Achieve Partners in January 2025, the company is headquartered in New York and serves public and private K-12 schools, school districts, universities, and individual music educators across the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Its primary solution is MusicFirst Classroom, a central hub that integrates third-party and proprietary software tools — including Auralia (ear training), Musition (music theory), Focus on Sound, PracticeFirst, Noteflight Learn, YuStudio (a cloud-based digital audio workstation), OGenPlus, and Soundtrap for Education — alongside digital gradebooks, student portfolios, calendars, and curricular content. The platform supports LTI 1.3 integration with Canvas, Schoology, Moodle, and Google Classroom, providing single sign-on and automatic rostering/grade synchronization. MusicFirst also markets subject-specific bundles (MusicFirst Elementary for K-5, Modern Band Solution, Performance Ensembles, Creativity, Music Theory) and Fine Arts Assessments by MusicFirst, which is the only third-party Fine Arts assessment resource listed by the Texas Education Agency and is aligned to TEKS standards.

The business model is subscription-based software licensing sold to schools and districts on annual or multi-year terms. Pricing varies by solution and is structured as per-school (e.g., MusicFirst Elementary at $795/school/year with unlimited students), per-seat (e.g., Modern Band at $15/user/year with a 25-user minimum; Performance-Based Assessments at $9/user), or hybrid (Knowledge-Based Assessments at $99 setup plus $5/user plus $300 per subject). Revenue is supplemented by paid training services ($150/hour virtual, $795 for three-hour in-person sessions, $1,495 for six-hour in-person sessions) and bundled product solutions. Go-to-market combines a self-serve 30-day free trial with field sales executed by Education Managers and Senior Educational Consultants; channel distribution includes direct website sales, LMS marketplace presence, and Texas-focused regional sales. The company has identified a dedicated educational vertical, with particular concentration in Texas school districts supporting Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) reporting requirements.

Name

MusicFirst

Legal name

Music Sales Digital Services, LLC

Website

https://musicfirst.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MusicFirst is a K-12 music education software platform offering integrated tools for practice, theory, notation, composition, and assessment. It serves schools, districts, and universities globally, generating revenue through annual subscription licenses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Music Education Software

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Education & Practice Software (Ear training, tutors, metronome tools) (MPAIAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms (EDAMANAI), Music Theory, Ear Training & Musicianship (EDAMANAF), Music Notation & Scoring Software (MPAIAIAE), AI Music Creation & Assistive Tools (Generation, Separation, Mastering) (MPAIAIAG)

Keywords

• K-12 music education software
• Music learning platform
• Ear training software
• Music theory education
• Digital audio workstation education

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription-based Software Licensing: MusicFirst generates recurring revenue through annual subscription licenses for software solutions sold to schools and districts. Pricing is per school or per user with tiered multi-year discounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MusicFirst provides a cloud-based K-12 music education software platform built around MusicFirst Classroom, a central hub integrating specialized tools for ear training, music theory, practice assessment, notation, composition, and digital audio production. The platform offers bundled solutions for performance ensembles, music theory, creativity, modern band, and elementary music education, with TEKS-aligned Fine Arts assessments for Texas districts. Revenue is generated through annual subscription licenses sold to schools and districts.

Product overview

MusicFirst is a comprehensive K-12 music education software platform built by music educators for music educators. The core product is MusicFirst Classroom, a central hub that integrates multiple specialized software tools including Auralia (ear training), Musition (music theory), Focus on Sound (multimedia encyclopedia), PracticeFirst (AI-powered practice assessment), Noteflight Learn (notation/composition), YuStudio (digital audio workstation), OGenPlus (interactive curriculum), and Soundtrap for Education (collaborative DAW). The platform also offers subject-specific solutions including MusicFirst Elementary (K-5 curriculum), the Modern Band Solution (contemporary music education), and Fine Arts Assessments by MusicFirst (TEKS-aligned assessments for Texas districts). MusicFirst Academy provides professional development and certification. The platform supports LTI 1.3 integration with Learning Management Systems including Canvas, Schoology, and Moodle, enabling automatic rostering and grade synchronization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MusicFirst Classroom: Central hub for software integrations, student portfolios, gradebook, communication tools, and curricular resources for K-12 music education.
• MusicFirst Elementary
• Modern Band Solution
• Fine Arts Assessments by MusicFirst
• MusicFirst Academy

