Cascio Music

What Cascio Music does

Cascio Music, doing business as Interstate Music, is a Wisconsin-based private music retailer and artist services platform founded in 1946 and headquartered in Menomonee Falls, WI with a warehouse distribution facility in Delavan, WI. The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at interstatemusic.com, listing over 100,000 SKUs of musical instruments, pro audio equipment, and accessories, with individual product prices ranging from $5 (koozies) to $5,000. The e-commerce operation runs on the Shopify platform with integrated payment processing, and ships to the 48 contiguous US states with free shipping on orders over $35; Alaska, Hawaii, and international destinations are excluded.

The company generates revenue primarily through one-time product sales of third-party music gear, complemented by branded merchandise sales for artists (e.g., Mark Taylor, Scout Speer, Austin Giorgio, Brice Long) and radio station FM 102.1 (WLUM). Gift cards are also sold in denominations starting at $25. Beyond retail, Cascio/Interstate operates three wholly-owned subsidiaries — Interstate Music Productions (recording, mixing, mastering, artist management, branding, content/social media management, venue "The Stage," recording "The Studios," mobile pop-up concerts "The Van"), Musicians First Apparel Co. (custom-designed merchandise with no upfront cost for artists), and Premier Music Services — creating an integrated ecosystem where artists can record, merchandise, and perform through affiliated services while fans purchase gear through the same platform.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer e-commerce supported by a multi-channel content strategy: an educational blog, podcast ("Interstate of Music"), and active presence across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter/X, TikTok, and LinkedIn, supplemented by SMS/text marketing and a ShareASale affiliate program (Merchant ID 108301). Customer segments are broad and horizontal, targeting amateur and professional musicians, instrument players, music producers, and gift buyers across the contiguous US Midwest and beyond.

Name

Cascio Music

Legal name

Interstate Music

Website

https://interstatemusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cascio Music (dba Interstate Music) is a Wisconsin-based, private online retailer of musical instruments and pro audio equipment operating via a Shopify storefront, with an integrated ecosystem of artist services including recording, custom apparel, artist management, and live event production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instruments Retail

NAICS

Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Pro Audio & Recording Equipment Retail (MI-adjacent) (CRALAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Musical Instruments (Acoustic & Electric) (MPAIAJAA), Recorded Music Retail & D2C Merch Bundles (MPAIAAAF), Live Music Booking (Bands, Soloists, DJs) (HSACAHAA)

Keywords

• Musical instruments retail
• Pro audio equipment
• Artist merchandise apparel
• Recording studio services
• Artist management services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Berlin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Music Gear: Direct product sales of musical instruments, pro audio equipment, and accessories through their e-commerce platform. Revenue generated from one-time transactions at published prices.
2. Artist Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise for artists and radio stations including FM 102.1 (WLUM), Mark Taylor, Scout Speer, Austin Giorgio, Brice Long, Van Jams, and Musicians First Apparel Co.
3. Gift Cards: Gift card sales with denominations starting at $25, valid for 5 years from purchase date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Cascio Music (dba Interstate Music) is a direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer of more than 100,000 musical instruments, pro audio equipment, and accessories, complemented by artist services such as recording, mixing, mastering, artist management, branding, and content creation delivered through its sister division Interstate Music Productions. The company also sells artist-branded merchandise and custom apparel (Musicians First Apparel Co.), offers a live event venue (The Stage) and mobile pop-up concert service (The Van), and ships orders with free shipping over $35 to the 48 contiguous US states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Stage: Live event venue and performance space for artists to build portfolio with live tracks, video content, and photography
• The Studios
• The Van
• Musicians First Apparel Co.
• Artist Services
• FM102.1 (WLUM)
• Van Jams

