Hounslow’s Music Service

What Hounslow’s Music Service does

Hounslow Music Service is a charitable company limited by guarantee (registered charity no. 1165778) that has delivered instrumental and vocal music education to children and young people across the London Borough of Hounslow since 1980. It transitioned from a directly-run local authority service to a charitable company in May 2016 to broaden its funding base. The organisation operates in-school delivery across 73 schools, reaching approximately 9,450 children and young people weekly, supported by 64 engaged professional tutors and a wider team of more than 70 music educators plus administrative staff. It is led by CEO Oonagh Barry, who has headed the service since 2008 and oversaw the transition to charitable status.

The core product set spans in-school instrumental and vocal tuition, a Saturday Music Academy, a Midweek Music Centre with evening lessons, 16 ensembles ranging from junior to advanced levels, an instrument hire scheme, and ABRSM/Trinity examination centres. Curriculum products include Whole Class Ensemble Tuition (a three-term primary programme covering ukulele, guitar, recorder, clarinet, violin, brass and djembe), the TuneIn primary music programme, and the Charanga cloud-based learning platform, which HMS licences free of charge to every Hounslow primary and special school. Proprietary intellectual property includes the HMS Tutor Books, Flash Cards, and Aural Training resources, supported by an instrument library of more than 8,000 units. Operational output is substantial: approximately 700 performances annually involving over 22,000 participants and reaching 190,000 audience members.

The business model combines termly subscription tuition (e.g., £238 per term for 30-minute individual lessons, with FSM remissions on selected tiers), tiered instrument hire (£25-£46 per term), ensemble membership (£51 per term, £46 for siblings), exam accompanist fees, and grant income from the London Borough of Hounslow, Music Mark, the London Music Fund, and project-specific funders such as Youth Music. Customer segments are primary schools, secondary schools, children and young people aged 5-18, and their families; distribution is hybrid, with field sales into schools via music coordinators plus direct-to-consumer enrolment through the SpeedAdmin portal for Music Centre and Saturday Academy programmes.

Name

Hounslow’s Music Service

Legal name

Hounslow Music Service

Website

https://hounslowmusic.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hounslow Music Service is a charitable company that delivers instrumental and vocal music education to children and young people across 73 schools in the London Borough of Hounslow, reaching approximately 9,450 pupils weekly through lessons, ensembles, and exam preparation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Music Exam Prep & Certification (ABRSM, Trinity, RCM, AP Music Theory) (EDAMANAJ)

Keywords

• Music education services
• Instrumental tuition
• School music programs
• Youth music ensembles
• Instrument hire scheme

Headquarters

HQ city

Hounslow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Instrumental and Vocal Tuition: Per-term tuition fees for individual and group lessons delivered in schools and music centres. Primary schools are invoiced directly; high schools have dual system where parents book directly or school administers lessons.
2. Instrument Hire: Term-based instrument rental scheme with tiered pricing. Level 1 (acoustic guitar £25), Level 2 (violin, viola, cello, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, flute at £40), Level 3 (oboe, saxophone, French horn, tuba at £46). Reduced rates for pupils receiving free school meals.
3. Ensemble Membership: Term-based membership fees for ensemble participation including orchestras, bands, and choirs. £51 per term (£46 for siblings).
4. Public Funding and Grants: Charitable company receiving public funding including support from Hounslow Borough, Music Mark, and London Music Fund. Registered charity no. 1165778.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hounslow Music Service (HMS) delivers instrumental and vocal music tuition, ensemble participation, instrument hire, and graded exam preparation to children and young people across the London Borough of Hounslow. The service operates via school-based delivery to 73 schools, a Saturday Music Academy, a Midweek Music Centre, and a structured ensemble programme covering 16 groups.

Product overview

Hounslow Music Service operates as a multi-faceted music education provider offering a portfolio of interconnected programmes. The core offerings include individual and group instrumental/vocal lessons (available in schools, at the Midweek Music Centre, and Saturday Music Academy), Whole Class Ensemble Tuition for primary classes, and the TuneIn primary school music curriculum. Supporting services include an extensive ensemble programme (over 15 ensembles ranging from junior to advanced levels), an instrument hire scheme with tiered pricing, graded exam centres for ABRSM and Trinity College London, and the Charanga digital learning platform provided free to schools. Welcome packs, learning resources, and an Early Years Project round out the educational support offerings. The Saturday Music Academy and Music Centre provide pathways for more advanced students, while school-based delivery ensures broad access across the borough.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Charanga: Cloud-based learning platform provided free of charge to Hounslow Schools courtesy of Hounslow Music Service, offering resources for teaching the National Curriculum for Music.
• TuneIn
• Saturday Music Academy
• Whole Class Ensemble Tuition

