Take 6
Take 6 is a six-member a cappella vocal group performing together since 1980 across gospel, jazz, R&B, pop, and soul. The group monetizes live tours, recorded music, virtual concerts, merchandise, and sheet music licensing, serving multi-genre vocal harmony fans worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersNashville, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Take 6 does
Take 6 is a six-member a cappella vocal group whose members - Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea, and Khristian Dentley - have performed together continuously since 1980, originally as students at Oakwood College (now Oakwood University) in Huntsville, Alabama. The group's core product is live and recorded vocal performance across gospel, jazz, R&B, pop, and soul, executed unaccompanied or over light instrumental backdrops using syncopated rhythms, innovative arrangements, and dense harmonies. Catalog output includes the 2016 album 'Believe' (debuted across six Billboard charts, including #2 Contemporary Jazz) and the 2018 album 'ICONIC' (#1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart, #3 on the iTunes Jazz Chart). Core technology is human vocal performance and proprietary arrangement IP rather than software; the group's arrangements are formally published as sheet music via Hal Leonard, creating a recurring licensing product distinct from recordings.
Take 6 monetizes across multiple parallel streams: live concert and tour ticket sales across U.S. and European venues (e.g., Hopkins Center, Germantown Performing Arts Center); ticketed virtual/livestreamed concerts via Mandolin and InPlayer (e.g., 'A Take 6 Kind of Love,' 'Live From London – Christmas'); album and single sales through iTunes, Amazon MP3/CD, Google Play, Spotify, YouTube, Walmart, and SoNo Recording Group; sheet music royalties through Hal Leonard; direct-to-consumer merchandise through shop.take6.com; and charitable ticket-share proceeds through the St. Jude 'Music Gives to St. Jude's Kids' partnership. Distribution is handled by SoNo Recording Group (label) with international reach via ILS Group and Universal Music Group; management is Ed Keane Associates and PR is JAG Entertainment.
The audience spans multi-generational fans of vocal harmony music across gospel, jazz, R&B, soul, and pop, plus secondary audiences in music education (MTSU Vocal Jazz Scholarship, Oakwood University specials) and nonprofit/charitable fundraising (St. Jude). Take 6 holds 10 GRAMMY Awards and 24 nominations across four genres, 10 GMA Dove Awards, a Soul Train Award, 7 DownBeat Awards, and Gospel Music Hall of Fame induction; the group has performed for four sitting U.S. Presidents and on Saturday Night Live, the Oscars, and the GRAMMYs broadcast. Operations remain active with touring, new broadcast specials (ABC TV Holiday Special, 2023), and ongoing label output as of late 2023.
Take 6 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Take 6
- Legal name
- Take 6 (registered legal entity name not separately stated on the website; the group operates commercially under the name "Take 6")
- Website
- https://take6.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Take 6 is a six-member a cappella vocal group performing together since 1980 across gospel, jazz, R&B, pop, and soul. The group monetizes live tours, recorded music, virtual concerts, merchandise, and sheet music licensing, serving multi-genre vocal harmony fans worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Take 6 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live A Cappella Vocal Music Performances
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223)
- akta.pro primary industry
- A&R / Artist Development Services (MPAIAGAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sample Library & Sound Design Creation (for production use) (MPAIAHAM)
Keywords
Where Take 6 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nashville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Take 6 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Live concert and tour ticket sales: Revenue from in-person concert ticket sales across domestic (US) and international (Europe, UK) touring dates.
- Virtual/livestreamed concert ticket sales: Ticketed access to virtual concert experiences (e.g., Valentine's Day, Live From London – Christmas), often with VIP tier pricing, sold via Mandolin and InPlayer.
- Album and single sales (physical and digital): Sales of albums and singles through iTunes, Amazon MP3/CD, Google Play, Spotify, Walmart, and the SRG online store (including autographed copies).
- Sheet music and score licensing (Hal Leonard): Royalties and sales from officially licensed Take 6 musical scores published by Hal Leonard.
- Merchandise sales: Direct-to-consumer merchandise sales through shop.take6.com (band logo and image apparel, branded items).
