How Sweet The Sound

What How Sweet The Sound does

How Sweet The Sound (HSTS) is a privately held American gospel music competition tour and media platform founded in 2007 and originally sponsored by Verizon. The company organizes an annual national competition for church choirs, soloists, praise teams, spoken-word artists, and dance ensembles, with a dedicated competition category for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) including Tennessee State University, Virginia State University, Florida A&M University, and Oakwood University. Cash prizes are awarded to winners, though specific amounts are not publicly disclosed, and Grammy and Stellar Award winners serve as judges and performers, lending high-profile credibility to the event.

The core product architecture is a platform-plus-events model: a flagship live concert (with the 2026 edition scheduled for May 30 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C., ticketed via Ticketmaster), a syndicated television broadcast special airing on 100+ U.S. stations during Black History Month, and a digital/connected-TV streaming distribution layer. The HSTS Europe sub-brand (howsweetthesound.co.uk), anchored by a partnership with London's Royal Albert Hall, extends the format internationally. No proprietary technology platform, software product, app, or API is disclosed; the underlying stack is described only at the level of event production, broadcast distribution, and standard consumer social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube).

The business model is multi-revenue-stream and event-driven. Revenue is generated from live event ticket sales (one-time license), broadcast television syndication (licensing/royalties), and brand partnerships and sponsorships (advertising). The 2026 sponsor cohort includes Glory Foods, TeamPMG, COWOC (a 501(c)(3) under Dreams Work, Inc.), Museum of the Bible, The SonRise Project (a 501(c)(3) parental-wellbeing nonprofit), and Events DC. Customer segments are hybrid: personas include church choirs/soloists and gospel music enthusiasts, with a key vertical in HBCUs. The company operates with 11–50 employees from a U.S. base (Washington, D.C. metro), is founder/privately owned with no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds, and is actively operating with scheduled events and ongoing brand partnerships.

Name

How Sweet The Sound

Legal name

How Sweet The Sound

Website

https://howsweetthesound.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

How Sweet The Sound is a privately held gospel music competition tour and media platform, founded 2007, that produces an annual live concert, a 100+ market syndicated TV special, and an international European series for church choirs, soloists, spoken-word artists, and HBCU gospel ensembles, funded by ticket sales, broadcast syndication, and cultural-brand sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Entertainment / Gospel Music Competition

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events (MPAGAHAF), Religious Music & Worship Broadcasting (MPABALAN)

Keywords

• Gospel music competition
• Live concert events
• Broadcast television syndication
• Music talent showcase
• Community cultural events

Headquarters

HQ city

S Central Washington Co

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

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. Live Event Tickets: Revenue generated from ticket sales for live concert events, currently on sale through Ticketmaster for the May 30, 2026 event at The Anthem in Washington D.C.
2. Brand Partnerships & Sponsorships: Long-standing brand relationships with cultural and community-focused brands that support the platform financially. Partners include Glory Foods, TeamPMG, COWOC, Museum of the Bible, The SonRise Project, and Events DC.
3. Broadcast Television Syndication: Revenue from syndication of the gospel music competition special through broadcast television stations across the United States, including major markets like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta, and Washington D.C.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

How Sweet The Sound is a gospel music competition tour and media platform that runs an annual national competition featuring church choirs, soloists, praise teams, spoken-word artists, and dance ensembles, with cash prizes awarded to winners. Its core product is delivered through live concert events (e.g., The Anthem in Washington, D.C.), a syndicated television broadcast special airing across 100+ U.S. markets during Black History Month, digital and connected-TV streaming, and an international expansion (HSTS Europe) that includes a partnership with London's Royal Albert Hall. Dedicated HBCU competition categories spotlight choirs from Historically Black Colleges and Universities such as Florida A&M University and Oakwood University.

Product overview

How Sweet The Sound (HSTS) is a platform-plus-events architecture consisting of a national gospel music competition tour (core product), a syndicated television broadcast program, live concert events, and an international expansion (HSTS Europe). The competition features dedicated HBCU participation categories alongside general competition for choirs, soloists, spoken-word artists, and dance ensembles. The portfolio spans broadcast television syndication, digital/streaming platforms, and in-person live events, supported by brand partnerships focused on culture and community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• How Sweet The Sound Competition Tour America's premier gospel music competition tour providing a national platform for choirs, soloists, praise teams, spoken-word artists, and dance ensembles, awarding cash prizes to winners.
• How Sweet The Sound TV Program Syndicated television broadcast of the gospel music competition featuring performances by renowned gospel artists and choirs, airing nationwide on 100+ broadcast stations across the United States during Black History Month.
• How Sweet The Sound Live Concert Events In-person live concert events featuring competition performances with Grammy and Stellar Award winners as judges and performers, held at major venues including The Anthem in Washington, D.C.
• HSTS Europe European expansion of the gospel music competition tour, including a partnership with London's Royal Albert Hall, extending the How Sweet The Sound brand beyond the United States.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides annual national platform for choirs, soloists, praise teams, spoken-word artists and dance ensembles

