Graphite Publishing
Graphite Publishing is a privately held Minnesota-based digital sheet music publisher that sells licensed PDF choral scores, practice tracks, and licensing rights through its own e-commerce site, serving choral directors, schools, churches, and music retailers with a curated catalog of contemporary composers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBig Lake, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Graphite Publishing does
Graphite Publishing, LLC is a privately held digital sheet music publisher founded in 2016 and headquartered in Big Lake, Minnesota. The company sells licensed PDF scores for contemporary choral and vocal music through its own e-commerce storefront, with pricing typically ranging from $1.50 to $2.35 per choral score and $3.50 to $25 for longer art-song or small-ensemble works. Its catalog is built around a curated roster of composers co-founded by Timothy C. Takach and Jocelyn Hagen, with new composers added approximately every one to two years under a minimum two-piece publishing commitment. The company also distributes works from third-party imprints including Timothy C. Takach Publications, Shruthi Rajasekar Music, Klavia Press, and Compose Like a Girl.
Graphite's product surface extends beyond PDF scores to include downloadable audio practice tracks (typically $1.00 per set, sized for 1-50 singers), a Take Note lifestyle magazine and email newsletter for choral musicians, and a portfolio of ancillary licenses covering print reproduction, adaptation, choral arrangement, instrumentation, mechanical recording, synchronization, performance/streaming, and broadcast use. The platform is built on standard e-commerce and digital-delivery infrastructure; no proprietary technology, API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities are documented.
The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce complemented by B2B channels serving educational institutions (tax-exempt accounts, purchase orders), churches and worship organizations, and music dealers/retailers at wholesale or flat-fee digital licensing rates. Go-to-market relies on the company website, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), the Take Note newsletter, and presence at choral conferences and festivals. Customer concentration is diffuse across a long tail of choral directors, schools, ensembles, and worship organizations, with no single named customer representing material recurring revenue.
Graphite Publishing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Graphite Publishing
- Legal name
- Graphite Publishing, LLC
- Website
- https://graphitepublishing.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Graphite Publishing is a privately held Minnesota-based digital sheet music publisher that sells licensed PDF choral scores, practice tracks, and licensing rights through its own e-commerce site, serving choral directors, schools, churches, and music retailers with a curated catalog of contemporary composers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Graphite Publishing industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sheet Music Publishing
- NAICS
- Music Publishers (512230)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Print Music Publishing (Sheet Music, Scores, Educational Repertoire) (MPAIABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation) (MPAIABAF), Custom Music & Original Score/Composition (MPAIALAD)
Keywords
Where Graphite Publishing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Big Lake
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Graphite Publishing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Digital Sheet Music Sales: Graphite Publishing sells digital PDF scores online. Customers purchase a licensed PDF and receive rights to print copies for their use. The company offers various license types including print licenses, adaptation licenses, choral arrangement licenses, and instrumentation/orchestration licenses for additional uses beyond basic performance.
- Licensing Fees: Additional revenue from licensing music for various uses including mechanical licenses for recordings, performance/streaming licenses for video content, synchronization licenses for film/TV, broadcast licenses for radio/TV, and arrangement licenses for custom adaptations of their compositions.
- Practice Tracks: Sale of downloadable audio practice tracks for select pieces, providing rehearsal support to choral organizations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard choral scores |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Art songs and smaller ensemble works |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Practice tracks |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Graphite Publishing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Graphite Publishing sells licensed digital PDF scores of contemporary choral and vocal music directly through its online store at graphitepublishing.com, with prices typically $1.50–$2.35 per copy for standard choral scores and $3.50–$25 for art songs. It also offers downloadable audio practice tracks ($1.00 per set) for select pieces and provides additional licensing for mechanical, synchronization, broadcast, performance, and arrangement uses. The catalog is drawn from a curated roster of composers and partner publishing imprints including Timothy C. Takach Publications, Shruthi Rajasekar Music, Klavia Press, and Compose Like a Girl.
Product overview
Graphite Publishing operates a digital sheet music publishing platform that sells PDF scores online. The core offering is digital choral and vocal music from a curated roster of contemporary composers, with products including individual licensed PDF scores (typically $1.50-$2.35 per copy), audio practice tracks for rehearsal support ($1.00 per set), and the Take Note lifestyle magazine for choral musicians. The company distributes music from publishers including Timothy C. Takach Publications, Shruthi Rajasekar Music, Klavia Press, and Compose Like a Girl.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Timothy C. Takach Publications: An imprint distributing Timothy C. Takach's compositions, co-founded by Takach and distributed by Graphite Publishing.
