An Introduction to the Music Products Industry
What Is the Music Products Industry?
The music products industry is a collection of companies that make, manufacture, design, sell and distribute musical products across the world. The industry represents not only products such as musical instruments, but every accessory and component that serves musical instruments. Most importantly, this industry is made up of the people who dedicate their careers to ensuring musical products and accessories empower more music makers.
It’s important to distinguish the music products industry from the music industry at large. You can’t make music without products, and the music products industry is responsible for creating all the tools and resources that music makers across the music industry use. What’s more, music product companies both influence and react to what’s happening in the world of music — a company may innovate a product that inspires new ways to make music, or a new musical genre may drive music product companies to build certain tools to meet consumer interest and demand.
What Types of Products Does This Industry Produce?
The music products industry produces a vast number of products, including all types of musical instruments, accessories for musical instruments, professional audio equipment, DJ equipment, recording products and more. Music products are typically divided into categories — here are a few of them with examples:
- Fretted instruments — Acoustic and electric guitars, ukuleles, basses
- Orchestral strings — Non-fretted instruments including violin, viola, cello, double bass and harp
- Percussion — Drum kits, educational percussion, individual drums and hardware, sticks and mallets, cymbals, heads and hand percussion
- Piano — Acoustic grand pianos, acoustic vertical pianos, electronic player pianos, digital pianos and organs
- School band — Wind and brass instruments such as trumpet, trombone, tuba, clarinet, flute and saxophone
- Pro audio — Speakers, power amplifiers, mixers, microphones, sound systems for major tours
- Accessories — Straps, cables, metronomes, tuners, polishes, reeds, stands, cases, bags, mouthpieces, replacement parts and care kits
- Printed music — Method books, instructional materials, popular folios and related print music products
- Recording and computer music — Hard disk multi-track recorders, handheld digital recorders, rack-mounted processors, sound cards and related hardware, recording and sequencing software and plug-in and loop software
Music products are interdependent, and it’s helpful to think about how these products work together.
For example, when you think about orchestral instruments, the products that are connected to them include printed music, method books and accessories like music stands. If you think about a powered speaker, it could be used by a DJ in a club or by a local band that does regular performances. Related products could include cables, connectors, mixers and so on. These are just two illustrations of how the music products industry is the foundation of the entire world of music making.
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Our 2024 NAMM Global Report helps you understand the various markets within the music products industry and provides you with a detailed look at economic, demographic and sales data for 32 countries.
How Big Is the Music Products Industry?
The music products industry is estimated at USD $20 billion in annual sales of products as of 2024.
What Companies Belong to This Industry?
Large manufacturers like Yamaha, Taylor Guitars and Gibson Guitars and musical instrument retailers like Guitar Center, Sweetwater and Absolute Music are just some examples of companies that belong to the music products industry.
There are many music product manufacturers that create various brands — you may recognize a Fender guitar, a Marshall amplifier or a Bach trumpet. The music retail stores deliver these products to customers, and they exist in communities around the world, whether it’s Zuhal Müsik in Turkey, Bothner’s in South Africa or Maxwell’s House of Music in Indiana, USA. Retail stores also exist online and include companies such as Thomann and Taiwan Music.
Going beyond the products and brands consumers see, there are also many companies that operate to support the music products. Examples include:
- Distributors, who import products from all over the world, making sure they’re supplied to local dealers. These companies handle currencies and quality control, and they understand the local markets. They’re really the lifeline for getting musical products moved around the globe.
- Rental companies in the pro audio and lighting space design, train and manage sound and lighting systems for musical tours.
- Suppliers and makers, such as factories where people take raw materials such as metal and wood and turn them into components for musical products.
From the well-known brands to the companies that operate behind the scenes, the music products industry is made up of an exciting array of businesses that exist to make music happen.
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What Types of Jobs Are There in the Music Products Industry?
There is a whole world of careers, whether it’s design and production of musical instruments and other music products, engineering, quality control, global supply chain, sales and marketing, human resources, finance and more.
In music product manufacturing companies, there are various jobs in production, including machinists, luthiers, woodworkers, assemblers, quality inspectors, shipping and receiving clerks, and inventory control specialists, among many other roles. Manufacturers also hire different engineers — instrument designers, R&D engineers, acoustic engineers, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, manufacturing and materials engineers, to name a few. Office positions range from sales, marketing, finance, accounting, human resources, public relations and customer support. All of these roles contribute to the innovation and development of musical products.
