Kendor Music
Kendor Music Publishing is a 1953-founded, U.S.-based educational sheet music publisher serving K-12 school orchestras, jazz ensembles, and concert bands with a 400+ title catalog organized by grade level, sold direct-to-educator and via a dealer network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1953
- HeadquartersDelevan, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Kendor Music does
Kendor Music Publishing, founded in 1953 and headquartered in Lakeland, Florida, is a privately held educational music publisher specializing in grade-appropriate sheet music and instructional materials for K-12 and community music programs. The company operates within a multi-imprint publishing group that includes Excelcia Music, Wingert-Jones Music, and RBC Music, sharing platform, licensing, dealer, and submission infrastructure across the brands. Kendor's catalog spans string orchestra, jazz ensemble, concert band, solos, ensembles, and books/methods, organized by a grade-level taxonomy from Grade ½ through Grade 4 & Up, with notable sub-brands including the Sammy Nestico Jazz Series, Doug Beach Music, and Kendor Archive Editions.
The core product is over 400+ sheet music titles sold on a one-time/perpetual license basis at price points of $45-$75 per title, augmented by ScoreVideos (professional video recordings) and live professional audio recordings to support educator selection and teaching. Kendor distributes through its own direct e-commerce storefront at kendormusic.com and a dealer/reseller network managed via Excelcia Music, with marketing conducted through email, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram channels targeting music educators and band/orchestra directors. The company maintains an active R&D cadence, with 22+ new titles released for the 2026-2027 school year across six orchestral difficulty series, and supplementary products such as the String Theory Series workbook and The Jazz Educators Handbook extending the offering into method/instructional content.
The business model is a transactional, content-licensing publisher: revenue is generated per-title per-purchase, with no subscription layer, no API, no mobile app, and no disclosed institutional customers. Kendor serves a fragmented base of school music programs, jazz band programs, and individual musicians — primarily in the United States — and operates with a 11-50 employee footprint under private ownership with no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors.
Kendor Music firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kendor Music
- Legal name
- Kendor Music
- Website
- https://kendormusic.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1953
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kendor Music Publishing is a 1953-founded, U.S.-based educational sheet music publisher serving K-12 school orchestras, jazz ensembles, and concert bands with a 400+ title catalog organized by grade level, sold direct-to-educator and via a dealer network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kendor Music industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Publishing
- NAICS
- Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140), Music Publishers (51223), Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sheet Music & Music Books Retail (CRALAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Educational Music Products Retail (Method Books, Exam Prep, Classroom Instruments) (CRALAEAJ), Online-Only Musical Instrument & Sheet Music Retail (CRALAEAI)
Keywords
Where Kendor Music is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Delevan
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Kendor Music business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Sheet Music Sales: One-time purchase model for physical and digital sheet music. Products are priced per title/arrangement with no recurring subscription. Sales through direct e-commerce website and dealer network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | String Orchestra Grade ½ - Beginner level sheet music |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | String Orchestra Grade 1 - Elementary level sheet music |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | String Orchestra Grade 1½ - Elementary-intermediate level |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | String Orchestra Grades 2-2½ - Intermediate level |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | String Orchestra Grades 3-3½ - Upper intermediate level |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | String Orchestra Grades 4 & Up - Advanced level |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Jazz Ensemble Grade 1 - Beginner level |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Jazz Ensemble Grade 1½ - Elementary-intermediate |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Jazz Ensemble Grade 2 - Intermediate level |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Holiday Strings individual parts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Kendor Music product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kendor Music publishes and sells instructional sheet music and method books for school and community music programs, organized by grade level across string orchestra, jazz ensemble, concert band, solo, and ensemble categories. Products are sold per title as one-time purchases through a direct e-commerce website and a dealer network, with each title priced between approximately $45 and $75. The catalog also includes exclusive composer series and supports directors with supplementary ScoreVideos and professional audio recordings.
Product overview
Kendor Music Publishing is a comprehensive music education publisher offering sheet music and educational materials across multiple product lines. The core offerings include String Orchestra publications (grades ½ through 4+), Jazz Ensemble publications (grades 1 through 4+), Concert Band, Solos, Ensembles, and Books & Methods. Notable sub-brands include the Sammy Nestico Jazz Series, Doug Beach Music, and Kendor Archive Editions. Additional products include the Lick Library for jazz education and the String Theory Series workbooks for beginning string students. The company operates under the Excelcia Music Group umbrella alongside Wingert-Jones and RBC Music.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Sammy Nestico Jazz Series: A jazz series featuring compositions by Sammy Nestico, a renowned jazz composer and arranger.
- Doug Beach Music
- Kendor Archive Editions
Products and services
- String Orchestra Publications Sheet music for string orchestras organized by grade levels (Grade ½ through Grade 4 & Up), covering beginner through advanced repertoire including holiday and festival selections. Sold per title to school music programs and individual musicians.