Products and services

• Instrumental and Vocal Lessons Individual and small-group instrumental and vocal tuition offered across a wide range of instruments including strings, brass, woodwind, guitar, percussion, keyboard and voice, delivered in schools and at music centres for pupils aged 5-18.
• Saturday Music Academy & Music School A Saturday morning programme offering instrumental tuition, theory lessons, choirs, and small group music ensembles for pupils of mixed ages and abilities, held at Hounslow Town Primary School.
• Midweek Music Centre Evening music school held on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings offering private lessons on various instruments including drum kit, located at 64A Pears Road, Hounslow.
• Whole Class Ensemble Tuition Core music education programme delivering whole-class instrumental teaching to primary school pupils over a 3-term period (10 lessons per term) covering ukulele, guitar, recorder, clarinet, violin, brass, and djembe for Years 2-6.
• TuneIn Programme A primary school music programme delivering a progressive music curriculum aligned with the National Curriculum, including instrumental skills and music technology (iPads/computers) over 30 weeks (10 lessons per term).
• Music Ensembles Structured ensemble programme including 16 ensembles across orchestras, bands, choirs and chamber groups (Junior Strings, Concert Strings, Youth Strings, Junior Guitars, Concert Guitars, Junior Brass Band, Junior Woodwinds, Wind Band, Youth Concert Band, Percussion, Junior Choirs, Clarinet Kids, Clarinet Choir, Junior Brass Ensemble, Youth Brass Ensemble, Saturday Saxes).
• Instrument Hire Instrument rental scheme offering acoustic guitar, violin, viola, cello, trumpet, tenor horn, baritone horn, trombone, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone, French horn, euphonium, and tuba at tiered pricing (£25-£46 per term) with FSM concessions.
• Graded Exams Examination centres for Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity College London, typically held in February and July half-terms, with accompanist services available for grades 1-8.
• Charanga Digital Platform A cloud-based music learning platform provided free to Hounslow schools by HMS, offering curriculum-aligned resources, songs, listening activities, assessment tools, and SEND support for primary music education.
• Learn at School Instrumental and vocal tuition delivered during the school day across Hounslow schools, covering strings, brass, woodwind, guitar, percussion, keyboard and voice, with lessons organised through individual schools or directly via HMS.
• Welcome Packs Digital welcome packs for various instruments (Brass, Clarinet, Drums, Flute, Guitar, Oboe, Piano & Keyboard, Recorder, Saxophone, Strings, Ukulele) providing guidance for new learners and parents.
• Early Years Project A Youth Music-funded project in collaboration with Croydon Music and Arts and the English Folk Dance and Song Society, providing songs from English folk, West African/Jamaican, and South Asian traditions for Early Years settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 12,000 pupils taught weekly across 73 schools
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• CharangacoreTechnology or IntegrationCharanga is a cloud-based learning platform providing music education resources. HMS pays for every primary and special school in Hounslow to have access to Charanga resources free of charge. Platform includes UKs leading scheme for National Curriculum music, model music curriculum tools, and supports blended/home learning. Used by 50,000 teachers nationally.
• Croydon Music and ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Youth Music funded Our Song project for Early Years. Collaboration to produce videos supporting colleagues in Early Years settings with singing, particularly songs from cultural heritages of local communities.
• English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Youth Music funded Our Song project. Provided English folk nursery rhyme songs arranged and recorded for Early Years music programme.
• Philharmonia OrchestraflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung musicians from HMS performed with Philharmonia Orchestra musicians. Brass players performed with Haken Hardenberger at Royal Festival Hall. Woodwind players performed as part of Philharmonia Stravinsky series. Prestigious professional development and performance opportunity.
• London Borough of HounslowflagshipOthersHMS established in 1980 to provide instrumental lessons for the borough. Continues to work in close partnership with the London Borough of Hounslow. Cabinet Member for Education and Children's Services will always be a trustee per constitutional requirement.
• Music MarkcoreOthersMusic education charity providing instrumental lessons. HMS is a member of Music Mark and receives funding support through this partnership.
• London Music FundcoreOthersCharity supporting music education in London. HMS receives public funding support through London Music Fund partnership.
• Musical Museum (Brentford)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for Primary School Music Education Conference. Museum houses mechanical instruments and runs popular schools programme.
• Kinetika BlocominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformed West African and Jamaican songs for Early Years project. Selected, arranged and recorded music celebrating cultural heritages of Hounslow communities.
• Beeja Dance (Anusha Subramanyam)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Asian music and dance selected, recorded and performed for Early Years project. Cultural heritage content supporting diverse communities.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Music Mark: UK-wide subject association for music education that supports and represents music services including HMS — comparable in mission and constituency, but operates at a national advocacy/funding level rather than as a borough provider.

Others

• ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music): UK's leading graded music examination board, for which HMS acts as an exam centre and aural-prep provider — closely intertwined with HMS's exam-preparation revenue stream and student progression pathway.
• Charanga: Cloud-based music education platform used by 50,000+ UK teachers — HMS is a paying customer/reseller providing Charanga free to every Hounslow primary school; comparable in curriculum reach though operating as an enabling technology platform rather than direct tuition provider.

Direct peers

• Brent Music Service: Another London borough music service delivering instrumental tuition, ensembles and instrument hire to schools and families — same model, same funding regime (Music Mark / Arts Council), directly comparable scale and structure.
• Hackney Music Service: Inner-London borough music service delivering Whole Class Ensemble Tuition, individual lessons, ensembles and instrument hire to borough schools — directly comparable service portfolio.
• Tower Hamlets Arts & Music Education Service (THAMES): London borough music and arts education service running school delivery, ensembles, Saturday music school and instrument hire — a charitable/non-profit model analogous to HMS with comparable scale.
• Wandsworth Music: London Borough of Wandsworth's music education hub offering instrumental tuition in schools, ensemble programmes and Saturday music activities — directly comparable borough-wide music service.
• Hillingdon Music Service: West London borough music service providing peripatetic instrumental lessons, ensemble programmes and instrument hire to schools — direct comparable as a neighbouring borough provider.
• Ealing Music Service: Adjacent London borough music service offering school-based instrumental tuition, ensembles and hire schemes — functionally identical to HMS in operating model and customer base.
• Richmond Music Trust: Charitable music education trust serving the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames with school-based tuition, ensembles and instrument hire — same charitable structure and borough-service remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HounslowMusic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HounslowMusicService
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Hounslow-Music-Service/232217913623823
• Instagraminstagram.com/hounslowmusic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hounslow-music-service

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Hounslow’s Music Service