There are also a variety of jobs in music retail stores. Some titles include music store general manager, sales associate, cashier, inventory manager, instrument repair technician, music instructor and marketing or social media specialist. These roles are necessary for the success of the music store and bringing musical products into the hands of customers.
There are also many roles in the live event, live tour and professional lighting and pro audio spaces as well. A few job titles in the professional lighting, live tour and entertainment technology space include lighting designer, master electrician, stage manager, production manager, technical director, gaffer, dimmer board operator, systems integrator, rigging electrician, special effects technician, AV technician, and more. In pro audio, there are audio engineers, sound engineers, mixing engineers, front of house engineers, music producers, sound editors, foley artists and music directors, among many others.
Oftentimes, when people think of working in music, the jobs that come to mind are musician or music teacher. But as laid out above, there are many jobs roles that make up the music products industry and that can be explored.
Challenges and Opportunities in the Music Products Industry
Below are a few areas where the music products industry experiences both challenges to overcome and opportunities for growth.
Dedicating time to play a musical instrument
Playing a musical instrument takes a commitment and an investment of time and money. One challenge for the music products industry is to keep the customer motivated to continue music making, whether they’re a musician, singer, DJ, recording studio artist or in any other music-making role. Music retailers, distributors, brands and educators all play a part in inspiring and motivating customers to continue loving music. It’s also a reality that music making is an activity that competes with various other extracurriculars people could choose. Despite these challenges, one constant is that music is an intrinsic part of the human experience, and there will always be an interest in music and desire to make music. The opportunities to inspire more people toward music are boundless.
Shifting musical tastes and the impact on product popularity
When the Beatles were in their heyday, the music products industry never sold more guitars, basses, drums and pianos. When digital music came out in the 1980s, the sale of acoustic guitars plummeted. And then MTV Unplugged’s acoustic series of live performances came out in the 90s, and sales of acoustic instruments surged. Over time, acoustic pianos have declined in popularity and interest in electric pianos has grown. These are just a few examples of how shifts in musical tastes have affected music product sales, and changes in the public’s musical interests will continue to influence the types of products that are sold.
Integrating AI into business practices
There is a great opportunity for companies within the music products industry to leverage artificial intelligence for improving processes, analyzing data, predicting buyer behaviors, creating personalized customer experiences, and more. Some of the challenges companies face with AI adoption are lack of expertise in AI, lack of quality data for AI to use, and fear of the technology displacing jobs. Another concern for the greater music industry is using AI for music creation. If people choose AI-generated music instead of making it themselves, it could impact the production levels of musical instruments and other equipment that’s used for making music. While these are legitimate concerns, many companies are learning ways to adopt the technology for useful applications while also learning the ethical use of AI.
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Policies That Affect the Music Products Industry
Some of the policies that music product manufacturers and retailers should stay current with include Title I, Title II and Title IV, Part A — federal programs that offer funds for music education in schools; CITES — a global treaty protecting endangered species and under which music product companies must prove certain materials were acquired legally; GPSR — an EU regulation with requirements around product labeling and product technical documentation; the Lacey Act — a U.S. law under which music product companies are required to show how plant products used for instruments are grown, harvested and moved through the supply chain; and Section 301 tariffs — additional taxes placed on various musical products.
For a more detailed look at these policies, read 5 Key Policies Music Industry Retailers and Manufacturers Should Know.
Want to Learn More About the Music Products Industry?
If you’re a music product company, retailer, or professional working in the industry, you can apply to become a NAMM member. NAMM, the global association for the music products industry, provides education, networking, webinars and in-person events year-round. Each year in January, members attend The NAMM Show, where global brands launch products and showcase their latest innovations. Learn more about NAMM and its efforts to support the industry and create more music makers worldwide.
About the Author
John Mlynczak is the president and CEO of NAMM, with expertise in the music industry, education, technology and leadership. He previously worked as VP of music education and technology at Hal Leonard, director of education for PreSonus Audio, and as a music educator at the K12 and collegiate levels. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Virginia Commonwealth University and master’s degrees in both music performance and education leadership from Louisiana State University.