Products and services
- Digital Sheet Music PDFs Licensed digital PDF scores of contemporary choral and vocal music sold through the Graphite Publishing online store for rehearsal and performance use, with prices typically $1.50–$2.35 per copy for standard choral scores and $3.50–$25 for art songs and smaller ensemble works. Customers may purchase licensed PDFs as guests or via accounts, with multiple voicings (SATB, SSAA, TTBB, SAB, SSA) available for many pieces.
- Practice Tracks Downloadable audio rehearsal tracks for select Graphite Publishing choral compositions, professionally mixed to support independent rehearsal by choirs. Typically priced at $1.00 per set and sold in batches of 50 for choir sizes, designed to support independent rehearsal for choral organizations and educational programs.
- Music Licensing (Mechanical, Synchronization, Performance, Broadcast, Arrangement) Ancillary licensing services covering mechanical licenses for recordings, performance/streaming licenses for video content, synchronization licenses for film and TV, broadcast licenses for radio and TV, and arrangement licenses for custom adaptations of Graphite Publishing compositions. Licensing provides rights beyond the basic per-copy PDF license for specific commercial and media uses.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 performances of co-created production 'All is Calm'
Companies that use Graphite Publishing
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Graphite Publishing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Graphite Publishing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- The Singers – Minnesota Choral ArtistscoreLong-standing performing ensemble that has premiered multiple Graphite Publishing compositions including 'I Saw Three Ships' by Jocelyn Hagen and 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime' by Timothy C. Takach. The ensemble has commissioned and performed works from the publisher's catalog.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Graphite Publishing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hinshaw Music: Choral music publisher with educational and church repertoire focus. Competes for the same institutional buyers and choral director attention.
- Walton Music Corporation: Choral music publisher serving schools, churches, and community choirs. Directly comparable business model and customer segments to Graphite.
- Boosey & Hawkes: International classical and contemporary choral publisher with a significant contemporary composer roster. Competes for premieres and licensing opportunities in the choral space.
- Morning Star Music Publishers: Choral music specialist publisher focused on church and educational repertoire. Comparable in size and niche concentration to Graphite, serving overlapping buyer segments.
- Alfred Music: Major U.S. music publisher with significant educational and choral offerings. Competes for school and choir repertoire purchases and works with contemporary composer rosters.
- Pavane Publishing: Independent choral music publisher emphasizing accessible contemporary repertoire. Similar size and target market to Graphite, with overlapping composer acquisition pools.
- Hal Leonard Corporation: The largest global sheet music publisher, with deep choral catalogs and major composer rosters. Directly competes for choral music sales, premieres, and educational institutional buyers.
- GIA Publications: Independent choral and sacred music publisher serving churches, schools, and community choirs. Closely comparable niche focus and customer base to Graphite.
- Oxford University Press (Music): Publishes contemporary choral works and educational repertoire through its music division. Competes for premieres, commissions, and academic choir programs.
- E.C. Schirmer Music Company: Independent publisher of choral and vocal music with a contemporary composer roster. Closely comparable in catalog curation and target customer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Graphite Publishing social profiles
Digital presenceGraphite Publishing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Graphite Publishing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Graphite Publishing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Graphite Publishing 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 Graphite Publishing
What does Graphite Publishing do?
Graphite Publishing sells licensed digital PDF scores of contemporary choral and vocal music directly through its online store at graphitepublishing.com, with prices typically $1.50–$2.35 per copy for standard choral scores and $3.50–$25 for art songs. It also offers downloadable audio practice tracks ($1.00 per set) for select pieces and provides additional licensing for mechanical, synchronization, broadcast, performance, and arrangement uses. The catalog is drawn from a curated roster of composers and partner publishing imprints including Timothy C. Takach Publications, Shruthi Rajasekar Music, Klavia Press, and Compose Like a Girl.
Is Graphite Publishing a public or private company?
Graphite Publishing is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Graphite Publishing founded?
Graphite Publishing was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Graphite Publishing based?
Graphite Publishing is headquartered in Big Lake, United States, in the North America region.
How does Graphite Publishing make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Digital Sheet Music Sales are the primary driver. The others are licensing Fees and practice Tracks.
Who are Graphite Publishing's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hinshaw Music, Walton Music Corporation, Boosey & Hawkes, Morning Star Music Publishers, Alfred Music, Pavane Publishing, Hal Leonard Corporation, GIA Publications, Oxford University Press (Music) and E.C. Schirmer Music Company.
Does Graphite Publishing have an API?
No public API is recorded for Graphite Publishing.
What industry is Graphite Publishing in?
Graphite Publishing's product category is Sheet Music Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIABAG, Print Music Publishing (Sheet Music, Scores, Educational Repertoire), with a secondary code of MPAIABAF, Sync Rights Representation (Pitching, Clearance, Negotiation). Its NAICS code is 512230 and its SIC code is 2741.