- Charity-aligned event proceeds (St. Jude partnership): Proceeds from ticket sales on select shows are donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital under the 'Music Gives to St. Jude's Kids' program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Virtual concert with standard and VIP ticketing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Physical and digital album purchases |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Official Take 6 sheet music scores (Hal Leonard) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Concert/live event ticket sales |
Go-to-market motion5 records
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels10 records
Take 6 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Take 6 is a six-member a cappella vocal ensemble that delivers harmonically sophisticated vocal performances spanning gospel, jazz, R&B, pop, and soul. The group monetizes its music through live concerts and tours, recorded albums and singles, virtual/livestream concert events, officially published sheet music, and direct-to-consumer branded merchandise.
Product overview
Take 6 operates a unified artist-as-brand portfolio rather than a multi-product software platform. The core offering is the Take 6 a cappella vocal group (Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea, Khristian Dentley), which is monetized through multiple parallel modules: recorded music (albums "Believe" and "ICONIC", plus singles "On Your Side", "When Angels Cry", and the "Spread Love" stems release); live performance (the co-headlining "The Summit" tour with The Manhattan Transfer, plus touring as a solo act); virtual/livestream events (A Take 6 Kind of Love Valentine's Day experience and the Live From London – Christmas festival with the VOCES8 Foundation); published sheet music (The Official Take 6 Musical Scores via Hal Leonard); consumer merchandise (the official Store at shop.take6.com); direct-to-fan marketing (the Take 6 email Newsletter); educational programs (the Take 6 Vocal Jazz Scholarship at MTSU); and cause-marketing initiatives (the Music Gives to St. Jude's Kids partnership). Distribution and label services are provided by SoNo Recording Group (with ILS Group and Universal Music Group as international distribution partners).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Take 6 Live Concert Performances and Tours Ticketed live a cappella vocal performances delivered at concert halls, performing arts centers, jazz clubs, and festivals across the United States, Europe (UK, France, Germany, Norway, Ireland, Netherlands), and Cuba. Sold direct-to-consumer via venues and promotors.
- Believe (Album) Studio album released March 25, 2016 on SoNo Recording Group, distributed via iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Walmart, and the SRG store. Produced by Ross Vannelli.
- ICONIC (Album) Studio album released April 27, 2018, available on iTunes, Amazon, and autographed copies via the SRG store. Hit #1 on Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart.
- "On Your Side" (Single) Lead single from the "Believe" album, released February 2016 for radio add and digital pre-order.
- "When Angels Cry" A Cappella (Single) A Cappella version of the "When Angels Cry" single released October 24, 2015 on iTunes, accompanying the previously released original version.
- A Take 6 Kind of Love (Virtual Valentine's Day Experience) Ticketed virtual Valentine's Day livestream concert held February 14, 2021 at 7pm EST, with standard and VIP ticket tiers sold via Mandolin.
- Live From London – Christmas (VOCES8 Foundation virtual festival) Holiday livestream concert presented by the VOCES8 Foundation on December 13, 2020, sold as a season ticket through InPlayer that unlocked all 11 concerts including Take 6's set.
- The Official Take 6 Musical Scores (Hal Leonard) Officially published sheet music of Take 6 vocal arrangements released via Hal Leonard, enabling other ensembles to perform Take 6's arrangements across jazz, gospel, R&B, pop, and soul.
- The Summit: The Manhattan Transfer Meets Take 6 Tour Multi-city co-headlining tour pairing Take 6 with The Manhattan Transfer across the US and Europe, launched July 19, 2016.
- Take 6 Official Merchandise Store Direct-to-consumer branded merchandise storefront at shop.take6.com offering band logo and image apparel and branded items to fans.
Quantifiable outcome
- Album 'Believe' (2016) landed across 6 Billboard charts in its debut week: #2 Contemporary Jazz, #5 Current Jazz, #9 Current Gospel, #25 Current R&B, #41 Christian/Gospel, #58 Current R&B/Hip-Hop.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Take 6
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Take 6 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Take 6 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship — high-profile charitable partnership announced via dedicated press release and integrated into take 6's tour and event activity., flagship — primary record label., core — international distribution affiliate., core — global distribution partner., core — ongoing management representation., minor — public relations support., flagship — multi-year co-headlining tour., moderate — featured artist in international livestream series., moderate — educational scholarship partnership., moderate — featured alma mater for tv holiday special., core — official publisher of take 6 sheet music., minor — virtual concert ticketing platform., moderate — broadcast partner for award show., moderate — broadcast partner for tv holiday special. and minor — featured joint performance partner..
