What Nantucket Music Foundation does

The Nantucket Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded to sustain live music on Nantucket island, operating through its flagship asset, The Muse — an iconic concert venue at 44 Surfside Road, Nantucket, Massachusetts. The Muse has been a cornerstone of the island's music scene for over three decades, with a documented history that includes early-career performances by artists such as Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Hootie & the Blowfish, and Train. The foundation curates a seasonal concert lineup featuring nationally touring acts across indie rock, pop, alternative, folk, and classic rock, with pricing ranging from free community shows to $125 for premium performances.

The foundation's revenue mechanics are event-driven and diversified across three streams: ticketed concert sales processed through DICE and Eventbrite, on-site food and beverage concessions (via togoorder.com and bar service), and sponsorship/affiliate revenue exemplified by the Nantucket Crisps partnership. Distribution relies on a hybrid model — direct ticketing platforms, an owned website (musenantucket.com), email newsletter, social media, and an integrated partnership network spanning ferry service (SeaStreak), aviation (Tradewind Aviation), lodging (21 Broad and 76 Main Hotels), and co-venue programming (Cisco Brewers).

The organization extends its mission through VIP add-on experiences (with proceeds directed to Boys & Girls Club of Nantucket and Team IMPACT), donated tickets, youth engagement programs, and charitable benefit concerts supporting Team IMPACT and Whale & Dolphin Conservation. Fairwinds serves as fiscal sponsor, reinforcing the foundation's nonprofit governance and tax-deductible contribution capacity. The customer base spans summer visitors, year-round island residents, superfans, and touring artists, with the venue functioning as both an entertainment destination and a community cultural institution.

Name

Nantucket Music Foundation

Legal name

Nantucket Music Foundation

Website

https://musenantucket.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Nantucket Music Foundation is a nonprofit operating The Muse, an iconic concert venue on Nantucket island, hosting a summer season of nationally touring acts through ticketed shows, free community events, and charitable partnerships serving island residents and summer visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Venue

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Venues & Venue Operators (Clubs, Theaters, Arenas) (MPAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Live Music Clubs & Venues (MPAGAIAB), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Concert events
• Nonprofit music foundation
• Ticketed concerts
• Community music programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantucket

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Concert Ticket Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from selling tickets to concerts at The Muse venue. Tickets are sold through DICE and Eventbrite platforms with prices ranging from free community shows to $125 for premium performances.
2. Venue Concessions and Bar Sales: Food and beverage sales at The Muse venue during concerts generate revenue. The venue offers food ordering through togoorder.com and has bar services during events.
3. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Brought to you by Nantucket Crisps, and various sponsor acknowledgments for shows indicate sponsorship revenue or in-kind support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Nantucket Music Foundation operates The Muse, a live concert venue at 44 Surfside Road on Nantucket island, hosting a seasonal lineup of ticketed concerts featuring nationally touring musical acts across genres including indie rock, pop, alternative, folk, and classic rock. Offerings include paid concert programming, free community shows, premium VIP soundcheck experiences, youth engagement programs, and charitable partnerships that direct proceeds to organizations such as Boys & Girls Club of Nantucket, Team IMPACT, and Whale & Dolphin Conservation.

Product overview

The Nantucket Music Foundation operates The Muse, a concert venue on Nantucket island. The offering consists of the core venue hosting ticketed and free live concert events featuring nationally touring musical acts, complemented by youth engagement programs and charitable partnerships. The foundation's portfolio includes paid concert programming with established artists, free community shows, VIP experiences with proceeds benefiting local nonprofits, and youth-focused initiatives—all unified by the mission to make live music accessible to the entire Nantucket community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Concert Event Programming

