Contemporary Music for All (CoMA)

What Contemporary Music for All (CoMA) does

Contemporary Music for All (CoMA) is a UK-registered charity (no. 1067282 in England & Wales; SC051561 in Scotland), founded in 1993-1994 and headquartered in London, that exists to make contemporary classical music participatory and accessible. Its core assets are a curated open-score sheet music catalogue of more than 900 works designed for amateur and youth ensembles, including graphic and flexible-instrumentation pieces, and a network of 19 regional ensembles operating across the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, and Australia without audition requirements. Adjacent programme offerings include the mysounds youth development scheme (ages 14-25), the MidWinter Composers Course (residential, currently presented in partnership with Allcomers Music), the online 'Composing for All' course for beginners, the biennial CoMA Festival, and inclusive-practice initiatives such as Connect the Dots.

Operating with 11-50 staff under CEO Tamara Kohler, CoMA generates revenue from three distinct streams: per-unit digital sheet music sales priced between £8 and £65 per work on its online catalogue; donations routed through the JustGiving platform with impact-tagged tiers at £25, £50, and £100; and restricted and unrestricted grants from Arts Council England (its primary public funder), the Finzi Trust, the Hinrichsen Foundation, PRS for Music, and UKRI AHRC, supplemented by partner support from KNM Ensemble Berlin, Belltable Hub, and associate ensembles such as the Norwich Sinfonietta (since April 2024). Distribution is principally direct via the coma.org e-commerce storefront and through in-person ensemble participation, with secondary reach via Instagram, YouTube, email newsletters, and national events.

Name

Contemporary Music for All (CoMA)

Legal name

Contemporary Music for All

Website

https://coma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Contemporary Music for All (CoMA) is a UK-registered charity that runs a network of 19 amateur ensembles across the UK, Europe, and Australia and licenses a 900-work open-score contemporary music catalogue, serving adult amateur musicians, young musicians aged 14-25, and emerging composers through courses, festivals, and participatory programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Participatory Music Charity

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Music Publishers (512230), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE), Music Production & Composition (Songwriting, Recording, DJing) (EDAMAAAF), Music Theory, Ear Training & Musicianship (EDAMANAF)

Keywords

• Contemporary music education
• Amateur music ensembles
• Sheet music catalogue
• Community music programs
• Music composition training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sheet Music Sales: CoMA sells digital downloads of sheet music through their online catalogue. Works range from immediate pieces for quick rehearsal to full concert pieces. Prices range from £8 to £65 for individual scores and parts.
2. Donations: Charitable donations through JustGiving platform. The organization highlights specific impact: £25 covers one hour of rehearsal venue hire, £50 provides a set of parts and scores for a regional ensemble, £100 contributes to a music facilitator session.
3. Public Funding and Grants: CoMA receives support from Arts Council England, Finzi Trust, Hinrichsen Foundation, PRS, and other charitable foundations for specific projects and ongoing operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Contemporary Music for All (CoMA) is a UK registered charity that makes contemporary classical music accessible to everyone by operating a network of regional non-audition ensembles across the UK, Europe and Australia, selling digital sheet music from a catalogue of 900+ works designed for amateur and youth ensembles, and delivering training courses, youth development programmes, and biennial festivals for amateur musicians and emerging composers.

Product overview

CoMA operates as a music charity offering a portfolio of participatory music programmes rather than a unified software product. The core offering is the Music Catalogue (900+ contemporary scores for sale), supplemented by the Ensemble Network (regional groups across UK, Europe, and Australia), online courses (Composing for All), youth development (mysounds programme), and the biennial CoMA Festival. Additional offerings include Connect the Dots (inclusive music-making training) and the MidWinter Composers Course. Publications include digital sheet music downloads from their catalogue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• mysounds: Youth programme supporting young musicians aged 14-25 to create and perform new music
• Composing for All
• MidWinter Composers Course
• CoMA Festival
• Connect the Dots
• Little Woodland Heights
• UPBeat
• ORDINARY OBJECTS
• LETHE

