Cantando Musikkforlag AS

What Cantando Musikkforlag AS does

Cantando Musikkforlag AS operates as Norsk Musikkforlag, Norway's largest music publisher, founded in 1909 and currently organized as a brand under the Norwegian-owned Forlagshuset Vigmostad & Bjørke AS conglomerate. The company runs the Notebutikken.no e-commerce platform for physical and digital sheet music, textbooks, study scores, and educational materials, alongside a digital download service that delivers PDF scores via email with print licensing. It also operates an orchestral hire business via the Zinfonia platform covering approximately 1,000 works, and provides rights management services including mechanical, print, sync, and 'large rights' licensing for scenic works, plus international sub-publishing for royalty collection abroad and representation of foreign publishers (Carl Fischer, Presser, Universal Music Publishing) in the Nordic region.

The business spans four primary revenue streams: one-time sheet music and publication sales, orchestral material rentals (with separate amateur and professional rates), licensing and sync rights, and international sub-publishing royalties. Pricing for printed sheet music typically ranges from 200 to 800 NOK, with complex band arrangements reaching above 2,900 NOK, while educational textbooks range from 159 to 579 NOK. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer e-commerce on Notebutikken.no with physical fulfilment through Bring logistics, digital download delivery by email link, and enterprise-oriented orchestral rental via Zinfonia.com.

Cantando serves six primary customer segments: churches and religious institutions (liturgical and choral repertoire), concert and brass bands (korps), choirs across multiple configurations, music educators and students, orchestras and professional musicians, and individual hobbyists. Its marketing relies on an email newsletter (Mailchimp, offering a 15% subscriber discount), organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and a digital storefront, with no disclosed reliance on venture funding, acquisitions, or institutional investors.

Name

Cantando Musikkforlag AS

Legal name

Norsk Musikkforlag, Vigmostad & Bjørke AS

Website

https://notebutikken.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cantando Musikkforlag AS (operating as Norsk Musikkforlag) is Norway's largest music publisher, founded 1909, selling sheet music, educational materials, and orchestral hire through its Notebutikken e-commerce platform to churches, bands, choirs, orchestras, and music educators in Norway.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Print Music Publishing (Sheet Music, Scores, Educational Repertoire) (MPAIABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sheet Music & Music Books Retail (CRALAEAB), Online-Only Musical Instrument & Sheet Music Retail (CRALAEAI)

Keywords

• Music publishing
• Sheet music retail
• Orchestral hire services
• Choir and band literature
• Music education materials

Headquarters

HQ city

Stavanger

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sheet music and publication sales: Sale of physical and digital sheet music, textbooks, scores, and music literature across various instrument categories and musical genres through the Notebutikken.no e-commerce platform.
2. Orchestral material rental: Rental of orchestral materials (scores and parts). Rental fees depend on piece duration and number of performances. Amateur orchestra rates are lower than professional rates.
3. Licensing and sync rights: Licensing services for mechanical rights, print licenses, sync rights for audiovisual formats, and management of 'large rights' for larger scenic works.
4. International sub-publishing: International income collection through sub-publishing arrangements and representation of foreign publishers' catalogues in Norway.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cantando Musikkforlag AS, operating as Norsk Musikkforlag, publishes and distributes Norwegian and Nordic sheet music in physical and digital formats, produces educational music books and method materials, and provides an orchestral hire/rental service through Zinfonia for professional orchestras, choirs, concert bands, and brass bands. The company represents international music publishers in the Norwegian market and operates the Notebutikken e-commerce platform for direct sheet music sales.

