Murphy Music Press

What Murphy Music Press does

Murphy Music Press, LLC is a privately held music publishing company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with seven employees and no disclosed institutional funding or parent company. The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform at murphymusicpress.com that sells digital and physical sheet music, educational textbooks, audio recordings, and branded merchandise to a global customer base, with shipping fees ranging from $8.75 to $33.75 depending on order size.

Its catalog is horizontally segmented across ensemble types and difficulty grades, with concert band repertoire organized by Grade 1 through Grade 6, a Beginning Band Adaptable Series, a Flex Band line, and a WASBE Series published in partnership with the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. The company also publishes jazz ensemble, string and symphony orchestra, saxophone-specific (quartets, chamber, etudes, solo, recordings), choral, and chamber music, plus pedagogical textbooks on conducting, orchestration, and arts management. A dedicated Matt Klohs sub-brand features adventure-themed wind ensemble works.

The business model centers on transactional one-time purchases of printed scores, digital downloads, and parts rentals (symphony orchestra rentals priced up to $600), supported by a composer-friendly model in which composers retain rights and earn competitive royalties. Composer supply is sourced through an Upload Program, and customer engagement is reinforced through a Submit a Performance tracking feature. Go-to-market is exclusively DTC via the company website, with no disclosed channel partners, distributors, or institutional sales force.

Name

Murphy Music Press

Legal name

Murphy Music Press, LLC

Website

https://murphymusicpress.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Murphy Music Press, LLC is an Atlanta-based independent music publisher selling sheet music, educational textbooks, recordings, and merchandise directly online, specializing in saxophone, wind ensemble, concert band, and orchestral repertoire for educators, ensemble directors, and individual musicians globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sheet Music Publishing

NAICS

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

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRALAEAB

Sheet Music & Music Books Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Music Instruments & Sheet Music Retail

SECONDARYCRALAEAJ

Educational Music Products Retail (Method Books, Exam Prep, Classroom Instruments)

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Music Instruments & Sheet Music Retail

SECONDARYCRALAEAI

Online-Only Musical Instrument & Sheet Music Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Music Instruments & Sheet Music Retail

SECONDARYCRALAEAG

Instrument Rentals & Leasing (Band/Orchestra Programs)

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Music Instruments & Sheet Music Retail

Keywords

• Sheet music publishing
• Wind ensemble music
• Saxophone compositions
• Concert band repertoire
• Music education materials

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sheet Music Sales: One-time purchase of digital and physical sheet music scores for various ensembles including concert band, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, symphony orchestra, string orchestra, chamber music, saxophone music, and choral music. Offers both full product (score + parts) and score-only options.
2. Rental/Parts Rental: Rental model for symphony orchestra parts, such as the Solace Orchestra Version at $500 for parts rental.
3. Textbook Sales: Sales of educational textbooks including orchestration handbooks, conducting compendiums, and teaching method books.
4. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including t-shirts, hats, and score tote bags.
5. Recordings Sales: Audio recordings such as the Rediscovering Bauzin saxophone recording at $15.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Murphy Music Press is an independent music publisher that produces and sells sheet music, educational textbooks, audio recordings, and branded merchandise for wind ensemble, concert band, jazz ensemble, symphony orchestra, string orchestra, chamber music, saxophone, and choral performers. Products are offered as full scores and parts, score-only versions, parts rentals, and digital downloads, with difficulty grades ranging from 1 to 6 to serve educational and professional ensembles. The business operates through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront and accommodates new submissions through a composer upload program.