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospitalflagship — high-profile charitable partnership announced via dedicated press release and integrated into take 6's tour and event activity.Take 6 joined St. Jude's 'Music Gives to St. Jude's Kids' platform on November 1, 2023. The group incorporates the St. Jude mission into their shows and events, donates proceeds from ticket sales, and encourages fans to support St. Jude. They are featured during Music Gives audio events and participated in the St. Jude Celebration of Hope in January 2024. The partnership officially kicked off on November 4, 2023 with a performance at the Duncan-Williams Performance Hall of the Germantown Performing Arts Center in Germantown, TN.
- SoNo Recording Group (SRG)flagship — primary record label.Take 6 signed with SoNo Recording Group on June 30, 2015 to deliver new albums. SRG's President and Founder is Claude Villiani; Ross Vannelli serves as VP of A&R and producer. New album 'Believe' released spring 2016, 'ICONIC' released 2018. Albums are distributed internationally via SRG's affiliates ILS Group and Universal Music Group.
- ILS Groupcore — international distribution affiliate.ILS Group, headed by Dominique Zgarka, serves as an international distribution affiliate for SoNo Recording Group, distributing Take 6 albums alongside Universal Music Group.
- Universal Music Groupcore — global distribution partner.Universal Music Group serves as an international distribution partner for SoNo Recording Group, helping distribute Take 6 albums globally.
- Ed Keane Associates (management)core — ongoing management representation.Ed Keane Associates is Take 6's management firm. Contact: [email protected] / 617-846-0067 (Boston area code). Also referenced in SRG's 2015 press release as part of the team's distribution coalition.
- JAG Entertainment (PR)minor — public relations support.JoAnn Geffen of JAG Entertainment handles Take 6's PR. Contact: [email protected] / 818-905-5511.
- The Manhattan Transferflagship — multi-year co-headlining tour.Co-headlining 'The Summit: The Manhattan Transfer Meets Take 6' tour launched with announcement on July 19, 2016 spanning US and Europe (with Nnenna Freelon also appearing at select dates like Catalina Jazz Club on December 9, 2017). Tours covered 40+ venues across the US plus Europe Christmas dates.
- VOCES8 Foundationmoderate — featured artist in international livestream series.Take 6 participated as a featured artist in the VOCES8 Foundation's 'Live From London – Christmas' virtual festival. Take 6 performed LIVE on December 13, 2020 at 2pm EST; a season ticket through InPlayer unlocked all 11 concerts including Take 6's set.
- Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)moderate — educational scholarship partnership.Take 6 Vocal Jazz Scholarship in association with MTSU benefits students studying vocal jazz music. Grant Argent was named a recipient in 2020. Fans can donate via MobileCause to support the scholarship.
- Oakwood University (alma mater)moderate — featured alma mater for tv holiday special.Take 6 celebrated the holidays with their alma mater, Oakwood University (Huntsville, AL — formerly Oakwood College), in a TV Holiday Special on ABC TV affiliates announced October 23, 2023. Members of Take 6 have performed together since their days at Oakwood College beginning in 1980.
- Hal Leonardcore — official publisher of take 6 sheet music.Hal Leonard is the official publisher of Take 6 musical scores (announced October 26, 2020). The scores enable other vocal ensembles to perform Take 6's arrangements; available via halleonard.com.
- Mandolinminor — virtual concert ticketing platform.Mandolin powers ticketing for Take 6's virtual concert experiences, including 'A Take 6 Kind of Love' Virtual Valentine's Day Experience on February 14, 2021.
- TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network)moderate — broadcast partner for award show.TBN broadcast the GMA Dove Awards on October 17, 2023, featuring Take 6 (announced October 20, 2023).
