Faber Music

What Faber Music does

Faber Music is a privately held UK independent music publisher, founded in 1963 and headquartered in London with a warehouse and distribution operation in Harlow. The company publishes printed and digital sheet music spanning classical, contemporary, film & TV, pop, and educational repertoire, serving professional musicians, music students and teachers, choirs, media composers, contemporary artists, and schools through six distinct customer segments. Its core catalogue is the Edition Peters print collection of more than 12,000 classical titles—anchored by the iconic green covers launched in Leipzig in 1867 and the pioneering Urtext editorial tradition dating to 1933—complemented by the Faber Music catalogue and the Manners McDade media composition catalogue acquired in April 2023 in a seven-figure deal.

The company's underlying technology is a digital sheet music e-commerce platform supporting both physical fulfilment (over 95% UK-printed, shipped worldwide) and digital downloads via the Edition Peters Download Catalogue of more than 2,841 titles. Distribution runs through three direct e-commerce storefronts (fabermusic.com global, dedicated EU and Americas Edition Peters shops), global music retailers, and digital marketplaces, while the MannersFaber agency provides talent representation for media composers in film, television, advertising, and games.

Faber Music's revenue model rests on three streams: one-time sales of physical and digital sheet music priced typically £2.50–£63.00 per title; licensing and sync royalties from media placements; and agency commissions from composer representation. The company operates four integrated sub-brands—Edition Peters (classical), Faber Alt. (alternative/crossover), Manners McDade (media publishing), and Manners Faber (agency)—with horizontal segmentation across performer, educator, choral, media-composer, contemporary-artist, and institutional customer bases. No public listings, venture capital, or private equity ownership are present, and the company maintains an independent operating structure.

Name

Faber Music

Legal name

Faber Music

Website

https://fabermusic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Faber Music is a privately held UK independent music publisher that produces printed and digital sheet music across classical, contemporary, educational, and media composition genres. It serves musicians, students, teachers, choirs, and media composers through its Edition Peters, Faber Alt., and Manners McDade catalogues and the Manners Faber agency.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223), Book Publishers (51313)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Book Printing (2732), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIABAG

Print Music Publishing (Sheet Music, Scores, Educational Repertoire)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Publishing (Songwriting, Rights Administration, Licensing)

Keywords

• Sheet music publishing
• Classical music editions
• Music licensing and sync
• Composer agency representation
• Educational music publications

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Sheet Music Sales: Sale of printed sheet music and books through direct e-commerce (fabermusic.com/shop), third-party music retailers, and global distribution networks. Products span piano, choral, instrumental, educational, and orchestral genres under Faber Music, Edition Peters, Manners McDade, and partner publishers.
2. Digital Sheet Music Downloads: Sale of digital sheet music downloads from the Edition Peters Download Catalogue, available worldwide via the e-commerce platform. Over 2,841 digital titles offered.
3. Composer Agency Representation: MannersFaber (the agency's website, mannersfaber.com) represents media composers in film, television, advertising and games, generating agency commissions from placement and sync deals.
4. Music Licensing and Sync: Through licensing/sync (licensing.fabermusic.com), the company licenses music for use in media productions including film, TV, advertising, and games.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Faber Music is an independent UK music publisher that sells physical and digital sheet music across classical, contemporary, popular, educational, and media music genres. The company publishes the Edition Peters classical catalogue (over 12,000 titles), represents media composers through Manners McDade and MannersFaber, and licenses music for film, television, advertising, and games via its sync/licensing division.

Product overview

Faber Music is a UK-based independent music publisher offering both physical and digital sheet music products. The core portfolio consists of the Faber Music brand and Edition Peters (classical music publisher with 12,000+ titles), alongside acquired brand Manners McDade (composer agency for film, TV, advertising, and games), and Faber Alt. (alternative/crossover artists). Physical products include sheet music across categories (Songbooks, Education, Choral, Instrumental, Piano, Ensemble), while digital offerings are available through the Edition Peters Download Catalogue. The company also operates distribution services and agency representation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Edition Peters: One of the world's leading classical music publishers with over 12,000 titles, known for iconic green covers launched in Leipzig in 1867, including Urtext editions and core repertoire
• Faber Alt.
• Manners McDade
• Manners Faber

