What Percussion Plus does

Percussion Plus, trading as Frederick Hyde Ltd., is a UK-based retailer and manufacturer of educational percussion instruments founded in 1987 in Market Harborough and now headquartered in Haslemere, Surrey. The company manufactures a portion of its range at an in-house Leicestershire workshop while sourcing other items from fair-trade partners worldwide, and operates as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business through percussionplus.co.uk. Its product portfolio spans school tuned percussion (bells, chime bars, glockenspiels, xylophones, metallophones, Boomwhackers, Wak-a-Tubes, Classic Red Box, Harmony Series), an extensive hand percussion range (djembes, shakers, tambourines, frame drums, etc.), samba and Latin percussion, steel pans including the Jumbie Jam beginner line, marching drums, drum kit components, beaters and mallets, and storage furniture.

The company's primary customers are UK and international schools, music teachers, music hubs, and music therapy providers, with use cases centred on whole-class ensemble teaching, SEND (special educational needs) settings, and inclusive music-making. Its sub-brand strategy — Boomwhackers, Classic Red Box, Jumbie Jam, Harmony Series, and the ethically sourced Honestly Made collection — segments the catalogue by use case, skill level, and buyer values. Pricing is published openly and spans entry-level accessories under £1 to professional instruments above £500, with volume discounts on classroom packs and a dedicated Trade & Export division for bulk and international institutional orders. Marketing relies primarily on the e-commerce site, SEO-optimised category structure, an email newsletter, and an adjacent content ecosystem built around Andy Gleadhill's percussion education books.

Name

Percussion Plus

Legal name

Frederick Hyde Ltd.

Website

https://percussionplus.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Percussion Plus is a UK-based retailer and manufacturer (founded 1987, Frederick Hyde Ltd.) selling tuned and hand percussion instruments via direct-to-consumer e-commerce, primarily serving schools, music educators, and music therapy settings in the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Musical Instruments

NAICS

Musical Instrument Manufacturing (339992), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Musical Instruments (3931)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Educational Music Products Retail (Method Books, Exam Prep, Classroom Instruments) (CRALAEAJ), Musical Instruments (Acoustic & Electric) (MPAIAJAA)

Keywords

• Educational percussion instruments
• Tuned classroom percussion
• Hand percussion supplies
• Djembe steel pan
• Music education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Haslemere

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Retail Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through the Percussion Plus website. Products include individual percussion instruments, classroom packs, accessories, and teaching resources sold at various price points.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Percussion Plus manufactures and retails percussion instruments (many produced in its Leicestershire workshop, with others sourced from global fair-trade partners) spanning tuned classroom percussion, hand percussion, djembes, samba and Latin instruments, steel pans, marching drums, and drum kit accessories. Products are sold directly via the percussionplus.co.uk online store to schools, music teachers, music therapists, community groups, and individual buyers in the UK and internationally, with a dedicated Trade & Export division for bulk institutional orders.