Products and services

• CoMA Music Catalogue Online catalogue of 900+ contemporary sheet music works available as digital downloads, composed and arranged specifically for amateur and youth ensembles, including graphic scores, flexible ensemble pieces, and chamber works by various composers. Prices range from £8 to £65 per score or parts set.
• CoMA Ensemble Network National and international network of 19 ensembles for amateur musicians aged 16+ with no audition required, allowing participants to meet fellow music-makers, perform contemporary music, and work with living composers. Locations include Bristol, London, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Eindhoven, Amsterdam, Berlin, Limerick and Melbourne.
• Composing for All 10-week online evening course for beginner composers, designed to build confidence in composing through traditional and non-traditional approaches, led by composer Will Frampton.
• mysounds Youth development programme supporting musicians aged 14-25 to create and perform new music, learn from diverse composers, and connect with peers, including the mysounds in residence with CoMA Bristol scheme and support for participants facing financial barriers to creative opportunities.
• Connect the Dots Professional development scheme training music creators in techniques for inclusive collaborative music making and composing with disabled musicians.
• MidWinter Composers Course Five-day intensive residential composition course held at St Hilda's College and Jacqueline du Pré Music Centre, Oxford, focused on developing and inspiring emerging composers of all ages with recent editions focused on string writing, presented in partnership with Allcomers Music.
• CoMA Festival CoMA's biennial celebration of collaborative contemporary music making, bringing together ensembles and musicians from across the network for performances, workshops and concerts, with the next editions scheduled for 2026 and 2028.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% of current members have been involved for 20+ years
• +1 more outcomes

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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and associate.

• Allcomers MusicmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Allcomers Music for presenting the MidWinter Composers Course, a five-day intensive composition course held at St Hilda's College and Jacqueline du Pré Music Centre, Oxford.
• KNM Ensemble BerlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional Berlin-based ensemble that established the KNM Campus Ensemble as a CoMA associate ensemble. Partnership began in 2015. KNM Campus Ensemble performs regularly in Berlin and organizes KNM Campus Days every two years for all CoMA ensembles.
• Neue Musik für AllemajorOthersGerman equivalent of CoMA, established with instrumental support from KNM Campus Ensemble. Extends CoMA's network and mission to Germany.
• Belltable HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLimerick arts center that supports the Limerick New Music Ensemble (formerly CoMA Limerick), which operates as a composers' collective.
• Norwich SinfoniettaassociateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAssociate ensemble of CoMA since April 2024. Regional ensemble focused on commissioning new works and engaging young composers in the East of England.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Spitalfields Music: London-based charity producing year-round participatory music programmes and an annual festival. Comparable to CoMA as a UK music charity combining participatory programmes with festival delivery, though with broader genre scope and London geography concentration.
• Drake Music: UK charity pioneering music, disability, and assistive technology. Comparable to CoMA through its Connect the Dots inclusive music-making programme, as both address accessibility in music participation though Drake Music specializes in disability-focused innovation.
• Sistema Scotland (Big Noise): Scottish music education charity delivering intensive orchestral programmes to children in disadvantaged areas. Comparable to CoMA through its mysounds programme as both target youth participation, but Sistema focuses on orchestral rather than contemporary repertoire.
• National Youth Orchestra: UK organization developing young musicians aged13-19 through orchestral training and performance. Comparable to CoMA via the mysounds youth programme in targeting young musicians, though NYO focuses on orchestral excellence versus contemporary composition.

Direct peers

• Making Music: UK membership organization representing amateur music groups including choirs, orchestras, and ensembles. Directly comparable to CoMA as both serve participatory music-making communities with national reach, though Making Music covers all genres rather than specializing in contemporary classical.
• Sound and Music: UK charity championing new music and supporting composers, performers, and audiences. Closely comparable to CoMA as a contemporary music-focused charity in the UK, though Sound and Music focuses on promoting rather than directly operating participatory ensembles.

Regional players

• Tune into Life (formerly Live Music in Care): UK charity supporting music participation and wellbeing programmes in care and community settings. Comparable to CoMA through participatory music-making mission, though focused on health and wellbeing outcomes rather than contemporary classical specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Live Music Now: UK charity delivering live music performances and music workshops across care settings, schools, and communities. Comparable to CoMA as a UK music charity with participatory programmes, but with a broader welfare/education focus rather than contemporary classical specialization.
• Birmingham Contemporary Music Group: Professional contemporary music ensemble based in Birmingham commissioning and performing new works. Comparable to CoMA as a UK contemporary music organization, though BCMG operates as a professional ensemble rather than amateur participatory network.
• Psappha Ensemble: Manchester-based contemporary music ensemble commissioning and performing new chamber works. Comparable to CoMA as a UK contemporary music organization with associated composer development (will Frampton connections), though operating as a professional ensemble rather than amateur network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCquSXdVownx2l-opIKxaq5A
• Instagraminstagram.com/coma_newmusic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contemporary-music-for-all

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Contemporary Music for All (CoMA)