C.L. Barnhouse Company

What C.L. Barnhouse Company does

C.L. Barnhouse Company is a privately held music publishing company founded in 1886 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and one of the oldest continuously operating band-focused music publishers in the world. The company owns and distributes a catalog of over 10,000 titles spanning concert band, jazz ensemble, marching and pep band, string and full orchestra, and solo/ensemble publications, organized into named educational series (Sound Foundations, Rising Band, Command, Concert Band, Build-A-Band, Heritage of the March, Jazz Starters, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Festival) that address every grade level from beginning through advanced. In addition to its own imprints (Birch Island Music Press, Chesford Music Publications, Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications, Walking Frog Records), Barnhouse distributes at least 15 third-party catalogs including Daehn Publications, Smart Chart Music, Claude T. Smith Publications, The Hindsley Transcriptions, Willow Blossom Music, William Allen Music, BOVACO, Arco String Publications, Karl L. King Music House, and Norman Lee Publishing.

The company's operations are vertically integrated into a single 24,000 square foot facility housing editorial, production, state-of-the-art digital printing, fulfillment, shipping, and customer service, enabling print-on-demand for the entire back catalog and 1-2 day shipping on retailer orders. In 2024, the company launched ePrint, a digital download platform offering 971+ titles for immediate electronic purchase and download, complementing the traditional print business; 329 titles are also available through the SmartMusic Interactive Repertoire integration. The technology stack is conventional e-commerce and digital print infrastructure rather than AI-enabled systems.

The business model is anchored in per-unit sheet music sales (one-time purchase), mechanical licensing royalties at statutory rates (e.g., $0.12 per copy for works under 5 minutes, $0.0231 per minute for longer works), catalog distribution fees from third-party publishers, and a small branded merchandise line ($30-$32 polos). Customers are predominantly school band programs (K-12 and college), jazz ensembles, marching bands, and individual musicians, served via direct e-commerce at barnhouse.com, a toll-free phone order line, and nationwide music retailers. Current leadership comprises President/CEO Andrew Glover (joined 1998) and Vice President/COO Rebecca Newman; the company transitioned from family to professional management in 2012 when Andy Clark became the first non-Barnhouse family member to serve as President and owner, before retiring to President Emeritus in 2020.

Name

C.L. Barnhouse Company

Legal name

C.L. Barnhouse Company

Website

https://barnhouse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1886

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

C.L. Barnhouse Company is a privately held band music publisher founded in 1886 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, selling over 10,000 printed and digital sheet music titles—plus recordings and merchandise—to school bands, jazz ensembles, orchestras, and marching programs through direct e-commerce and music retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing - Sheet Music

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223)

SIC

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

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)

SECONDARYMPAIABAB

Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing)

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

Keywords

• Band sheet music
• Concert band publications
• Jazz ensemble music
• Music publishing services
• Educational band repertoire

Headquarters

HQ city

Oskaloosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sheet Music Sales: Core revenue from selling printed sheet music for concert band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, marching band, and solo/ensemble. Products include full sets, extra scores, and extra parts. Both traditional printed music and ePrint digital downloads available.
2. Mechanical Licensing: Fees for recording and releasing compositions. Statutory mechanical royalty rates: $0.12 per copy for works 5 minutes or less; $0.0231 per minute for works over 5 minutes.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel such as polo shirts.
4. Catalog Distribution: Revenue from distributing music from other publishers including William Allen Music, Daehn Publications, Claude T. Smith Publications, and others. The company acts as a distribution channel for these catalogs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

C.L. Barnhouse Company publishes and distributes sheet music for concert band, jazz ensemble, string orchestra, marching band, and solo/ensemble performances, with a catalog of over 10,000 titles. The company operates in-house digital printing facilities producing printed scores and parts, and introduced the ePrint digital download platform in 2024 for instant electronic access. They also distribute multiple acquired and affiliated music catalogs including Daehn Publications, Smart Chart Music, Claude T. Smith Publications, and Karl L. King Music House.

