Notes for Notes
Notes for Notes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides youth aged 6-18 with completely free access to professional music recording studios, instruments, and producer mentorship, operating 30 studios across 13 U.S. states inside Boys & Girls Clubs, public schools, and youth facilities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Notes for Notes does
Notes for Notes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 in Santa Barbara, California by Philip Gilley, Roderick Hare, and Natalie Noone Pressly, originally inspired by the founders' experiences mentoring youth through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. The organization provides youth aged approximately 6-18 with completely free access to music instruments, production instruction, and professionally equipped recording studio environments, operating on an explicit zero-barrier-to-entry model — no fees, no required experience, and no prescribed path. Its core product is the N4N Studio, a free-standing professional recording environment featuring SSL Origin 16 consoles, Barefoot monitors, Universal Audio Apollo interfaces, KRK studio monitors, Casio keyboards/synthesizers, Audio-Technica microphones, and analog outboard gear, with 30 such studios currently embedded across 16 cities in 13 states primarily inside Boys & Girls Clubs, public schools, and youth facilities. The N4N Producer mentorship model — staffed by trained in-house producers applying the proprietary "Recording 360" methodology — and N4N Digital (a complementary Soundtrap Edu-based remote recording platform launched in April 2020) constitute the operating technology stack.
Notes for Notes is funded entirely through donations rather than fees: revenue streams comprise individual donations, corporate sponsorships (KRK / Gibson Gives, Casio, Sony Music Group, Audio-Technica), foundation grants (CMA Foundation), merchandise sales, and celebrity-partnership fundraisers such as the Post Malone x Raising Cane's "Poster with a Purpose" campaign that generated a $500,000 donation in April 2025. Notable youth outcomes include N4N alumna Gayle's Grammy-nominated "abcdefu" with 1.1B+ streams and alumni placements with Atlantic Records and Big Machine Music. Geographic footprint spans the Southwest, Southeast, Midwest, Northeast, and West Coast regions of the United States, served by a team of approximately 11-50 employees structured across CEO, CCO, COO, CDO, VP of Operations, senior directors and a network of in-studio producers.
Notes for Notes firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Notes for Notes
- Legal name
- Notes for Notes, LLC
- Website
- https://notesfornotes.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Notes for Notes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides youth aged 6-18 with completely free access to professional music recording studios, instruments, and producer mentorship, operating 30 studios across 13 U.S. states inside Boys & Girls Clubs, public schools, and youth facilities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Notes for Notes industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Music Education
- NAICS
- Sound Recording Studios (51224), Educational Support Services (611710), Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms (EDAMANAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cloud Collaboration & Remote Recording Platforms (MPAIAIAD), Remote Recording & Online Session Services (MPAIAHAL)
Keywords
Where Notes for Notes is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices18 records
Markets served
Notes for Notes business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Financial contributions from individual donors supporting the nonprofit mission of providing free youth music access.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Equipment donations and financial support from corporate partners including Casio, KRK/Gibson, Sony Music Group, Audio-Technica, and others providing gear and funding.
- Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations such as CMA Foundation to support studio development and operations.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of N4N branded merchandise including hoodies and other items, with all profits benefiting Notes for Notes.
- Celebrity Partnership Fundraisers: Limited-edition product collaborations (such as Post Malone x Raising Cane's posters) that raise funds for the organization.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Youth Access Program |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Notes for Notes product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Notes for Notes (N4N) provides youth aged elementary through high school with completely free access to professional-grade music recording studios, musical instruments, and one-on-one producer mentorship. Studios are embedded inside Boys & Girls Clubs, public schools, and community youth facilities across 30 locations in 13 U.S. states, and a companion digital platform (N4N Digital via Soundtrap Edu) extends remote access nationwide. All services are offered at zero cost to participants.
