Music

What Music does

Music Inc Magazine is a privately held B2B trade publication serving the musical products industry in the United States, founded in 1990 and owned by Maher Publications. The company is headquartered in Elmhurst, Illinois, and operates with 11-50 employees. Its stated positioning is as the world's leading trade publication for retailers and suppliers of musical instruments, recording gear, and professional audio systems, providing ear-to-the-ground reporting on industry trends, products, and participants.

The core product is a single print magazine distributed via subscriptions and newsstand, paired with a digital footprint that includes the musicincmag.com website organized into News, Magazine, Features, Ideas, Gear, and Current Issue sections, an email newsletter operated through Constant Contact, and editorial coverage of industry events such as NAMM shows (including NAMM NeXT Europe 2026) and the Hollywood Rockwalk inductions. Content categories span guitars/amps/accessories, audio & recording, drums & percussion, band & orchestra, DJ & lighting, and pianos/keyboards/synthesizers. There is no documented proprietary software platform, no public or partner-facing API, and no AI/ML capabilities referenced.

The business model is a classic trade publication construct: recurring subscription revenue from industry readers (retailers, suppliers, manufacturers) supplemented by advertising from musical instrument and professional audio brands. Visible advertiser logos include NAMM, Gator, Grover, Meters, SKB, Mighty Mite, Stringjoy, and others, suggesting a diversified advertiser base across product categories. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The publication does not report revenue, has no institutional investor backing, and operates as an independent media business within the Maher Publications portfolio.

Name

Music

Legal name

Music Inc. Magazine

Website

https://musicincmag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Music Inc Magazine is a privately held B2B trade publication founded in 1990, serving retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers in the musical products industry through a print magazine, website, newsletter, and industry event coverage under parent Maher Publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Trade publication
• Music industry media
• Musical products retail
• Professional audio news
• Music retail business

Headquarters

HQ city

Elmhurst

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Revenue model

1. Magazine Publishing: Music Inc Magazine generates revenue through magazine publishing, serving as the leading trade publication for the musical products industry. Revenue is derived from subscriptions and advertising from musical instrument and professional audio manufacturers and suppliers targeting retailers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Music Inc Magazine is a trade publication serving the musical products industry, providing news, features, gear reviews, and business guidance to retailers and suppliers of musical instruments, recording gear, and professional audio systems. Founded in 1990 and operated by Maher Publications, it distributes content through print issues, a website, and email newsletters, covering categories including guitars, amps, audio & recording, drums & percussion, band & orchestra, DJ & lighting, and pianos/keyboards/synthesizers.

Product overview

Music Inc Magazine is a single unified trade publication (not a software platform) that serves as the leading business guide for the musical products industry. The publication covers musical instruments, recording gear, and professional audio systems through news, features, ideas, and gear sections. It is owned by Maher Publications and is based in Elmhurst, Illinois. The publication does not offer separate modules or add-on products; it is a single magazine product with associated digital content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Reverb (Reverb.com): Reverb is the dominant online marketplace for musical instruments and gear, and publishes news, reviews, and editorial content reaching MI retailers and consumers. It is a broader ecosystem participant competing for advertising dollars and editorial attention in the MI vertical.
• Sound & Communications: Sound & Communications is a broader commercial AV and systems integration trade publication. It overlaps with Music Inc.'s pro audio coverage but serves a wider systems integration audience beyond core MI retail.
• Sweetwater (media/editorial arm): Sweetwater is the largest US MI retailer and operates editorial content, inSync video series, and event coverage. It is a major advertiser in Music Inc. and a competitor for editorial attention within the same MI retail audience.

Regional players

• Church Production Magazine: Church Production covers the worship technology and house-of-worship audio/lighting market. It intersects with Music Inc.'s audio, DJ/lighting, and band/orchestra categories but focuses on a specific vertical that is adjacent rather than directly competitive.

Emerging players

• Premier Guitar: Premier Guitar is a digital-first guitar media brand that has expanded into print and video. It overlaps with Music Inc.'s guitars/amps/accessories category and competes for the attention of MI retailers and their supplier advertisers.

Direct peers

• Vintage Guitar Magazine: Vintage Guitar is a niche trade/enthusiast publication focused on guitars, amps, and vintage instruments. It competes for guitar-category readers and advertisers that also engage with Music Inc.'s guitars/amps/accessories coverage.
• Front of House Magazine: Front of House covers the live sound and touring industry, serving sound engineers, tour professionals, and equipment suppliers. It overlaps with Music Inc.'s audio & recording and DJ/lighting coverage and competes for the same professional audio advertisers.
• Music Trades Magazine: Music Trades is the longest-running trade publication covering the musical products industry, targeting MI retailers and suppliers. It is the most direct competitor to Music Inc., competing for the same advertiser and subscriber base in the same vertical.
• Mix Magazine: Mix is a trade publication for the professional audio and music production industry, covering recording, mixing, and live sound. It overlaps directly with Music Inc.'s audio & recording category and serves a related B2B professional audience.
• Pro Sound News: Pro Sound News is a trade publication covering the professional audio industry, including MI, pro audio, and live sound. It competes for advertising from the same pro audio manufacturers and suppliers that advertise in Music Inc.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/musicincmag
• Facebookfacebook.com/roland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/music-inc-magazine

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 Music