Product overview

Murphy Music Press is a music publishing company specializing in sheet music and musical compositions. The portfolio includes wind ensemble, concert band, jazz ensemble, orchestral (string and symphony), saxophone-focused (chamber, quartet, etudes, solo, recordings), choral, and chamber music compositions across difficulty grades. The company also publishes educational textbooks and operates a merchandise line. The business model allows composers to retain rights to their music while earning royalties on sales, with submissions handled through an upload program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wind Ensemble Compositions Wind ensemble and concert band musical compositions published as sheet music and scores for wind bands, ranging from grade 1 to grade 6 difficulty, targeting professional and educational wind ensembles.
• Concert Band Music (Graded) Sheet music catalog organized by grade levels (Grade One through Grade Six) for concert band repertoire, sold for educational and amateur concert bands.
• Beginning Band Adaptable Series Entry-level music compositions designed for beginning band programs with adaptable instrumentation, targeting novice student ensembles.
• Flex Band Music Flexible ensemble arrangements that can be performed with varying instrumentation configurations, suitable for programs with non-standard instrument lineups.
• WASBE Series Wind band compositions published in partnership with the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) for advanced wind band programs.
• Brass Music Brass ensemble compositions including trumpet, horn, trombone, and tuba repertoire for brass ensembles and brass players.
• Jazz Ensemble Charts Jazz ensemble charts and compositions for jazz band performances at educational and community settings.
• String Orchestra Music String orchestra compositions and arrangements for string ensemble performances at educational and professional levels.
• Symphony Orchestra Music and Parts Rentals Full symphony orchestra compositions including concertos, overtures, and orchestral works, available for purchase and parts rentals for professional and semi-professional orchestras.
• Saxophone Sheet Music (Solo, Quartet, Chamber, Etudes, with Piano) Sheet music for solo saxophone (unaccompanied works and pieces with fixed media or loop pedal), saxophone with piano duets, saxophone quartets (SATB and AATB), saxophone chamber music, and saxophone etudes, for saxophonists at all levels.
• Chamber Music General chamber ensemble compositions for various instrument combinations including woodwinds, brass, strings, voice, and percussion, for chamber groups and small ensembles.
• Choral Music Choral compositions for SATB, two-part treble, and mixed choir with and without accompaniment, for choir directors and choruses.
• Educational Textbooks Educational textbooks on music pedagogy, conducting, orchestration, and arts management for music educators, conducting students, and orchestration students.
• Audio Recordings Audio recordings of saxophone music sold for reference and educational purposes for performers, students, and educators.
• Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts, snapback hats, and score tote bags for fans and supporters of the publisher.
• Matt Klohs Music Catalog Wind ensemble compositions by composer Matt Klohs featuring adventure-themed works for various grade levels, presented as a composer-branded sub-catalog.
• Performance Licensing Licensing services for performances of published works, allowing performing ensembles and programs to secure rights for public performances of the catalog.

Named customers5 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hal Leonard Corporation: Largest sheet music publisher in the world, offering concert band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, and educational methods. Direct competitor to Murphy Music Press across overlapping ensemble categories, but operates at vastly greater scale and broader catalog scope.
• Alfred Music: Major educational music publisher with extensive concert band, method book, and instructional catalog. Comparable to Murphy in serving school music programs and graded repertoire needs, but with significantly larger portfolio and institutional reach.
• Boosey & Hawkes: Major classical and educational music publisher with symphony orchestra, wind, and choral repertoire. Competes with Murphy in symphony orchestra rentals and contemporary wind ensemble commissioning.
• Carl Fischer Music: Long-established music publisher with band, orchestra, choral, and chamber music catalogs. Directly comparable to Murphy on wind ensemble and orchestra repertoire, though with broader historical catalog.
• Theodore Presser Company: One of the oldest music publishers, offering classical, contemporary, and educational music including wind ensemble and orchestra. Overlaps with Murphy on symphony orchestra and chamber music categories.

Direct peers

• C. Alan Publications: Independent publisher specializing in percussion, wind ensemble, and chamber music. Comparable to Murphy as a smaller specialist publisher focusing on wind and percussion ensemble repertoire with composer-friendly relationships.
• Wingert-Jones Publications: Specialist concert band and wind ensemble publisher with graded educational repertoire and professional works. Closely aligned with Murphy Music Press on core ensemble categories, difficulty grading approach, and educational customer base.
• RBC Publications: Independent publisher of saxophone and chamber music, including works by living composers. Direct competitor in the saxophone repertoire niche that Murphy Music Press has identified as a core specialty.
• Neil A. Kjos Music Company: Long-established publisher of band, orchestra, and choral music with graded concert band repertoire. Directly competes with Murphy in the school band market across Grade 1–6 difficulty levels.

Others

• Sheet Music Plus: Large online retailer aggregating sheet music from multiple publishers including independent presses. Acts as an indirect distribution channel and competitor for direct sheet music sales in the wind ensemble and educational markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/murphy-music-press

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 Murphy Music Press