Product overview
Notes for Notes (N4N) operates a portfolio of free music education and recording studio offerings centered around its core N4N Studios - professional recording environments packed with instruments (drums, guitars, keyboards/synths, DJ gear, groove stations), recording equipment, and staffed by trained N4N Producers. The core physical product is complemented by N4N Digital, a remote programming platform using Soundtrap Edu DAW and Zoom for virtual sessions. The organization also offers N4N Studios in Schools with state standards-aligned curriculum, and produces annual Take Note compilation albums featuring youth-created tracks. All services are provided completely free to youth participants, with equipment partnerships from KRK, Casio, Audio-Technica, Sony Music Group, and Gibson brands.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- N4N Studios Free recording studio environments located inside Boys & Girls Clubs, youth facilities, and public schools. Studios feature mix rooms, vocal booths, podcast booths, live rooms, and professional equipment including drums, guitars, keyboards/synths, DJ gear, groove stations, and full digital recording facilities. Staffed by trained N4N Producers who provide mentorship and instruction to youth participants.
- N4N Digital
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 8,500 youth served annually across 30 studios
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Notes for Notes
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Notes for Notes technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature5 records
Notes for Notes partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, flagship, core, regional and minor.
- Chad Smith FoundationmajorChad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer) announced national After-School Music Program (AMP) launching in Milwaukee in partnership with Notes for Notes, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, Salvation Army, and Running Rebels. Smith personally matches donations up to $100,000.
- Post MaloneflagshipPost Malone personally selected Notes for Notes as the nonprofit beneficiary of his Raising Cane's partnership. Together they raised $500,000 through 'Poster with a Purpose' campaign featuring limited-edition collector's posters. Post Malone visited N4N Nashville studio to present the donation.
- Raising Cane's / Todd GravesflagshipRaising Cane's founder Todd Graves and Post Malone donated $500,000 to N4N. Funds raised through 'Poster with a Purpose' campaign where customers could purchase special-edition Post Malone posters for $1.99 with proceeds benefiting N4N.
- RÜFÜS DU SOLflagshipRÜFÜS DU SOL is partnering with N4N to fundraise for the launch of a new recording studio. Every ticket sold from their world tour benefits N4N. This is the first artist to support N4N across a whole tour.
- KRK / KRK Kares (Gibson Gives)coreKRK has provided equipment for N4N studios since studio number three. Through its charitable arm KRK Kares and the Gibson Gives foundation, KRK has donated monitors and headphones to every N4N studio across the country. All 26+ studios are now equipped with KRK CLASSIC 7, ROKIT 10-3 G4, ROKIT 5 G4 monitors, and KNS 8402 headphones.
- Sony Music GroupcoreSony Music Group powered the N4N studio at Boys & Girls Club of Metro LA's Watts/Willowbrook Clubhouse, providing equipment and support for the state-of-the-art facility.
- CMA FoundationcoreCMA Foundation helped connect Notes for Notes with Guilford County Schools and has supported N4N since 2015, helping launch 13 new studios across the U.S. First studio in Atlanta featured Country phenom Hunter Hayes.
- Casio AmericacoreCelebrating 10+ year partnership. Casio has donated approximately 70 digital pianos and keyboards to N4N, including CGP-700 digital pianos and CT-S1000V synthesizers, to equip every N4N studio. Casio's Schmidt was connected at NAMM Show and has been a consistent supporter since early in N4N's history.
- Audio-TechnicacoreProud sponsor since 2009, providing microphones and headphones for use in N4N studios. Artist relations manager Roxanne connected through Advisory Board member Alan Parsons. Provides AT2020, AT4040 condensers and ATH-M50x headphones.
- Live NationmajorLive Nation joined the RÜFÜS DU SOL partnership effort with a matching contribution to further support N4N's impactful work.
- Wade BowenregionalTexas country artist Wade Bowen backed the studio at Mill Street Youth Center in New Braunfels, wanting youth to understand how the music industry works (writing, recording, producing).
- Boys & Girls Clubs of AmericacoreHost partner for majority of N4N studios. N4N studios are embedded inside Boys & Girls Club facilities nationwide, providing access to their youth membership base.