Product overview

Norsk Musikkforlag (operating the Notebutikken e-commerce platform) is Norway's largest music publisher, established in 1909, offering a broad catalog of sheet music, educational method books, study scores, digital downloads, and orchestral hire materials through its Notebutikken.no online storefront. The core offering consists of the Notebutikken retail platform and the Norsk Musikkforlag publishing brand, supplemented by the Zinfonia orchestral rental catalog and a digital sheet music download service. The product portfolio includes named educational series such as the 'Musikk i Skolen inspirerer' series (with titles like Move it!, Syng det!, and Syng og lær), the Øv smartere practice method books for saxophone, the Bastien Piano Basics Norwegian edition, and specialized publications such as Ingrid Bjørnovs pianobok, Sang Quiz og Trim for elderly care, and the Oslo Gospel Choir songbook. All products serve the Norwegian music education and performance market across instruments, genres, and educational levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Notebutikken sheet music e-commerce store
• Zinfonia orchestral hire service
• Norsk Musikkforlag publishing catalogue
• International music publisher representation in Norway Exclusive Norwegian representation and distribution agreements with international music publishers, enabling Norwegian customers to access foreign sheet music editions and repertoire.
• Choir and vocal music editions Published sheet music, choral arrangements, and song collections for choirs, vocal ensembles, and amateur singers, including Norwegian-language sacred and secular choral works.
• Concert band and brass band literature Published sheet music, wind band arrangements, and method materials for concert bands, brass bands, and wind ensembles serving amateur and semi-professional communities.
• Music education and method books Educational music books, method materials, and graded repertoire for music students, teachers, and schools covering instrumental and vocal instruction.
• Rights administration and music licensing Administration of composer rights, mechanical licensing, and royalty collection for works in the Norsk Musikkforlag catalogue and represented international publisher works.

Quantifiable outcome

• Orchestral hire catalogue with approximately 1000 works available for rental
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Carl FischercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarl Fischer is represented by Norsk Musikkforlag for the Nordic countries. Norsk Musikkforlag manages the rental of orchestral materials and scenic works from Carl Fischer's catalogue for the Nordic territory.
• PressercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPresser is represented by Norsk Musikkforlag for the Nordic countries. Norsk Musikkforlag manages rental and distribution of Presser's catalogue in the Nordic territory.
• Universal Music PublishingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUniversal is represented by Norsk Musikkforlag for Norway. Norsk Musikkforlag manages rental materials and scenic works from Universal's catalogue for the Norwegian territory.
• Forlagshuset Vigmostad & Bjørke AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorsk Musikkforlag is a brand under Forlagshuset Vigmostad & Bjørke AS. Other brands include Bladkompaniet, Fagbokforlaget, and Notebutikken. The group is Norwegian-owned and manages publishing operations across multiple verticals.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Musicnotes: Leading digital sheet music platform offering instant PDF downloads of licensed popular and classical sheet music. Comparable as a digital-first sheet music retailer competing for the same end customers, particularly in the digital download channel where Norsk Musikkforlag is building presence.

Direct peers

• Universal Edition: Viennese classical and contemporary music publisher with strong Nordic ties (representing composers like Webern, Bartók). Comparable as a European classical music publisher with orchestral hire, contemporary repertoire, and educational publishing.
• Alfred Music: Major global music publisher focused on educational methods, sheet music, and reference materials. Comparable as a multi-category sheet music publisher serving music educators, students, and performers with both physical and digital offerings.
• Edition Wilhelm Hansen: Nordic classical music publisher based in Denmark, with historical roots in Scandinavian repertoire and contemporary classical works. Highly comparable as a regional Nordic music publisher with overlapping Nordic composer catalogues and similar educational/performance segments.
• Schott Music: Long-established German music publisher (founded 1770) with a deep classical and contemporary catalogue including orchestral hire materials. Comparable as a European music publisher with rights administration, orchestral rental, and educational publishing operations.
• Hal Leonard: The world's largest print music publisher, offering sheet music, educational materials, and digital downloads across all instruments and genres. Direct competitor in the same product category (sheet music retail and publishing) and customer base (music educators, students, performers).
• Boosey & Hawkes: Premier Anglo-American classical music publisher with a major orchestral and contemporary catalogue, offering orchestral hire, licensing, and educational publishing. Comparable as a heritage classical publisher with similar rights administration and rental business.

Broad incumbents

• Sony Music Publishing: Global music publishing giant managing rights for major songwriters and catalogues. Comparable as a music rights administrator and publisher, though operates at global scale with primarily pop/commercial repertoire rather than Norwegian classical/educational niche.
• Warner Chappell Music: One of the world's largest music publishers, owned by Warner Music Group, with broad pop, classical, and sync rights. Comparable as a major rights administrator and music publisher, but operates at vastly larger scale and broader genre scope than Norway-focused Norsk Musikkforlag.

Regional players

• Fennica Gehrman: Finnish music publisher focused on Nordic and Finnish classical and educational repertoire. Comparable as a Nordic regional music publisher serving similar segments (orchestral hire, educational publishing, choir and band music), though focused on Finland rather than Norway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NorskMusikforlag
• Facebookfacebook.com/musikkforlaget
• Instagraminstagram.com/norskmusikkforlag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cantando Musikkforlag AS