Wentworth Music
Wentworth Music is a 60-year-old, independently owned musical instrument retailer operating three British Columbia storefronts in Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton, serving Okanagan Valley families, students, and musicians with instrument sales, rentals, and an award-winning music education center.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersKelowna, Canada
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wentworth Music does
Wentworth Music is a privately held musical instrument retailer operating three storefronts in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley — Kelowna (headquarters and education center), Vernon, and Penticton. The company sells instruments ranging from entry-level to professional grade, including guitars, pianos, drums, keyboards, violins, saxophones, and trumpets, along with accessories and pro-audio equipment. It carries premium brand inventory including Gibson, Charvel, and Dingwall, and lists both new and used product on the Reverb.com online marketplace. The business was founded in the mid-1960s and is currently celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Beyond retail, Wentworth Music operates the Wentworth Music Education Center (WMEC), an award-winning in-person and online lesson program offering instruction across more than 20 disciplines (guitar, singing, piano, drums, violin, ukulele, saxophone, trumpet, bass, banjo, flute, mandolin, trombone, French horn, clarinet, harmonica, music theory, songwriting) for students ages 4 and up. Lessons are priced at $31–$36 per 30-minute session for registered students. Revenue is generated through four streams: instrument and accessory sales (transactional), music lessons (recurring), instrument rentals including rent-to-own options (recurring), and online marketplace sales via Reverb.com. The company has announced a forthcoming 24/7 direct online shopping capability. Wentworth Music is independently owned with no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or external funding, and has been recognized in the BM21 Top 100 best music stores list.
Wentworth Music firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wentworth Music
- Legal name
- Wentworth Music
- Website
- https://wentworthmusic.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Wentworth Music is a 60-year-old, independently owned musical instrument retailer operating three British Columbia storefronts in Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton, serving Okanagan Valley families, students, and musicians with instrument sales, rentals, and an award-winning music education center.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wentworth Music industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (45914), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140)
- SIC
- Retail-Hobby, Toy & Game Shops (5945)
- akta.pro industry
- Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra)Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Music Instruments & Sheet Music RetailInstrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs)Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Music Instruments & Sheet Music RetailUsed & Vintage Musical Instruments RetailConsumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Music Instruments & Sheet Music Retail
Keywords
Where Wentworth Music is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kelowna
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Wentworth Music business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Music Lessons: In-person and online music lessons for students ages 4 and up, covering guitar, singing, piano, drums, violin, and many other instruments. Lessons are priced at $31-$36 per 30-minute session for registered students.
- Instrument and Accessory Sales: Retail sales of musical instruments including guitars, drums, pianos, violins, saxophones, trumpets, and accessories. Products range from entry-level to professional grade including premium brands like Gibson, Charvel, and Dingwall.
- Instrument Rentals: Rent-to-own and short-term rental options for instruments from used to new. Also offers band instrument rentals and pro-audio rentals.
- Online Marketplace Sales: Sales through Reverb.com marketplace platform for both new and used instruments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Music Lessons (30 minutes) - Registered Students |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Wentworth Music product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wentworth Music is a musical instrument retailer operating three stores in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, selling guitars, drums, pianos, violins, brass, woodwinds, and accessories from entry-level to professional brands. It complements retail with band instrument and pro-audio rentals, and offers private music lessons through the Wentworth Music Education Center (WMEC) for students ages 4 and up across 20+ instruments and music theory.
Product overview
Wentworth Music is a single-location music retail business with three physical store locations in British Columbia (Kelowna, Penticton, and Vernon). The company operates a unified offering centered on musical instrument sales, instrument rentals (band instruments and pro-audio), and an award-winning education center providing music lessons. Online shopping is available via the Reverb.com marketplace. Featured inventory includes instruments from brands such as Charvel, Gibson, and Dingwall. The business celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving generations of musicians, students, teachers, and families over 60 years
Companies that use Wentworth Music
Customer profileSegments2 records
Wentworth Music technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Wentworth Music partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Reverb.comminorWentworth Music sells instruments through the Reverb.com online marketplace, listing hot items and featured products with detailed descriptions and links back to their storefront.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wentworth Music competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Guitar Center: Largest US-based musical instrument retailer with hundreds of stores nationwide. Overlaps with Wentworth on premium guitar retail (Gibson, Charvel), accessories, and lessons, but operates at national scale with a much broader omnichannel presence.
- Sweetwater: Largest online musical instrument retailer in North America. Competes with Wentworth on online instrument sales, particularly premium brands like Gibson and Dingwall, but at vastly greater national scale.
- Music & Arts: US-based national musical instrument retailer specializing in band and orchestral instruments, rentals, and music education. Comparable to Wentworth's band instrument rental and education business but at much larger US scale.
Direct peers
- St. John's Music: Canadian musical instrument retailer with stores in Alberta and BC offering instruments, rentals, and music lessons. Directly comparable to Wentworth in product mix, education services, and regional retail model.
- Long & McQuade: Canada's largest musical instrument retailer with a national footprint of ~90 stores. Direct competitor to Wentworth Music in instrument retail, lessons, and rentals, with the same core product categories and customer segments across Canada.
- Steve's Music: Canadian musical instrument retailer with stores primarily in Ontario and Quebec. Overlaps with Wentworth in guitar, keyboard, and percussion retail, as well as accessories and educational music products.
- Cosmo Music: Ontario-based Canadian music retailer offering instruments, rentals, lessons, and repair services. Operates a similar full-service retail + education center model that is directly comparable to Wentworth's offering.
- L.A. Music: Canadian music retailer with stores in Ontario offering instruments, rentals, and repair services. Comparable to Wentworth as a regional full-service music retailer serving similar customer segments.
- Tom Lee Music: Established Canadian musical instrument retailer founded in 1969 with multiple locations, primarily in Western Canada. Competes directly with Wentworth in instrument sales, rentals, and music education.
Others
- Reverb.com: Online musical instrument marketplace and Wentworth's distribution partner. Relevant as an indirect competitor (sellers on Reverb can bypass Wentworth) and as the primary digital sales channel that defines Wentworth's current e-commerce capability.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wentworth Music social profiles
Digital presenceWentworth Music financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wentworth Music leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Wentworth Music funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wentworth Music M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wentworth Music
What does Wentworth Music do?
Wentworth Music is a musical instrument retailer operating three stores in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, selling guitars, drums, pianos, violins, brass, woodwinds, and accessories from entry-level to professional brands. It complements retail with band instrument and pro-audio rentals, and offers private music lessons through the Wentworth Music Education Center (WMEC) for students ages 4 and up across 20+ instruments and music theory.
Is Wentworth Music a public or private company?
Wentworth Music is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Wentworth Music founded?
Wentworth Music was founded in 1964. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Wentworth Music based?
Wentworth Music is headquartered in Kelowna, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Wentworth Music make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Music Lessons are the primary driver. The others are instrument and Accessory Sales, instrument Rentals and online Marketplace Sales.
Who are Wentworth Music's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Guitar Center, Sweetwater and Music & Arts. Direct peers are St. John's Music, Long & McQuade, Steve's Music, Cosmo Music, L.A. Music and Tom Lee Music. Reverb.com is listed as an others.
Does Wentworth Music have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wentworth Music.
What industry is Wentworth Music in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAEAA, Musical Instrument Retail (Guitars, Keyboards, Drums, Band/Orchestra), with a secondary code of CRALAEAG, Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs). Its NAICS code is 45914 and its SIC code is 5945.