- Jazz Ensemble Publications Sheet music for jazz ensembles organized by grade levels (Grade 1 through Grade 4 & Up), including titles from Kendor Archive Editions, Sammy Nestico Jazz Series, and Doug Beach Music, plus holiday and festival selections.
- Concert Band Publications Sheet music for concert bands organized by grade levels (Grade 1 through Grade 4 & Up), covering various musical styles and difficulty levels for school and community bands.
- Solos Solo sheet music for various instruments including woodwind, brass, percussion, and string instruments, along with solo collections for individual musicians and private instructors.
- Ensembles Sheet music for ensembles including woodwind, brass, percussion, flex ensembles, small jazz ensembles, and holiday ensembles.
- Books and Methods Educational materials including the Classroom Music Series, composing/arranging books, jazz methods, and method books for woodwind, brass, percussion, string, and guitar, plus the Latin American String Collection.
Companies that use Kendor Music
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Kendor Music technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Kendor Music partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Excelcia MusicminorSibling company under common ownership. Excelcia Music handles licensing/permissions and submission processes for Kendor Music. Part of a music publishing group including multiple brands.
- Wingert-Jones MusicminorSibling company under common ownership. Part of the same music publishing group as Kendor Music.
- RBC MusicminorSibling company under common ownership. Part of the same music publishing group as Kendor Music.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Kendor Music competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sheet Music Plus: Online-only sheet music retailer/distributor carrying thousands of titles across all genres and instruments. Competes in direct sales channels and represents both a competitor and a de facto distribution outlet for educational titles.
- J.W. Pepper: Large retail and publisher of sheet music for school music programs with direct-to-educator e-commerce. Competes head-on with Kendor in string orchestra and jazz ensemble direct sales to directors.
- Excelcia Music: Parent-affiliated publishing platform that handles licensing and submission processes for Kendor. Operates as a co-located storefront and back-office infrastructure for the Kendor/Wingert-Jones/RBC group.
- RBC Music: Sibling company under common ownership with Kendor, focused on educational sheet music for school bands. Operates as part of the same publishing group and shares overlapping customers.
- Neil A. Kjos Music Company: Educational music publisher focused on band and orchestra publications for school programs. Directly comparable mid-sized competitor in grade-level concert band and string orchestra repertoire.
- Stanton's Sheet Music: Independent sheet music retailer specializing in school music. Competes with Kendor on direct-to-educator retail, including jazz ensemble and string orchestra titles.
- Carl Fischer Music: Long-standing music publisher with school band, orchestra, and chorus catalogs. Has a similar niche focus on educational/institutional sheet music and comparable composer relationships.
- Wingert-Jones Music: Sibling imprint under the same parent group (Excelcia Music) publishing concert band and instrumental music for school programs. Shares back-office operations and overlapping educator customer base with Kendor.
Broad incumbents
- Hal Leonard: Largest educational music publisher in the U.S., publishing sheet music for orchestra, band, jazz, and chorus with a much larger catalog and global distribution. Direct competitor in school string orchestra and jazz ensemble.
- Alfred Music: Major educational music publisher offering band, orchestra, jazz, and method books across all skill levels. Overlaps directly with Kendor in school-grade publications and method books.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kendor Music social profiles
Digital presenceKendor Music financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kendor Music leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Kendor Music funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kendor Music 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 Kendor Music
What does Kendor Music do?
Kendor Music publishes and sells instructional sheet music and method books for school and community music programs, organized by grade level across string orchestra, jazz ensemble, concert band, solo, and ensemble categories. Products are sold per title as one-time purchases through a direct e-commerce website and a dealer network, with each title priced between approximately $45 and $75. The catalog also includes exclusive composer series and supports directors with supplementary ScoreVideos and professional audio recordings.
Is Kendor Music a public or private company?
Kendor Music is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Kendor Music founded?
Kendor Music was founded in 1953. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Kendor Music based?
Kendor Music is headquartered in Delevan, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kendor Music make money?
One revenue line is on record: sheet Music Sales.
Who are Kendor Music's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sheet Music Plus, J.W. Pepper, Excelcia Music, RBC Music, Neil A. Kjos Music Company, Stanton's Sheet Music, Carl Fischer Music and Wingert-Jones Music. Broad incumbents are Hal Leonard and Alfred Music.
Does Kendor Music have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kendor Music.
What industry is Kendor Music in?
Kendor Music's product category is Music Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAEAB, Sheet Music & Music Books Retail, with a secondary code of CRALAEAJ, Educational Music Products Retail (Method Books, Exam Prep, Classroom Instruments). Its NAICS code is 459140 and its SIC code is 2731.