Product overview

C.L. Barnhouse Company is a music publishing company offering over 10,000 titles of sheet music and recordings for concert band, jazz ensemble, string orchestra, marching band, and solo/ensemble performances. The portfolio includes two main product types: traditional printed sheet music and the ePrint digital download system (launched 2024) for immediate electronic access. The company distributes both its own publications and multiple acquired/published imprints including Daehn Publications, Smart Chart Music, Claude T. Smith Publications, William Allen Music, Hindsley Transcriptions, BOVACO, Willow Blossom Music, Arco String Publications, Karl L. King Music House, Birch Island Music Press, Walking Frog Records, Funky Winkerbean, Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications, Chesford Music Publications, and Norman Lee Publishing. Products are organized into educational series (Sound Foundations, Rising Band, Command, Concert Band, Build-A-Band, Heritage of the March, Jazz Starters, Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Festival) catering to different skill levels from beginning band through advanced professional ensembles. The company also offers recordings on CD, DVD, and digital download formats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Birch Island Music Press: ASCAP-affiliated publishing imprint with works by Alfred Reed, James Swearingen, Steven Reineke, Ed Huckeby, David Shaffer, Rob Romeyn, Matt Conaway, and others.
• Chesford Music Publications
• Walking Frog Records
• Opus III Wind Orchestra Publications

Products and services

• ePrint Digital Download System Digital music download platform offering ePrint versions of Barnhouse and CTS publications exclusively at barnhouse.com. Full sets, extra scores, and extra parts are available for electronic download.
• Concert Band Publications Sheet music and publications for concert band ensembles including subcategories such as Openers/Fanfares, Concert/Festival, Marches/Galops, Lyrical, Light/Novelty, Programmatic, Transcription, Sacred, Flexible Instrumentation, Small Bands, Warm Up, Method Book, and Vintage Band Collections.
• Jazz Publications Sheet music and publications for jazz ensembles including Swing Shuffle Blues, Latin, Rock/Funk, Ballad, Sacred, Flexible Instrumentation, Jazz Combo, Limited Instrumentation, Jazz Ensemble, Warm up, and Jazz Instruction categories.
• Solo & Ensemble Publications Sheet music for solo performers and small ensembles including Solo, Solo Collection, Small Ensemble, Ensemble Book/Folio, Warm up, and Transcription categories.
• Marching Band/Pep Band Publications Sheet music for marching and pep bands including Marching Band, Pep Band, Stand Cheers, Cadences & Drum Features, and Drum and Bugle categories.
• Orchestra Publications Sheet music for string and full orchestras including Marches/Galops, Concert/Festival, Openers/Fanfares, Lyrical, Light/Novelty, Sacred, Transcription, String Orchestra, Full Orchestra, Vintage Orchestra, and Method Book categories.
• Recordings Audio and video recordings including Concert Band CDs, March CDs, Jazz CDs, Small Ensemble CDs, Christmas CDs, DVDs, and digital downloads. Recordings are also available via The Connextion and iTunes.
• Barnhouse Polo Shirt Branded apparel item. Navy 5.6 oz. pre-shrunk 50/50 cotton/polyester jersey polo with SpotShield fabric and C.L. Barnhouse Co. logo embroidered on left front chest. Sizes S-XXL priced at $30-$32.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fastest and most accurate shipping in the industry
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Daehn PublicationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2017Founded in 1987, Daehn Publications features outstanding works for concert band by Larry Daehn, Pierre LaPlante, Chris Bernotas, and other important composers. Formerly headquartered in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Barnhouse has distributed Daehn since 2017.
• Smart Chart MusiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 2003 by veteran composer/trumpeter/educator Mike Carubia. SmartChart Music features the finest in jazz ensemble music including playable arrangements of fully licensed Thad Jones standards. Also includes works by Mike Carubia, Andy Farber, Carl Strommen, and other leading jazz writers.
• Claude T. Smith Publications, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClaude T. Smith (1932-1987) remains one of the most beloved composers of band music. Through this catalog, many classic works have been reprinted and several never-before-published works are now available.
• The Hindsley Transcriptions, Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIncludes many major orchestral works expertly transcribed for concert band by Mark H. Hindsley (1905-1999), former Director of Bands at the University of Illinois. Works include compositions by Bach, Brahms, Dvorak, Moussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Saint-Saens, Sousa, Strauss, Tschaikowsky, Wagner, Weber, and others.
• Willow Blossom MusiccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUnder the direction and guidance of Sousa authority Keith Brion, Willow Blossom Music features the finest critical editions of many classic compositions of John Philip Sousa, meticulously edited for today's concert bands with extensive documentation.
• William Allen Music, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in the 1970s by Jay Chattaway, Ralph Gingery, and Jeff Taylor. Classic publications include 'Mazama' and 'Parade of the Tall Ships'. Highly successful publisher of music for concert band and jazz ensemble.
• BOVACOminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeonard B. Smith's BOVACO Music is an extraordinary catalog of music from the great American classic concert band era. Features hundreds of band accompaniments to vocal and instrumental solos in addition to famous marches and transcriptions.
• Arco String PublicationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArco String Publications present the finest in educational music for the developing string orchestra. Developed under Andy Clark's direction.
• Karl L. King Music HousecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded by legendary band musician Karl L. King in 1920, features many famous and popular marches and other works by King as well as other composers. Acquired by Barnhouse in 1975. Virtually all King works available from one source.
• Birch Island Music PresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 1970 and wholly owned by C.L. Barnhouse Co. ASCAP-affiliated publishing imprint includes many works by Alfred Reed, James Swearingen, Steven Reineke, Ed Huckeby, David Shaffer, Rob Romeyn, Matt Conaway, and many others.
• Walking Frog RecordsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 1995, gained international acclaim as 'the' record company for band music enthusiasts. Features recordings performed by The Washington Winds and Studio A Big Band, plus albums featuring instrumental soloists and ensembles. Includes the famous Detroit Concert Band recordings of 'The Complete Marches of John Philip Sousa' and 'Gems of the Concert Band.'
• Funky WinkerbeanminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorComic strip series by Tom Batiuk featuring the hilarious activities of the 'World's Greatest Band Director,' Harry L. Dinkle. Several anthologies and fun band room posters are included in this product line.
• Opus III Wind Orchestra PublicationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeveloped at the start of the new millennium to produce and promote extended and more ambitious works for wind band. Includes symphonies for band by Steven Reineke and Robert W. Smith, as well as works by Michael A. Mogensen, Anthony LaBounty, and David W. Gorham.
• Chesford Music PublicationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in the 1970s and wholly owned by C.L. Barnhouse Co. BMI-affiliated publishing imprint includes many works by Warren Barker, Lennie Niehaus, Les Hooper, and many others.
• Norman Lee Publishing Co.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in the 1970s by composer Andy Clark. Found great success initially with publications designed especially for very small and less-experienced marching bands, later expanded to concert band, string orchestra, jazz ensemble, and successful 'Gig Books' for combo performance and learning improvisation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Musicnotes.com: Largest digital sheet music retailer offering downloadable PDFs from major publishers including educational band content. Represents the digital distribution model Barnhouse is moving toward with ePrint; competitive pressure point but also potential distribution partner.
• MakeMusic (SmartMusic): Creator of SmartMusic interactive practice platform that already integrates 329 Barnhouse titles. Comparable as an interactive digital delivery channel for band repertoire and a competitor for next-generation music education workflows.