Products and services

• Musical Instruments Retail product category including guitars, drums, keyboards, and band & orchestral instruments sold online to amateur and professional musicians, with free shipping on orders over $35 to the 48 contiguous US.
• Pro Audio Equipment Retail product category covering recording gear, microphones, headphones, mixers, DAWs, and plug-ins for music producers and home studio operators.
• Artist Merchandise Branded t-shirts, hoodies, hats, and accessories created for music artists and radio stations, sold directly to fans through the e-commerce storefront.
• Gift Cards Digital or physical gift cards starting at $25, valid for 5 years from purchase, redeemable across the catalog of musical instruments, pro audio, and accessories.
• Recording, Mixing & Mastering Services (The Studios) Professional recording, mixing, and mastering services delivered by award-winning engineers at The Studios for musical artists and projects.
• Live Event Venue (The Stage) Live event venue and performance space (Caribou Room Stage) where artists can record live tracks, capture video content, and produce photography for their portfolios.
• Mobile Pop-Up Concert Service (The Van) Mobile pop-up concert service that brings live music performances to any chosen location, supporting artist events and brand activations.
• Artist Management and Branding Services Comprehensive artist management services covering social media strategy, metadata organization, branding, content creation, merchandise design and management, website design and development, and social media management.
• Custom Merchandise (Musicians First Apparel Co.) Custom-designed merchandise and apparel for musicians with no upfront cost, providing world-class design and seamless distribution as part of the Interstate Music Productions ecosystem.
• Premier Music Services Premier music services division that bundles the company's artist-facing offerings (The Stage, The Studios, The Van, Artist Services, and Musicians First Apparel Co.) under one corporate umbrella.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider powering the interstatemusic.com online store. Handles payment processing, website hosting, and checkout infrastructure.
• ShareASaleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate marketing network partner (Merchant ID: 108301) enabling third-party affiliates to promote Interstate Music products and earn referral commissions.
• Interstate Music ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company offering artist management, recording/mixing/mastering services, artist branding, content creation, merchandise design, social media management, website design, and venue/event space (The Stage, The Studios, The Van).
• Musicians First Apparel Co.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom merchandise brand offering high-quality, custom-designed merch with no upfront cost for artists. Part of the Interstate Music Productions ecosystem.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sweetwater: Largest pure-play online retailer of music instruments and pro audio gear in the US. Directly comparable in DTC e-commerce model, catalog breadth, content/youtube-led customer acquisition, and free-shipping threshold approach.
• Guitar Center: Multi-channel music retailer (stores + web) carrying instruments, pro audio, and accessories at overlapping price points. Comparable on core product mix and target buyer (guitarists, drummers, producers), with broader physical footprint.
• Reverb: Online marketplace for new and used musical instruments and gear. Comparable in DTC online instrument retail but distinguished by marketplace model and broader international reach, including into segments Interstate Music does not serve.
• zZounds: Long-standing online music instrument and gear retailer with installment-payment financing as a differentiator. Directly comparable on online-only music retail model and broad SKU coverage of instruments, pro audio, and accessories.
• American Musical Supply: Online retailer of musical instruments, pro audio, recording, and DJ equipment serving both consumer and B2B customers. Comparable in catalog scope and DTC orientation, with a larger footprint in B2B/education channels.
• Sam Ash: Historically a major US music instrument retailer with both stores and online presence. Comparable on instrument and accessory retail mix and target customer; significant direct overlap as a music gear destination brand.
• Kraft Music: Family-owned online retailer specializing in keyboards, digital pianos, recording, and pro audio. Closely comparable as a smaller-scale, privately held DTC music retailer with curated brand selection and personal service emphasis.
• Alto Music: Mid-sized multi-channel music retailer combining online and brick-and-mortar (Middletown, NY) sales of instruments, pro audio, and accessories, plus lesson and service offerings. Comparable on retail breadth and musician customer base.

Broad incumbents

• B&H Photo Video: Large-scale electronics and pro audio retailer with significant musical instrument, microphone, and recording equipment assortment. Comparable on the pro-audio and recording-gear subset of Interstate Music's catalog, but operates across a much broader electronics portfolio.

Regional players

• Full Compass Systems: US-based retailer specializing in professional audio, lighting, and musical instruments with strong B2B/professional customer mix. Comparable on pro-audio and recording equipment assortment; differentiated by deeper B2B/install orientation versus Interstate's consumer tilt.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/InterstateMsc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/interstatemusic?reload=9
• Facebookfacebook.com/interstatemusic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cascio-interstate-music
• Instagraminstagram.com/interstatemusic
• TikToktiktok.com/@interstatemusicco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Cascio Music