Products and services

• MusicFirst Classroom Central hub platform for K-12 music education that integrates all MusicFirst software tools, student portfolios, digital gradebook, calendar, communication tools, and curricular resources in a single interface. Built for music educators, band directors, choir directors, orchestra instructors, and general music teachers in K-12 schools and districts.
• MusicFirst Elementary Complete K-5 music curriculum with more than 1,000 interactive resources aligned to National Core Arts Standards, featuring song-based lessons, high-quality repertoire, and YuStudio integration. Designed for elementary music teachers and K-5 schools with unlimited student access.
• Auralia Comprehensive ear training software covering pitch, rhythm, intervals, chords, scales, cadences, dictation, harmony, jazz progressions, and melodic transcription with graded drills and custom syllabi for music students.
• Musition Music theory and musicianship software with 59 theory topics covering pitch, rhythm, terms, symbols, harmony, instruments, general knowledge, and composition, including AP Music Theory support for students.
• Focus on Sound Multimedia music encyclopedia for developing listening skills, theory, composing, and musical knowledge with hundreds of listening tests, structured lessons, and auto-marked assessments for students.
• PracticeFirst AI-powered automated practice assessment tool that analyzes student audio/video recordings for rhythm, pitch, intonation, and duration accuracy, providing immediate feedback with adjustable difficulty levels. Includes thousands of pieces for various instruments.
• Noteflight Learn Cloud-based notation and composition platform for music education with SoundCheck performance assessment and a Premium Music Library of over 85,000 titles. Integrates with Google Classroom and MusicFirst Classroom.
• YuStudio Award-winning cloud-based Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) designed for education, working on tablets, laptops, and Chromebooks with USB MIDI device support. Includes artist packs from renowned artists like Evelyn Glennie.
• OGenPlus Sequential interactive curriculum for music creation with video-guided lessons, Wheel or Grid View interface, and Project Starter Library for songwriting and music for film across various genres for students.
• Soundtrap for Education Online collaborative Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for composing, recording, editing audio, and collaborating with other students. Includes podcasting capabilities with transcription features for music education.
• Fine Arts Assessments by MusicFirst Comprehensive Fine Arts assessment solution for Texas districts offering TEKS-aligned knowledge-based assessments, performance assessments, sight reading assessments, and digital portfolios across music, visual art, theatre, and dance.
• Modern Band Solution Comprehensive suite of tools and resources for modern music education integrating software (MusicFirst Classroom, PracticeFirst, OGenPlus, YuStudio, Auralia First, Musition First, Focus on Sound) with instructional content from Music Will, School of Rock, Drum Channel, and TeachRock. Priced at $15 per user per year with 25-user minimum.
• MusicFirst Academy Professional development and training platform offering asynchronous, self-paced courses for learning MusicFirst products and earning certification and professional development hours. Designed for music educators seeking to build technology integration skills.
• Sight Reading Factory Integrated sight reading tool that seamlessly connects with MusicFirst Classroom for sight reading practice and assessment.

Quantifiable outcome

• In one district, over 80% of teachers qualified for TIA recognition due to fine arts growth results during the 2023-24 school year

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration20 records

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SweetwatercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 August 2025MusicFirst partners with Sweetwater to help students start their musical journey. Sweetwater is a major music equipment retailer supporting music education.
• Music WillcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerModern Band Solution partners with Music Will. For every seat sold of the Modern Band solution, MusicFirst donates 25 cents to Music Will, supporting music education for all.
• School of RockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool of Rock Method Books are included in the Modern Band Solution, providing comprehensive instructional content for modern band programs.
• Drum ChannelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrum Channel 101-level courses and method books included in Modern Band Solution, with supplemental drumming tutorials and resources.
• TeachRockminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeachRock lessons and resources included in Modern Band Solution supporting modern music education.
• CanvascoreTechnology or IntegrationLTI 1.3 integration with Canvas LMS enabling automatic rostering, grading sync, and single-sign-on access.
• SchoologycoreTechnology or IntegrationLTI 1.3 integration with Schoology LMS enabling automatic rostering, grading sync, and single-sign-on access.
• MoodlecoreTechnology or IntegrationLTI 1.3 integration with Moodle enabling automatic rostering, grading sync, and single-sign-on access.
• CharangacoreTechnology or IntegrationCharanga is a sister company of MusicFirst. YuStudio is created by the Charanga team. MusicFirst Elementary is powered by Charanga.
• Google ClassroomcoreTechnology or IntegrationNoteflight Learn and Focus on Sound integrate with Google Classroom for seamless assignment and grade sync.
• ClassLinkcoreTechnology or IntegrationMusicFirst Classroom offers ClassLink integration for single sign-on and roster management.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MakeMusic (SmartMusic): MakeMusic's SmartMusic provides practice, assessment, and accompaniment tools for K-12 and studio music education, directly competing with MusicFirst's PracticeFirst and MusicFirst Classroom offerings.
• Breezin' Thru Theory: Breezin' Thru Theory is a music theory and composition software for K-12 schools, competing directly with MusicFirst's Musition and Music Theory Solution offerings.
• QuaverEd: QuaverEd is a direct competitor offering a comprehensive K-12 music curriculum and interactive resources platform, serving the same school district customers with similar bundled music education software.
• Sight Reading Factory: Sight Reading Factory provides sight reading exercises and assessments for music educators, integrated into MusicFirst's Performance Ensembles solution and competing directly as a standalone practice tool.
• Soundtrap for Education: Soundtrap for Education is a cloud-based collaborative DAW for schools, integrated within MusicFirst Classroom and competing in the same K-12 music creation market against YuStudio and OGenPlus.
• Flat for Education: Flat for Education is a music notation and composition platform integrated into MusicFirst Classroom that also competes as a standalone solution in K-12 music notation and composition.

Broad incumbents

• Adobe (for education): Adobe offers creative tools (including audio/Express) widely adopted in K-12 schools and competes in school-budget categories that affect music technology purchasing decisions alongside MusicFirst.
• Spotify for Artists/Education: Spotify owns Soundtrap, which competes in K-12 music creation; Spotify's broader music platform and resources for schools position it as a broad incumbent in adjacent music education markets.

Emerging players

• Charanga: Charanga is MusicFirst's sister company under Achieve Partners' Digital Education division, providing K-12 music curriculum primarily in the UK market with overlapping but geography-differentiated offerings.
• MusicTheory.net: MusicTheory.net provides free online music theory lessons and exercises used widely in K-12 and beginner music education, representing a free competitive alternative to MusicFirst's Musition and Auralia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MusicFirst2
• Facebookfacebook.com/musicfirstinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/musicfirst

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MusicFirst