Moore Music Company

What Moore Music Company does

Moore Music Company is a locally owned music retailer founded in 1939, headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, and operated under the legal entity TriTone (DBA Moore Music Company). The company maintains a physical storefront supplemented by e-commerce capabilities, serving customers across Greensboro, the broader Piedmont Triad region, and Guilford County. It self-positions as the largest and oldest locally owned music store in central North Carolina, with a workforce in the 11-50 employee band.

The product and service portfolio spans seven primary revenue streams: instrument sales, instrument rentals under the SafeLease subscription program, instrument repairs, private lessons, summer camps, workshops, and studio rental via Studio 615. Community-oriented offerings include a ukulele circle and lesson scholarships targeting low-income students. Pricing is small-ticket across the portfolio: lessons at $32.50-$57.50 per session, summer camps at $150-$300, and workshops at $600. The technology stack is deliberately minimal and entirely commodity — Square for payment processing, reCAPTCHA for site security, and Zibster as the website and e-commerce platform — with no proprietary technology, custom software, or AI/ML components disclosed.

The business model blends transactional revenue (instrument sales, repairs, camps, studio rentals, workshops) with recurring revenue streams (lesson subscriptions and SafeLease rental subscriptions). Distribution is dual-channel via physical retail and online commerce. Customer segments include individual students, Guilford County Schools students reached through the summer camp partnership, low-income students served by scholarship programs, and intermediate-to-professional musicians seeking repair and retail services. Strategic partnerships with the Gant School of Music and Jazz, the Guilford County Schools Summer Arts Institute, and the Greensboro Cultural Center anchor the community and educational outreach program.

Name

Moore Music Company

Legal name

Moore Music Company

Website

https://mooremusiccompany.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Moore Music Company is a Greensboro, NC-based locally owned music retailer founded in 1939, offering instrument sales, rentals, repairs, lessons, summer camps, workshops, and studio rentals to students, schools, and musicians across the Piedmont Triad region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Musical Instrument Store

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Equipment Rental & Leasing (7350)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra) (CRALAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs) (CRALAEAG), Instrument Repair, Maintenance & Luthier Services (CRALAEAF), Instrument Accessories & Consumables Retail (Strings, Reeds, Sticks, Cables) (CRALAEAE)

Keywords

• Musical instrument retail
• Private music lessons
• Instrument rental leasing
• Instrument repair services
• Music education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Instrument Sales: Sale of musical instruments from beginner to professional level, including brands like Yamaha, Conn-Selmer, Cannonball, Eastman, Buffet-Crampon, Powell, Haynes, and more.
2. Instrument Rentals/Leasing: SafeLease program offering flexible instrument rentals for students with no minimum contract term, new/used options, and online application process.
3. Private Lessons: Weekly subscription lessons with guaranteed reserved time slots, plus flexible and trial lesson packages. Subscription requires registration fee and monthly autopay.
4. Instrument Repairs: Complete instrument servicing from simple repairs to full renovations for woodwinds, brass, and string instruments.
5. Summer Camps: Music camps including Jump Ahead Band/Orchestra, Reboot Band/Orchestra, Rock Band, and Honors Jazz Camp with tuition waivers for lease customers.
6. Studio Rental: Studio 615 performance and event space available for rent for recitals, jam sessions, business meetings, rehearsals and masterclasses.
7. Workshops: Film Scoring and Sound Design Workshop teaching cinematic music composition using Hollywood film scoring techniques.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Moore Music Company is a full-service music retail business selling new and student-level musical instruments from premium brands (Yamaha, Conn-Selmer, Cannonball, Eastman, Buffet-Crampon, Powell, Haynes, Besson, Henri Selmer Paris, and others). It also operates the SafeLease flexible instrument rental program, in-house repair services for woodwinds, brass, and string instruments, and a music education division offering private lessons, summer camps, workshops (Film Scoring and Sound Design), and community programs (Ukulele Circle, Lesson Scholarships).

