International Society for Music Education

Name

International Society for Music Education

Legal name

International Society for Music Education

Website

https://isme.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Music (Instruments, Voice, Music Theory) (EDAAAGAC)

Keywords

• Music education association
• Professional music educators
• Music education conferences
• Music education journals
• Music teacher development

Headquarters

HQ city

Kenosha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ISME generates revenue through individual and organizational membership fees. Membership provides access to conferences, journals, publications, discounts on events, and participation in Commissions, SIGs, and forums.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue from ISME World Conference registrations held every two years, attracting 1,500-2,000 attendees from 60+ countries. Also includes regional conferences and pre-conferences.
3. Journal Publications: ISME publishes the International Journal of Music Education (IJME) and Revista Internacional de Educacion Musical (RIEM). While members receive online access, non-members and institutions can subscribe through Sage Publications.
4. Routledge Book Series: Partnership with Routledge to publish books on music education. ISME members and colleagues can access specialist music education publications.
5. Sponsorship Program: ISME offers a sponsorship program where individuals can become patrons of music education by supporting educators, researchers, students, and emerging leaders who face financial barriers to engaging with the international music education community.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ISME is a global non-profit professional organization that promotes music education across all cultures and societies. It delivers biennial World Conferences, peer-reviewed academic journals (International Journal of Music Education and Revista Internacional de Educacion Musical), a Routledge book series, eight specialized Commissions, and individual/student/organizational membership programs for music educators, researchers, students, and institutions in over 80 countries.

Product overview

The International Society for Music Education (ISME) is a global non-profit professional organization, not a technology company. It operates under UNESCO auspices and provides a platform for music education professionals worldwide through conferences, publications, awards, and specialized commissions. The core offerings include the biennial ISME World Conference (attracting 1,500-2,000+ attendees from 60+ countries), Pre-Conferences organized by eight specialized Commissions, and Regional Conferences. The publication portfolio comprises the International Journal of Music Education (IJME) published by Sage, the Revista Internacional de Educacion Musical (RIEM), the Routledge Book Series (covering Global Issues and Specialist Themes in Music Education), and Book Reviews. ISME also administers three awards: the World Conference Presenter Travel Award, Sponsored Delegate Award, and Dr. Marvin Greenberg Award for Early Childhood Music Education. The eight ISME Commissions (CMA, CEPROM, ECME, IVMTC, MISTEC, Research, Policy, and Special Music Education/Music Therapy) provide specialized focus areas, complemented by Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Forums for member engagement. Membership programs include sponsorship opportunities for supporting music educators globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISME Membership
• ISME World Conference
• ISME Regional Conferences
• ISME Pre-Conferences
• International Journal of Music Education (IJME)
• Revista Internacional de Educacion Musical (RIEM)
• ISME Routledge Book Series
• ISME Sponsorship Program

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISME operates under the auspices of UNESCO and is recognized as one of the most influential international bodies in the field of music education. This affiliation provides global credibility and positions ISME as a key stakeholder in international education policy discussions.
• RoutledgecoreTechnology or IntegrationISME partners with Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group) to publish two series of books about music education: Global Issues in Music Education and Specialist Themes in Music Education. The partnership includes the ISME Routledge Book Series Editorial Board.
• Sage PublicationscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorISME's International Journal of Music Education (IJME) and Revista Internacional de Educacion Musical (RIEM) are published by Sage Publications. Sage handles distribution, subscription management, and publication services for these journals.
• Sempre (Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSempre is listed as an organizational sponsor of ISME, indicating collaborative relationship in research and music education advancement.
• ISME Routledge Book Series Editorial Board MembersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEditorial board includes Prof. David Hebert (Senior Editor), Prof. Emily Akuno, Prof. José Luis Aróstegui, Prof. Pamela Burnard, Dr. Alexandra Kertz-Welzel, Dr. Chee Hoo Lum, Prof. Gwen Moore, Prof. Susan O'Neill, Dr. John O'Flynn.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Association for Music Education (NAfME): US-based professional association for music educators, offering conferences, publications, and advocacy. Highly comparable in mission, membership model, and conference-driven revenue, though geographically focused on the US vs. ISME's global scope.
• International Music Council (IMC): UNESCO-affiliated global body promoting music across cultures, also operating under UNESCO auspices and convening international conferences and policy forums. Direct peer in mission, UNESCO alignment, and global membership model.
• Music Teachers National Association (MTNA): US professional association for independent music teachers, offering conferences, competitions, and certifications. Comparable in providing a membership community and annual conferences for music educators, though with a different pedagogical focus.
• European Association for Music in Schools (EAS): European network supporting music in school curricula and teacher training, running conferences and serving a professional membership similar to ISME's commissions and SIGs. Regional peer with directly comparable mission and member base.
• Society for Education, Music and Psychology Research (SEMPRE): UK-based learned society linking music education with psychology research, publishing a journal and running conferences. Already listed as an ISME partner, it serves a comparable membership of music education researchers with overlapping journal and conference offerings.
• Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA): Organization supporting Suzuki method music teachers through training, conferences, and publications across the Americas. Comparable in serving a defined pedagogy community with conference, publication, and certification revenue models.
• American String Teachers Association (ASTA): US-based membership organization for string instrument teachers, offering conferences, publications, and advocacy. Comparable in operating as a specialty music educator association with conference and journal offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Musical Association (RMA): UK-based learned society for music research, publishing a journal and hosting research events. Comparable scholarly membership model with overlapping researcher audience, though focused on musicology more broadly than pedagogy.
• International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM): Global network of contemporary music societies promoting new music through festivals and member sections. Comparable international membership-association model in the broader music space, but focused on composition rather than education.

Regional players

• Association for Music Education (Austria/MEiN): Regional professional body for music educators in German-speaking countries, providing conferences, publications, and advocacy. Comparable membership and conference model but limited to a specific European geography rather than global scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/InternationalSocietyforMusicEducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/ISMEducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-society-for-music-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/isme_musiced_1953
• Xx.com/official_isme

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Society for Music Education