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Glory FoodscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 April 2026Glory Foods, America's No. 1 brand of Southern Style Vegetables, is a brand partner for How Sweet The Sound. The partnership celebrates family, history, and culture through the shared values of community and culinary tradition. Their Reduced Sodium line of seasoned vegetables aligns with the company's community-focused mission.
• TeamPMGcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 April 2026TeamPMG, a firm dedicated to elevating modern living through exceptional interior design, partners with How Sweet The Sound to support a platform that uplifts voices and celebrates community. The partnership brings together design, culture, and community in creating spaces that inspire connection and lasting impact.
• COWOC (Creating Opportunity Within Our Community)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026COWOC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization under Dreams Work, Inc. that collaborates with How Sweet The Sound to advance community impact through empowerment, access, opportunity, and collective engagement. Their mission of creating opportunity and hope aligns with the platform's goal of uplifting voices.
• Museum of the BibleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 April 2026Museum of the Bible invites audiences to experience the history, narrative, and impact of God's Word through ancient artifacts and immersive exhibits designed to ignite faith. The partnership aligns gospel music with biblical heritage and spiritual content.
• The SonRise ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 April 2026The SonRise Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization providing weekly shame-free, safe spaces for parents and families. Since 2020, they have been a lifeline for thousands of parents nationwide. Their collaboration with How Sweet The Sound focuses on emotional well-being and community support.
• Events DCcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Events DC is the premier host of conventions, meetings, entertainment, sporting, and cultural events in the nation's capital. From the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to CareFirst Arena, Events DC creates experiences that engage and entertain guests from Washington, DC and around the world.
• Verizon (Original Sponsor)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2007Verizon originally sponsored How Sweet The Sound when it launched in 2007, providing initial brand support for America's premier gospel music competition platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN): TBN is the largest Christian broadcast network in the U.S., transmitting faith-based and gospel music content across broadcast and streaming. Comparable in distribution modality (faith broadcast reach) and overlapping audience, but operates a full network rather than a single annual competition event.
• Daystar Television Network: Daystar is a major faith-based television network carrying gospel music, church services, and Christian entertainment nationwide. Overlaps HSTS in delivering faith-based audio-visual content to gospel/Christian audiences and competing for the same sponsor and viewership pools.
• BET Gospel / BET Faith: BET's gospel and faith-based programming arm reaches the same Black gospel/faith audience with broader content (series, documentaries, awards coverage, music videos) at scale far larger than HSTS — overlapping audience but not a like-for-like competition event.

Direct peers

• Stellar Gospel Music Awards: The Stellar Gospel Music Awards is the longest-running annual gospel music awards show in the U.S., featuring live performances, judged categories, and nationally televised coverage — directly comparable to HSTS in format, audience (gospel music enthusiasts, church choirs, HBCUs), and broadcast distribution model.
• GMA Dove Awards: The Gospel Music Association's Dove Awards is the premier annual awards ceremony for Christian and gospel music — directly comparable in being an award-recognition + live-performance event with broadcast coverage and a faith-based audience base that overlaps HSTS's gospel/faith consumer.
• McDonald's Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour: A long-running sponsored gospel music tour featuring Grammy-winning gospel artists across multiple cities — comparable to HSTS in being a sponsored, multi-entity gospel music live event built around brand partnership economics rather than pure ticketing revenue.
• Super Bowl Gospel Celebration: Annual gospel music event staged around the Super Bowl and nationally televised, featuring celebrity performances and choirs. Highly analogous operating model to HSTS: signature annual event, national broadcast window, and brand-sponsor ecosystem tied to a culturally significant moment.
• BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music: BMI's annual invitation-only gospel music recognition event honoring songwriters, artists, and publishers. Closely mirrors HSTS in honoring gospel music excellence, hosting performances, and convening the gospel music community around a recognition moment.

Emerging players

• Kirk Franklin (artist-led gospel events): Kirk Franklin, a 16-time Grammy-winning gospel artist, runs branded gospel tours and collaborations that compete for the same choir/soloist talent, sponsor dollars, and gospel audience attention HSTS serves — an artist-led live-event model adjacent to HSTS's competition-tour format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCkpRUgS2mp_d407WmSaeH3A
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheOfficialHowSweetTheSound
• Instagraminstagram.com/theofficialhowsweetthesound
• TikToktiktok.com/@howsweetthesound
• Xx.com/HSTSCelebration

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 How Sweet The Sound