Product overview

Moore Music Company is a full-service music retail business offering a comprehensive suite of products and services centered on instrument sales, rentals, repairs, and music education. The core offerings include the SafeLease Instrument Rental Program for flexible student instrument leasing, a full instrument sales division featuring premium brands like Yamaha, Conn-Selmer, Eastman, and Buffet-Crampon, and professional repair services for woodwinds, brass, and strings. The education arm is anchored by Private Lessons with expert instructors across all major instrument families, complemented by seasonal Summer Music Camps (Jump Ahead, Reboot, Rock Band, Jazz), the Film Scoring and Sound Design Workshop, and the community Ukulele Circle. Additional services include Studio 615 performance rental space and Lesson Scholarships for financial assistance. The company operates an online shop (shopmooremusiccompany.com) for accessories, sheet music, and instrument purchases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Lessons One-on-one music instruction across multiple instruments including piano, guitar, violin, viola, cello, woodwinds, brass, percussion, voice, and ukulele, taught by expert instructors with flexible subscription or flexible package options, intended for students of all ages and skill levels.
• Summer Music Camps Seasonal music camps for students grades 5-12 including Jump Ahead Band/Orchestra (beginners), Reboot Band/Orchestra (intermediate), Rock Band, and Honors Jazz Camp, held in partnership with Guilford County Schools Summer Arts Institute, with tuition waivers for qualifying SafeLease customers.
• SafeLease Instrument Rental Program Flexible instrument leasing program offering no minimum contract terms, new and used instrument options, online application, and curbside pickup for student-level instruments including violins, trumpets, saxophones, clarinets, flutes, cellos, trombones, and percussion.
• Instrument Sales New and student-level instrument sales featuring brands including Yamaha, Conn-Selmer, Cannonball, Eastman, Buffet-Crampon, Powell, Haynes, Courtois, and other premium vendors, with competitive pricing and expert staff guidance on instrument selection.
• Instrument Repairs Complete musical instrument servicing from simple repairs to full renovations performed by qualified technicians specializing in woodwinds, brass, and string instruments, including pad replacement, dent removal, string work, and bridge work.
• Studio 615 Performance and event rental space offering an intimate atmosphere for recitals, jam sessions, business meetings, rehearsals, and masterclasses, equipped with a Yamaha grand piano and optional PA system.
• Film Scoring and Sound Design Workshop A six-week workshop teaching teens, young adults, and adults how to compose cinematic music using Hollywood-style film scoring techniques, virtual instruments, and sound design for animated film projects, held at Greensboro Cultural Center with instructor Janet Phillips in partnership with Creative Greensboro.
• Ukulele Circle Monthly community gathering for ukulele players of all ages and skill levels, featuring a beginner's circle at 10:30am and a jam session at 11:30am on the first Saturday of each month.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 85 years in continuous operation serving central North Carolina

Named customers4 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gant School of Music and JazzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Gant School of Music and Jazz (GMAJ), a 501(c)(3) organization in Greensboro, NC, to offer financial assistance and sponsorships for low-income students taking private lessons. GMAJ allocates donated funds to place students with expert instructors at Moore Music Company, with Moore Music waiving registration fees for sponsored students.
• Guilford County Schools Summer Arts InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership with Guilford County Schools' Summer Arts Institute to present summer music camp opportunities for rising 6th graders through high school students. Moore Music sponsors camps including Jump Ahead Band/Orchestra, Reboot Band/Orchestra, Rock Band, and Jazz camps at various school locations.
• Greensboro Cultural CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation partner for Film Scoring and Sound Design Workshop held at Greensboro Cultural Center, 200 N Davie St, Greensboro, NC 27401. Workshop taught by Janet Phillips in partnership with Creative Greensboro.
• Community Organizations (Triad Area)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with several community organizations in North Carolina's Triad area to provide private lessons to students who may not otherwise have access due to lack of transportation or funding. Contact: Director of Music Education at [email protected].

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sweetwater: Sweetwater is the leading online-only musical instruments and pro audio retailer in the US, with deep catalog, free shipping, and strong customer service. It directly competes with Moore Music for instrument sales via mail order and serves the same professional-to-hobbyist customer base.
• Guitar Center: Guitar Center is the largest US chain of musical instrument retail stores, carrying guitars, drums, keyboards, pro audio, and accessories. It competes with Moore Music across instrument sales and accessories, though it does not match Moore Music's depth in school band/orchestra rentals, repairs, or lesson instruction.
• J.W. Pepper: J.W. Pepper is one of the largest US retailers of sheet music, music books, and related classroom supplies, serving schools, churches, and individual musicians. It overlaps Moore Music's sheet music and accessories business, though Pepper is sheet-music-specialized rather than full-line instrument-focused.
• Shar Music: Shar Music is a Michigan-based specialty retailer and distributor of string instruments and accessories, with strong direct-to-consumer and school program channels. It overlaps Moore Music's string instrument rental and supply business and competes for orchestra program accounts.
• Schmitt Music: Schmitt Music is a regional chain of music stores in the Upper Midwest offering instrument sales, rentals, repairs, and lessons — including strong band/orchestra programs with school partnerships. It is highly comparable to Moore Music as a multi-location, full-service regional music retailer with similar product/service mix.
• Sam Ash Music Stores: Sam Ash is a long-running US music retail chain offering instruments, gear, and accessories across many categories. While Moore Music is locally focused in band/orchestra and lessons, both compete for the same instrument-buying customer base, though Sam Ash has closed many physical locations in recent years.
• West Music: West Music is an Iowa-based family-owned regional music retailer with multiple locations, offering instruments, rentals, repairs, and lesson programs. It is a strong direct peer to Moore Music as a multi-generation, locally rooted full-service music store targeting school music programs.
• Music & Arts: Music & Arts is one of the largest US specialty music retailers with a national chain of ~250 stores, offering instrument sales, rentals, repairs, and lessons. It directly competes with Moore Music in band and orchestral instruments and school music programs, though at much greater scale.

Regional players

• Zeswitz Music: Zeswitz Music is a family-owned regional music retailer in Pennsylvania offering instrument sales, rentals (especially band/orchestra), and lessons. It mirrors Moore Music's full-service regional model but operates in a different geography, making it a comparable rather than directly overlapping peer.

Others

• Hal Leonard: Hal Leonard is the largest US music publisher, distributing print music, instructional materials, and performance resources to retailers and schools. It is an upstream supplier in Moore Music's ecosystem — Moore Music sells Hal Leonard materials — rather than a retail competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mooremusiccompany
• Xx.com/mooremusiccom
• Facebookfacebook.com/mooremusiccompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moore-music-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Moore Music Company