Direct peers

• Alfred Music: One of the largest US educational music publishers, publishing concert band, jazz ensemble, string, and band method books for school programs. Directly comparable to Barnhouse in target customer (school band directors) and product category (educational band sheet music and methods).
• Wingert-Jones Publications: Family-owned educational music publisher of band, orchestra, and choral publications, with print-on-demand capabilities. Directly comparable to Barnhouse in scale, family ownership history, and band repertoire focus.
• Manhattan Beach Music: Independent publisher of high-quality concert band music founded by composer Elliot Del Borgo, focused on educational and professional band repertoire. Comparable to Barnhouse in concert band catalog and educational mission.
• Carl Fischer Music: Long-standing US music publisher (founded 1872) with band, orchestra, and choral catalogs. Comparable to Barnhouse in longevity, educational band catalog, and traditional sheet music publishing model.
• FJH Music Company: Educational music publisher focused on band method books and concert band literature, with strong presence in school programs. Comparable to Barnhouse in mission (developing band musicians through graded repertoire) and customer base.
• Neil A. Kjos Music Company: Long-established educational music publisher specializing in band method books (Standard of Excellence) and concert band repertoire. Directly comparable to Barnhouse in serving school band directors with grade-leveled instructional and performance repertoire.

Broad incumbents

• Boosey & Hawkes: Major classical and educational music publisher with band and orchestral catalogs. Comparable to Barnhouse in concert band and orchestral repertoire but operates internationally across broader classical catalog.
• Hal Leonard Corporation: Largest music publisher in the world, offering band, jazz, orchestra, choral, and popular music publications plus digital distribution. Competes with Barnhouse in concert band and jazz ensemble sheet music but operates at vastly greater scale across many genres and retail channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clbarnhouseco
• Facebookfacebook.com/CLBarnhouse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c.l.-barnhouse-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries14 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 C.L. Barnhouse Company