Sound Sense

What Sound Sense does

Sound Sense is the UK professional association for community musicians, founded in 1990 and registered as a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity in England and Wales (no. 1080918). It operates as a membership-based organisation representing over 800 individual practitioners and organisations working across the full spectrum of community music settings — early years, schools, SEND, health and social care (care homes, hospices, hospitals), criminal justice, and community development with diverse populations including asylum seekers, refugees, and people experiencing homelessness.

Its core products are structured around an annual/quarterly membership subscription that bundles a suite of functional benefits: £10m public and products liability insurance for eligible members, enhanced DBS checks and Update Service facilitation, a quarterly peer-reviewed journal (Sounding Board), a monthly newsletter (Bulletin Board), an online 'Find a Musician' directory of 737 records, a jobs and careers board, and access to professional development events including the Sound Sense Gathering, the TTCM symposium, and conferences such as Artists' Care. The underlying technology is a website-based membership management platform with a member-only area, supported by standard web analytics; there is no proprietary AI/ML capability.

Sound Sense generates revenue primarily through recurring membership subscriptions (Individual, Organisation, and International tiers) payable by Direct Debit, PayPal Subscription, or bank transfer with auto-renewal and a minimum one-year term. Secondary value accrues from insurance scheme administration, event registrations, and grant-funded advocacy work, most notably as a co-lead (with Live Music Now and the Sidney De Haan Research Centre) on 'A Choir in Every Care Home', funded by The Baring Foundation and involving 35 partner organisations. The organisation is governed by a 12-member elected Board of Directors and operated day-to-day by 3 paid staff (General Manager, Communications Manager, Membership Coordinator), with offices registered in Leicester and a primarily remote/distributed UK operating model.

Name

Sound Sense

Legal name

Sound Sense

Website

https://www.soundsense.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sound Sense is the UK professional association for community musicians, founded in 1990, providing membership services to 800+ practitioners and organisations across the UK, including public liability insurance, DBS checks, advocacy, a directory, and the Sounding Board journal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Music Association Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Music Therapy (Educational/Developmental Programs) (EDAMANAK)

Keywords

• Community music association
• Music membership services
• Professional association services
• Music industry advocacy
• Public liability insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Sound Sense generates primary revenue through annual membership subscriptions paid either quarterly by Direct Debit or PayPal Subscription (with automatic renewal), or annually by bank transfer or PayPal payment. Membership categories include Individual (with earning sub-category that includes insurance), Organisation, and International memberships. The minimum membership term is one year.
2. Insurance products: Individual members at the 'Individual' rate (previously 'Individual, earning') are automatically covered by £10m public and products liability insurance. This insurance benefit is bundled into the relevant membership tier and covers community music, music therapy, and music teaching activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sound Sense is the UK professional association for community musicians, providing annual membership subscriptions across Individual, Organisation, and International categories. Membership grants access to £10m public liability insurance, enhanced DBS checks, the quarterly Sounding Board journal, the monthly Bulletin Board newsletter, listing in the Find a Musician directory, professional development events and courses, and a peer network of over 800 community music practitioners. The association also conducts sector advocacy through initiatives such as the Music Manifesto and A Choir in Every Care Home.

Product overview

Sound Sense is the UK professional association for community musicians, offering a membership-based service portfolio. The core offering centers on annual membership subscriptions (Individual, Organisation, and International categories) providing public liability insurance (£10m coverage), enhanced DBS checks, access to the quarterly Sounding Board journal, and inclusion in the Find a Musician directory. Additional services include the monthly Bulletin Board newsletter, courses and events including the Sound Sense Gathering, and advocacy initiatives such as the Music Manifesto campaign and A Choir in Every Care Home programme. The organisation functions as a professional body supporting over 800 community musician members since 1990.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sounding Board: The quarterly journal of community music published by Sound Sense, featuring news, stories, research, and shared community music practice from across the sector.