- ABC TVmoderate — broadcast partner for tv holiday special.ABC TV affiliates broadcast a Take 6 TV Holiday Special featuring Take 6 and their alma mater Oakwood University (announced October 23, 2023).
- Ernie Haas & Signature Soundminor — featured joint performance partner.Take 6 performed both solo and in song with Ernie Haas & Signature Sound at the GMA Dove Awards (October 2023).
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Take 6 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chanticleer: Grammy-winning male vocal ensemble specializing in classical, jazz, and pop arrangements. Comparable as a touring vocal ensemble with a deep recorded catalog competing for performing arts center slots and arts-educated audiences.
- King's Singers: British six-member vocal ensemble with a decades-long touring history across classical, jazz, and pop repertoire. Comparable as a premium vocal ensemble with active international touring, recording catalog, and educational/outreach work.
- VOCES8: British vocal ensemble with a global touring schedule and a foundation that runs the 'Live From London' virtual concert series — Take 6 has performed in that series. Comparable as a contemporary vocal ensemble with active recording, touring, and digital event capabilities.
- Rockapella: Five-member a cappella group known for blending pop, jazz, and R&B harmonies. Comparable as a contemporary a cappella group with active touring, recorded catalog, and direct-to-fan merchandise and live event monetization.
- The Persuasions: Legendary a cappella soul group with a 50+ year history of gospel-rooted vocal harmonies. Comparable to Take 6's gospel heritage and commitment to unaccompanied vocal performance across multiple decades.
- The Manhattan Transfer: Multi-Grammy-winning vocal jazz group with a 50+ year history. Take 6 co-headlined 'The Summit' tour with them — directly comparable as legacy a cappella/vocal jazz acts competing for the same concert-going audience and touring circuit.
- New York Voices: Grammy-nominated vocal jazz quartet with strong crossover gospel/jazz credentials. Comparable as a long-running vocal jazz ensemble competing for the same concert venues, festival slots, and jazz chart positioning.
- Pentatonix: Contemporary a cappella group with multi-platinum albums and Grammy wins. Directly comparable as a modern a cappella vocal ensemble operating in recorded music, touring, merchandise, and digital content.
Broad incumbents
- Bobby McFerrin: Solo vocal virtuoso with ten Grammys and a pioneering career in vocal improvisation. Comparable as a top-tier vocal artist with crossover gospel/jazz/pop appeal and similar award recognition, though operating as a solo act rather than a vocal group.
Others
- Ja Rule: Multi-platinum recording artist on Universal Music Group with active touring. Included as an ecosystem reference point — UMG distributes Take 6's catalog through SRG, illustrating the broader UMG-signed urban/gospel artist universe Take 6 operates within.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Take 6 social profiles
Digital presenceTake 6 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Take 6 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Take 6 subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Take 6 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Take 6 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 Take 6
What does Take 6 do?
Take 6 is a six-member a cappella vocal ensemble that delivers harmonically sophisticated vocal performances spanning gospel, jazz, R&B, pop, and soul. The group monetizes its music through live concerts and tours, recorded albums and singles, virtual/livestream concert events, officially published sheet music, and direct-to-consumer branded merchandise.
Is Take 6 a public or private company?
Take 6 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Take 6 founded?
Take 6 was founded in 1980. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Take 6 based?
Take 6 is headquartered in Nashville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Take 6 make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Live concert and tour ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are virtual/livestreamed concert ticket sales, album and single sales (physical and digital), sheet music and score licensing (Hal Leonard), merchandise sales and charity-aligned event proceeds (St. Jude partnership).
Who are Take 6's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chanticleer, King's Singers, VOCES8, Rockapella, The Persuasions, The Manhattan Transfer, New York Voices and Pentatonix. Bobby McFerrin is listed as a broad incumbent. Ja Rule is listed as an others.
Does Take 6 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Take 6.
What industry is Take 6 in?
Take 6's product category is Live A Cappella Vocal Music Performances. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAGAL, A&R / Artist Development Services, with a secondary code of MPAIAHAM, Sample Library & Sound Design Creation (for production use). Its NAICS code is 512230.