Products and services

• Faber Music Sheet Music Catalogue Physical sheet music and music books published by Faber Music across categories including Songbooks, Education, Choral & Vocal, Instrumental, Piano, Ensemble & Large Scale, and Books. Sold through the Faber Music shop (fabermusic.com/shop).
• Edition Peters Classical Catalogue Classical music publishing catalogue with over 12,000 titles including Urtext editions, core repertoire (Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, Schumann), educational editions, and works by 20th/21st-century composers. Recognised worldwide by the iconic green covers.
• Edition Peters Digital Download Catalogue Digital sheet music downloads including Piano Solo, Choral works, Instrumental Solo, orchestral parts, and vocal repertoire. Over 2,841 digital titles available.
• Manners McDade Composer Agency & Publishing UK music publisher and composer agency representing media composers and artists working in film, television, advertising and games; also publishes catalogues of classical, alternative and electronic artists.
• Faber Alt. Artist Representation Music publishing and representation division for alternative, crossover writers and artists spanning alt-pop, electronic, folk, rock, experimental, indie and related musical genres.
• Manners Faber Agency Services Agency service under the Faber Music umbrella handling composer representation and agency operations for media composers in film, television, advertising, and games.
• Music Licensing & Sync Service Licensing and sync service that licenses Faber Music catalogue music for use in film, TV, advertising, and games productions on a quote-based pricing model.
• Faber Music Distribution Services Physical distribution services for Faber Music publications and catalogue, operated from the Harlow warehouse and distribution centre, supplying local music shops and global retail distributors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Edition Peters catalogue holds over 12,000 titles and is described as unrivalled in range for classical music publishing
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Manners McDadecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2023Faber Music announced the acquisition of Manners McDade, a UK composer agency and publishing firm, in a seven-figure deal in April 2023. Manners McDade represents media composers and artists working in film, television, advertising and games, and publishes catalogues of classical, alternative and electronic artists. The integration aims to create a creative hub combining the talents and catalogues of both companies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hal Leonard: The world's largest print music publisher, with a far broader catalogue spanning pop, rock, educational, and classical. Direct competitor to Faber Music in sheet music distribution, particularly in education and core classical repertoire, and the dominant player Faber Music competes against globally.
• Wise Music Group: Parent of Boosey & Hawkes, Chester Music, and several other classical and contemporary music publishers. A direct competitive group whose scale, international distribution, and composer roster make it the most strategically comparable competitor to Faber Music's portfolio.
• Sony Music Publishing: Global music publishing powerhouse with a focus on popular, film/TV, and sync rights. Comparable to Faber Music's Manners McDade and Faber Alt. divisions in the media and alternative publishing space, with vastly greater scale and roster depth in non-classical genres.
• Warner Chappell Music: Major global music publishing division of Warner Music Group with a large alternative, pop, and sync catalogue. Comparable to Faber Music's Faber Alt. and Manners McDade operations in alternative/crossover artist representation and sync licensing, though operating at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Boosey & Hawkes: A leading classical music publisher owned by Wise Music Group, representing many of the 20th century's most performed composers (Stravinsky, Bartók, Britten). The closest direct competitor to Edition Peters in core classical repertoire, with comparable Urtext and scholarly editions.
• Schott Music: Historic German classical and contemporary music publisher with comparable catalogue depth, Urtext editorial standards, and contemporary composer representation. Direct competitor in the European classical sheet music market with overlapping composer rosters and educational publications.
• Universal Edition (UE): Viennese classical and contemporary music publisher with strong 20th/21st century contemporary composer representation (Webern, Schoenberg, Kurtág). Direct peer in the scholarly classical space with comparable Urtext and contemporary catalogue positioning.
• Bärenreiter: German classical music publisher renowned for scholarly-critical Urtext editions of Baroque, Classical, and Romantic repertoire. Closely comparable to Edition Peters in editorial philosophy and catalogue scope, and a primary competitor for performance-grade classical editions.

Emerging players

• Chester Music (Wise Music Group): Contemporary classical and media music publisher under the same parent (Wise Music) as Boosey & Hawkes. Comparable to Faber Music's contemporary and media composition side (Manners McDade), with active representation of living composers and sync licensing.
• ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music): The UK's primary music examination body and publisher of graded exam syllabi repertoire. Comparable in the educational sheet music segment, where ABRSM's syllabus publications overlap with Faber Music's Paul Harris educational series in driving student/teacher demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fabermusic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FaberMusicPublishing
• Facebookfacebook.com/fabermusic
• Instagraminstagram.com/fabermusicpublishing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/faber-music-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Faber Music