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FairwindscoreOthersFairwinds is acknowledged as the fiscal sponsor of The Muse. They are also a recipient of proceeds from charitable events, including the All Time Low x Nantucket Crisps Bay Spice Launch Party where proceeds went to Fairwinds alongside the Nantucket Music Foundation.
• Nantucket CrispscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNantucket Crisps is a key partner and sponsor of The Muse and Nantucket Music Foundation events. They bring events to the venue (Sister Hazel, Mt. Joy Team Impact Benefit) and collaborate on product launches. Contact: [email protected]
• Team IMPACTminorOthersNational nonprofit organization that matches children facing serious illnesses and disabilities with college athletic teams. Nantucket Crisps Team Impact Benefit Concert featuring Mt. Joy raised awareness and funds for this organization.
• Boys & Girls Club of NantucketminorOthersRecipient of 100% of VIP Pre-Show Soundcheck Experience add-on sales from All Time Low concert, supporting their programs for island youth.
• Whale & Dolphin ConservationminorOthersAll ticket profits from the Cisco Brewers Summer Solstice Weekend event featuring Stephen Marley and Pepper went directly to Whale & Dolphin Conservation to support protection of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
• Seastreak FerryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Seastreak Ferry for the All Time Low x Nantucket Crisps Bay Spice Launch Party, providing roundtrip ferry service from New Bedford to Nantucket with shuttle service to the venue.
• Cisco BrewersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCisco Brewers is a venue partner for certain events, hosting the Summer Solstice Weekend celebration with Stephen Marley performance at The Muse and Pepper performance at Cisco Brewers.
• 21 Broad and 76 Main HotelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner hotels offering 15% discount with promo code BAR for visitors attending shows at The Muse, making it easy for out-of-town guests to attend events.
• Tradewind AviationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTradewind Aviation provides flights from Hanscom Field (BED) in the Boston area to Nantucket, serving as a transportation partner for visitors to The Muse concerts.
• J. Calnan AssociatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUnderwriter for the Nantucket Crisps Team Impact Benefit Concert featuring Mt. Joy, providing support for the charitable fundraising event.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• 9:30 Club: The 9:30 Club is an iconic intimate live music venue in Washington, D.C., operated by I.M.P. Comparable to The Muse as a storied, single-location intimate venue with a strong brand heritage and consistent nationally touring artist bookings.
• Brooklyn Bowl: Brooklyn Bowl is an intimate live music venue that combines concerts with food and beverage service. Directly comparable to The Muse in offering nationally touring acts in an intimate room plus on-site food/beverage (similar to togoorder.com integration), with multi-location expansion strategy.
• Bowery Presents: Bowery Presents operates intimate-to-mid-size music venues such as Bowery Ballroom, Music Hall of Williamsburg, and Webster Hall. Directly comparable as an independent venue operator running multi-room intimate concert programming with nationally touring acts in a destination context.
• C3 Presents: C3 Presents is a leading independent concert promoter and venue operator (ACL Live, festivals like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits). Comparable as an independent concert promoter booking nationally touring acts in intimate-to-mid venues with strong brand recognition.
• The Capitol Theatre (Port Chester): The Capitol Theatre is a historic, intimate live music venue in Port Chester, NY, also operated by a nonprofit partner (Bonsai Music Group). Strongly comparable to The Muse as a heritage intimate venue with nonprofit-style operations hosting nationally touring artists.

Broad incumbents

• Ryman Hospitality Properties: Ryman Hospitality owns and operates the Ryman Auditorium and other iconic music venues (Grand Ole Opry). Comparable through its operation of a legendary, heritage-driven intimate music venue with strong touring-act relationships and brand rooted in cultural history.
• AEG Presents: AEG Presents is one of the world's largest live entertainment and venue-operating companies, running thousands of events annually across a portfolio of venues. A broad incumbent comparable in its music venue and concert promotion business, though operating at vastly greater scale and geographic reach than The Muse.
• Live Nation Entertainment: Live Nation is the largest live entertainment company globally, operating venues, promoting tours, and selling tickets. A broad incumbent comparable through its ticketing (same DICE-adjacent ecosystem) and venue operations, though at a vastly different scale than a single-island nonprofit foundation.

Regional players

• Another Planet Entertainment: Another Planet Entertainment operates intimate-to-large music venues across California (The Independent, Fox Theater Oakland) and produces festivals. Comparable as an independent venue operator focused on intimate rooms with nationally touring acts, though serving a West Coast geographic market rather than Nantucket's East Coast island market.

Emerging players

• Newport Festivals Foundation: Newport Festivals Foundation operates the Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival as a nonprofit. Comparable as a nonprofit music presenting organization with charitable mission, though operating in festival rather than intimate-venue format. Useful peer for nonprofit music programming economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Nantucket Music Foundation