Ian Clarke

What Ian Clarke does

Ian Clarke is a British flute player and composer who operates a self-employed private music business publishing and distributing his own original compositions and recordings. The product portfolio centers on 25+ original published compositions organized into four sheet-music categories (flute & piano, solo flute, multiple flutes, and flute with backing track), complemented by two studio albums (Within... and Deep Blue, the latter having entered the UK Classical Artist Chart at number 8 in May 2013), piano accompaniment backing tracks sold as MP3s, select PDF sheet music, and physical CDs. The publishing entity is IC Music (Ian Clarke's own imprint), with global physical sheet-music distribution handled by Just Flute Edition and a curated network of specialist flute retailers spanning the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, and continental Europe.

The commercial technology stack is a conventional direct-to-consumer setup: a WordPress/WooCommerce storefront at downloads.ianclarke.net for digital downloads (albums, tracks, backing tracks, PDFs) and a Mailchimp-managed newsletter, supported by SoundCloud for audio previews. Pricing is uniformly low-ticket and unit-based in GBP, with digital album bundles at £6.95, individual tracks ranging from £0.79 to £3.95, backing tracks at £2.75–£3.95, and PDFs at £1.50–£2.50; sheet-music pricing is set by individual retailers. Revenue streams are fragmented across one-time digital sales, physical sheet-music wholesale to retailers, and CD sales via Amazon UK and musicglue.com, with no subscription, licensing, or institutional revenue disclosed.

The customer base is a fragmented long-tail of individual flute students, teachers, professional performers, and flute summer schools, served via the e-commerce site, direct retailer distribution, and appearance at international flute summer courses and festivals (e.g., Tarnovia Flute Summer in Poland, Scottish International Flute Summer School, Just Flutes Festival, and Grolloo Flute Sessions in the Netherlands). No headcount, corporate structure, funding, or financial figures are disclosed; the business operates as a solo founder-owned enterprise with the website actively maintained into 2025–2026.

Name

Ian Clarke

Legal name

Ian Clarke

Website

https://ianclarke.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ian Clarke is a self-employed British flutist and composer who publishes 25+ original compositions and two studio albums through IC Music, distributing sheet music globally via specialist flute retailers and selling digital downloads direct-to-consumer via a WordPress/WooCommerce storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Publishing

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Musical Instrument and Supplies Retailers (459140), Record Production and Distribution (51225)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Phonograph Records & Prerecorded Audio Tapes & Disks (3652)

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

• Flute sheet music
• Flute compositions
• Piano backing tracks
• Music publishing
• Digital album downloads

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Digital Album Downloads: Sales of digital album bundles (Within..., Deep Blue) as zip files containing mp3s and PDF booklets for immediate download
2. Piano Backing Track Downloads: Individual piano accompaniment backing tracks sold as mp3 downloads for practice and performance use
3. Sheet Music Publications: Published compositions sold through global network of flute music specialists and distributors including Just Flute Edition
4. CD Sales: Physical CDs available through select retailers including Amazon UK and musicglue.com
5. PDF Downloads: PDF sheet music (Midnight Creep) and digital piano accompaniment materials available for direct download

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ian Clarke creates and sells original flute compositions through sheet music publications (categorized into Flute & Piano, Solo Flute, Multiple Flutes, and Flute & Backing Track editions) and studio album recordings (Within... and Deep Blue). The catalog of 25+ published works is sold as physical sheet music through specialist retailers worldwide and as digital downloads (MP3 albums, individual tracks, piano backing tracks, and PDFs) through the IC Music online store.

Product overview

Ian Clarke operates through IC Music, a publishing entity for his flute compositions. The product portfolio consists of sheet music publications organized into four categories: Flute & Piano (9 compositions), Solo Flute (3 compositions), Multiple Flutes (8 compositions), and Flute & Backing Track (3 titles). Complementing the sheet music are two studio albums - Within... and Deep Blue - plus digital downloads including piano accompaniment backing tracks and select PDF sheet music. Publications are distributed globally through Just Flute Edition and various international flute music retailers, while digital products are sold directly through the IC Music Downloads website.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IC Music

Named customers4 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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Just Flute EditioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJust Flute Edition distributes Ian Clarke publications alongside their retail operations. They also host the Just Flutes Festival where Clarke is featured and provide promotional support including staff pick designations for Clarke's works.
• IC MusiccoreOthersIan Clarke's own publishing company that publishes his compositions and operates the digital downloads store (downloads.ianclarke.net).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Edition Peters: Historic classical music publisher with a substantial educational and contemporary flute catalog. Comparable as a publisher of serious flute repertoire used in teaching and performance contexts worldwide.
• Alfred Music: Large US-based educational music publisher with a strong flute methods and solo repertoire catalog. Comparable as a publisher of flute sheet music sold through retail and education channels.
• Boosey & Hawkes: Major classical music publisher with an extensive contemporary flute catalog (including works by major living composers). Comparable as a sheet music publisher serving professional flutists, conservatories, and competition repertoire, though operating at much larger scale and breadth.
• Chester Music: UK-based classical publisher (part of Wise Music Group) with notable contemporary flute works in its catalog. Comparable as a publisher-distributor of modern classical sheet music for flute solo and chamber repertoire.
• Schott Music: Long-established German classical music publisher with a strong contemporary flute catalog and global distribution. Comparable as a publisher of serious contemporary flute works for professional and educational markets.
• Hal Leonard: World's largest sheet music publisher with a significant classical and educational flute catalog. Comparable as a publisher-distributor of flute sheet music and educational repertoire across retail, schools, and online channels.

Direct peers

• Flute World: Major US flute specialist retailer and distributor of sheet music, recordings, and instruments. Comparable as a distribution channel for Clarke's works and as a flute-focused retailer serving students, teachers, and professionals across North America.
• Just Flute Edition: Publishing and distribution arm of Just Flutes, the UK flute specialist. Direct channel partner for Ian Clarke's sheet music and operates an in-house publishing line for contemporary flute repertoire, making it the closest comparable in terms of niche flute publishing and specialist distribution.

Emerging players

• Alry Publications: Specialist publisher focused exclusively on flute and flute choir music, with a strong catalog of contemporary works. Highly comparable as a niche flute sheet music publisher serving soloists, students, and ensembles.
• Falls House Press: Independent US publisher dedicated to contemporary flute and recorder music, including many works by solo composer-performers. Comparable as a self-publishing-style outlet for new flute repertoire by individual composer-performers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ian-clarke

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 Ian Clarke