- Republic RecordsmajorRepublic Records collaborated with N4N on digital programming, including partnerships that connected youth artists with the label.
- Bonnaroo Music FestivalmajorBonnaroo provides performance opportunities for N4N youth artists, with some participants getting to perform on festival stages. Festival also facilitates sustainability and global consciousness partnerships.
- Extreme Music / Bleeding Fingers MusicminorPartnered with N4N for first film-scoring programming at the Watts Willowbrook Clubhouse studio, providing unique creative opportunities for youth.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Notes for Notes competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- VH1 Save The Music Foundation: Music industry-backed nonprofit that provides instruments and music programming to schools; shares N4N's music-industry-sponsorship model and youth-music-education mission.
- Little Kids Rock (Music Will): Largest nonprofit provider of free music education in US public schools, focused on modern band instruments and music-making for underserved students; competes with N4N for the same donor and corporate-sponsor pool.
- Guitar Center Music Foundation: Funds music education programs through instrument grants to schools and nonprofits; directly comparable equipment-provision model and pursues overlapping music-industry corporate sponsorships.
- Berklee City Music: Berklee's nonprofit program providing free music instruction to underserved youth through a network of partner sites and scholarships; offers a comparable in-person music education model for the same youth demographic.
- Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: Provides free musical instruments and equipment to underfunded schools nationwide, serving a mission of equitable music access for K-12 students that directly parallels Notes for Notes' studio access model for underserved youth.
Others
- MusiCares: Recording Academy-affiliated charity providing health, financial, and rehabilitation support to music industry professionals; thematically adjacent but mission-focused on industry professionals rather than youth.
- Country Music Association Foundation: An N4N strategic partner that has helped launch 13 N4N studios; comparable as a country-music industry-aligned philanthropic funder of youth music education programs.
- Grammy Foundation / Latin Grammy Foundation: Music industry nonprofit supporting music education, preservation, and science; overlaps with N4N on music-education grant-making and industry-network-driven youth programming.
Emerging players
- Adopt the Arts: Founded by musician Tommy Lee to save music education in public schools; focused on K-12 music program restoration and pursues celebrity-driven advocacy in a similar way to N4N's celebrity partnership strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Young Audiences Arts for Learning: Largest arts-in-education network in the US, providing music and other arts programming in schools; broader scope than N4N but overlaps on the youth-arts-education mission and school-district partnerships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Notes for Notes social profiles
Digital presenceNotes for Notes financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Notes for Notes leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Notes for Notes funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Notes for Notes M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Notes for Notes
What does Notes for Notes do?
Notes for Notes (N4N) provides youth aged elementary through high school with completely free access to professional-grade music recording studios, musical instruments, and one-on-one producer mentorship. Studios are embedded inside Boys & Girls Clubs, public schools, and community youth facilities across 30 locations in 13 U.S. states, and a companion digital platform (N4N Digital via Soundtrap Edu) extends remote access nationwide. All services are offered at zero cost to participants.
Is Notes for Notes a public or private company?
Notes for Notes is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Notes for Notes founded?
Notes for Notes was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Notes for Notes based?
Notes for Notes is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Notes for Notes make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, foundation Grants, merchandise Sales and celebrity Partnership Fundraisers.
Who are Notes for Notes's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are VH1 Save The Music Foundation, Little Kids Rock (Music Will), Guitar Center Music Foundation, Berklee City Music and Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation. Others are MusiCares, Country Music Association Foundation and Grammy Foundation / Latin Grammy Foundation. Adopt the Arts is listed as an emerging player. Young Audiences Arts for Learning is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Notes for Notes have an API?
No public API is recorded for Notes for Notes.
What industry is Notes for Notes in?
Notes for Notes's product category is Youth Music Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMANAI, Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAIAIAD, Cloud Collaboration & Remote Recording Platforms. Its NAICS code is 51224.