Product overview

Percussion Plus is a British musical instrument retailer and manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of percussion instruments. The company operates primarily as an e-commerce platform with a focus on educational percussion, with major product lines including School Tuned Percussion (bells, chime bars, glockenspiels, xylophones, metallophones), the Boomwhackers colour-coded tube percussion brand, Classic Red Box and Harmony Series educational tuned instruments, and an extensive Hand Percussion range. The Honestly Made sub-brand offers ethically sourced instruments from global makers. Additional categories cover Djembe instruments, Samba/Latin percussion, Steel Pans (including Jumbie Jam beginner pans), Marching Drums, Drum Kits, Beaters & Mallets, and Percussion Furniture. The company was founded in 1987 and manufactures many products in its Leicestershire workshop while sourcing others from fair-trade partners worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Tuned Percussion Comprehensive range of tuned percussion instruments designed for educational settings, including bells, chime bars, hand chimes, glockenspiels, xylophones, metallophones, Boomwhackers, and Wak-a-Tubes. Targeted at schools, music teachers, and music therapists for whole-class teaching.
• Boomwhackers Tuned Percussion Tubes Vibrant, colour-coded tuned percussion tubes precision tuned to produce clear, resonant tones. Popular with schools and teachers worldwide for whole-class ensemble teaching and music therapy settings.
• Classic Red Box Tuned Percussion Durable and affordable range of tuned percussion offering classroom-quality instruments including glockenspiels, xylophones, and metallophones. Designed for accurate tuning and best tone in the classroom.
• Harmony Series Colour-Note Percussion Colour-note xylophones, metallophones, and related tuned percussion for educational music instruction.
• Hand Percussion Instruments Extensive collection of hand-played percussion instruments including agogos, bodhrans, cabasas, castanets, claves, cowbells, egg shakers, finger cymbals, frame drums, guiros, maracas, tambourines, triangles, and woodblocks. Targeted at schools, music educators, and community groups.
• Djembe Instruments Available in pre-tuned, rope-tuned, and mechanically-tuned varieties, including the Slap Djembe range and nesting djembes for classroom percussion. Durable design suitable for whole-class ensemble teaching.
• Samba and Latin Percussion Full range of samba instruments including caixas, cuicas, pandeiros, repiniques, surdos, tamborims, harnesses, beaters, and drum skins, primarily from Izzo brand. Targeted at samba ensembles and educational programmes.
• Steel Pans Jumbie Jam beginner-friendly steel pans and professional Hammer Series steel pans with cases, stands, mallets, and instructional books. Accessible introduction to steel pan playing with authentic sound.
• Honestly Made Fair-Trade Percussion Traditional percussion crafted from sustainable materials and sourced fairly from independent makers across the globe, including African, Indian, and South American instruments.
• Marching Drums Marching percussion including snare drums, bass drums, and orchestral cymbals for marching bands and drum corps.
• Drum Kits and Accessories Complete drum kit components including snare drums, hardware, drum skins, practice pads, thrones, sticks, and tuning keys. Targeted at individual drummers and educational settings.
• Beaters, Mallets, and Percussion Furniture Comprehensive range of beaters for various instruments (bass drums, gongs, bodhrans, chime bars, cowbells, glockenspiels, marimbas, tambourines, timpani, triangles, vibraphones, xylophones) plus storage and support equipment including music frames and mobile instrument trolleys with trays.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hugely popular with schools and teachers around the world

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Boomwhackers (brand): The colour-coded tuned percussion tube brand associated with Percussion Plus's flagship educational line. Listed as a separate comparable brand entity representing the category Percussion Plus helped popularize in UK schools.
• Remo Inc. One of the world's largest percussion instrument manufacturers, producing drumheads and a wide range of hand percussion, world percussion, and educational percussion. Directly comparable to Percussion Plus on the manufacturing side, with broader scale and global distribution.
• Latin Percussion (LP): A leading manufacturer of hand percussion, world percussion, and educational percussion instruments. Overlaps directly with Percussion Plus's hand percussion and Latin/Samba categories and competes for the same school and ensemble buyers.
• Rhythm Band Instruments: US manufacturer focused specifically on educational percussion and Orff-style classroom instruments. Direct competitor in the same school percussion niche that Percussion Plus targets, with comparable product breadth and educational positioning.
• Meinl Percussion: German manufacturer of a broad percussion range including hand percussion, world instruments, and educational product lines. Directly comparable to Percussion Plus on world percussion and educational segments, with a similar European heritage.
• West Music: US-based specialty retailer and distributor of musical instruments and educational music resources, with strong school and music-therapy positioning. Closest like-for-like peer in educational percussion retail with a similar vertical mix of own-brand and distributed products.
• Studio 49: German manufacturer of Orff Schulwerk classroom percussion including xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels. Direct competitor in the European educational tuned-percussion segment where Percussion Plus's Classic Red Box and Harmony Series compete.

Broad incumbents

• Hal Leonard: The largest music publisher and educational music resource distributor globally, publishing method books (e.g., Andy Gleadhill series retailed by Percussion Plus) and distributing school percussion. Adjacent peer through shared educational-music distribution and method book catalog overlap.
• Thomann: Europe's largest online musical instrument retailer, carrying extensive percussion categories. Comparable as a competing online channel for the same European percussion buyer, though with a vastly broader multi-category footprint.
• Yamaha Music: Global musical instrument manufacturer with educational product lines and school-music programs. Comparable as a broad incumbent that overlaps with Percussion Plus in school percussion and music education distribution, though with a far larger portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/percussion_plus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/percussion-plus-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Percussion Plus