Products and services

• Sound Sense Membership Annual membership subscription for community musicians and organisations providing access to public liability insurance, enhanced DBS checks, the Sounding Board journal, the Bulletin Board newsletter, Find a Musician directory listing, professional development events, and a peer network of 800+ practitioners.
• Public Liability Insurance £10m public and products liability insurance covering community music, music therapy, and music teaching activities, available to eligible Individual members.
• DBS Check Service Enhanced DBS checks and access to the DBS Update Service for community musicians working with vulnerable populations, enabling online status checks by employers without requesting a new check.
• Sounding Board Journal Quarterly journal of community music featuring shared experiences, reflections, interviews, and research contributed by Sound Sense members, available in print and online, with back issues from 2016 accessible to members.
• Find a Musician Directory Online searchable directory of Sound Sense member musicians and organisations, allowing the public and organisations to find community musicians by name, keyword, UK region, membership type, DBS status, Code of Practice signatory status, and insurance coverage.
• Courses and Events Professional development events, online Gatherings, conferences, and networking opportunities for community musicians, including the Sound Sense Gathering online meet-ups and the TTCM (Training the Community Musician) symposium.
• Bulletin Board Newsletter Monthly email newsletter for Sound Sense members covering funding opportunities, events, jobs, policy updates, and community music sector news.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 800 member practitioners and organisations represented
• +2 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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Live Music NowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2015Live Music Now provides national leadership for musicians working in the care sector. Together with Sound Sense and the Sidney De Haan Research Centre, Live Music Now is one of three major organisations leading 'A Choir in Every Care Home', a national initiative launched in May 2015 to explore how music and singing can feature regularly in UK care homes. Funded by The Baring Foundation, the initiative involves 35 partner organisations.
• Sidney De Haan Research CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2015The Sidney De Haan Research Centre provides cutting-edge research on the medical and social impacts of singing. It is one of three lead organisations (alongside Live Music Now and Sound Sense) in the 'A Choir in Every Care Home' initiative, contributing research expertise on the health benefits of music in care settings.
• 35 partner organisations (A Choir in Every Care Home)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2015A Choir in Every Care Home brings together 35 leading organisations from the world of adult social care, music, and healthcare research. These organisations collaborate to find the best ways to bring the benefits of music participation to older people in care homes across the UK.
• Youth MusiccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound Sense produced a comprehensive three-year evaluation of Youth Music's flagship Musical Inclusion programme (2012–2015), titled 'The Power of Equality 2'. The evaluation was conducted by Kathryn Deane, Rob Hunter, Anita Holford, and Phil Mullen and assessed partnership working within music education hubs across England.
• Music Education Council (MEC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound Sense is proud to be part of the Music Education Council, which draws membership from across the entire music education and music industry sectors. Through its corporate members, MEC represents tens of thousands of music educators across the UK and serves as the umbrella body for all UK organisations connected with music education.
• Sound ConnectionssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound Connections is referenced as a key partner organisation in the community music sector. Sound Sense works with Sound Connections on events and initiatives including the Inclusive Practice in Action 2026 event.
• Drake MusicsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound Connections partnered with Drake Music to host Inclusive Practice in Action 2026. Sound Sense board member Ellie Knott reported on this event in Sounding Board journal.
• SoundaboutsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoundabout is a community music organisation specialising in inclusive music-making for people of all ages and abilities, with a focus on people with severe and profound learning disabilities. Sound Sense promotes the Soundabout Choirs Hub, through which organisations can become associate members and access training videos and song resources for inclusive choirs.
• International Centre for Community Music (ICCM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ICCM (based at York St John University) is a key research partner for Sound Sense. Sound Sense supports the annual ICCM Student Research Symposium, which in 2026 takes place at the Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre in York on the theme 'Reverberations: Community music, impacts and transformations'. The ICCM also publishes the International Journal of Community Music, which features contributions from Sound Sense members.
• Sound ConnectionssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSound Connections is advertising a freelance Early Years Lead position through the Sound Sense jobs board. The role is fee-based at £15,000 for 50 days at £300/day, running from August/September 2026 to March 2028, with hybrid delivery in London and nationally.
• #FreeMoveCreate campaignsupportingOthersSound Sense is supporting the #FreeMoveCreate campaign, a collaborative campaign to protect freedom of movement for everyone working in the creative industries. The campaign informs allies of the importance of free movement, lobbies Government and Parliament, and assists creative industry workers in supporting the cause.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Making Music: UK membership organisation representing amateur and community music groups, including choirs, orchestras, and bands. Directly comparable as a sector-specific membership body offering member benefits, advocacy, and resources to music-makers across the UK.
• Musicians' Union: The UK's main trade union for professional musicians, providing representation, legal support, insurance, and advocacy. Closely comparable membership-based professional body serving working musicians, with overlapping insurance and lobbying functions.
• Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM): UK professional body for musicians and music educators, offering membership, professional indemnity insurance, legal advice, and CPD. Directly comparable membership model with bundled professional services and advocacy for music professionals.
• Music Mark: UK national membership organisation for music education, representing music hubs and music services. Comparable association model focused on music education advocacy, sector representation, and resource provision — overlapping with Sound Sense's education-segment work.
• Association of British Orchestras (ABO): UK membership body for orchestras and the orchestral sector, providing advocacy, training, conferences, and resources. Comparable sector association model serving professional orchestral musicians and ensembles, similar in governance and member-benefit structure.

Broad incumbents

• Youth Music: UK charity funding music-making projects for children and young people. Sound Sense produced Youth Music's flagship Musical Inclusion programme evaluation. Overlapping remit in community and music education but operating as a funder rather than membership body.
• Live Music Now: UK charity providing live music in care homes, hospitals, and community settings. Direct core partner of Sound Sense on A Choir in Every Care Home, with overlapping mission in music-and-health but operating as an outreach charity rather than membership association.

Emerging players

• Drake Music: UK charity pioneering music, disability and assistive technology. Collaborates with Sound Sense via the Inclusive Practice in Action event and shares focus on inclusive community music-making, particularly for disabled musicians.
• Soundabout: UK community music charity specialising in inclusive music-making for people with severe and profound learning disabilities. Referenced as Sound Sense partner; overlapping niche in SEND-focused community music delivery.
• International Centre for Community Music (ICCM), York St John University: Academic research centre for community music at York St John University. Key research partner of Sound Sense that publishes the International Journal of Community Music and hosts the Student Research Symposium supported by Sound Sense — overlapping on scholarship and sector knowledge.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SoundSenseUK
• Instagraminstagram.com/soundsenseuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sound-sense-uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Sound Sense