Milwaukee-based music publisher Hal Leonard Corp. has acquired music publication e-commerce site Sheet Music Plus. The acquisition price was not disclosed.
Emeryville, California-based Sheet Music Plus has 47 employees, all of whom will remain on board at the existing location in the integration, said Hal Leonard spokesperson Trish Dulka. Jenny Silva, chief executive officer of SMP, will remain in her role.
SMP will not be renamed, but will operate as an independent subsidiary of Hal Leonard, Dulka said. The company was founded in 1997 and has good brand recognition, which is why it will be the only Hal Leonard facility operated as a separate entity.
“They’re really kind of the Amazon of the sheet music world,” Dulka said.
Hal Leonard plans to integrate the SMP products so customers can order products on SMP’s website and pick them up in their local music store.
“This next chapter will bring many advantages for our customers,” Silva said. “We have worked closely together with Hal Leonard for years and I know that their team has a deep appreciation for the great service that Sheet Music Plus provides to musicians. We look forward to sharing our strengths to provide even more services to the greater music community as well.”
Hal Leonard now has more than 450 employees at 13 corporate offices around the world. It is the largest publisher of printed music, with more than 200,000 available titles, and in recent years has been adding to its digital offerings. Its products are sold in more than 65 countries through its offices and distributors, and are marketed to 7,500 music stores in the U.S. and Canada.
In 2016, Hal Leonard acquired play-along recording company Music Minus One, as well as Mequon-based educational piano score publisher Schaum Publications. Also last year, the majority of Hal Leonard was sold by CEO Keith Mardak and his wife Mary Vandenberg to California private equity firm Seidler Equity Partners to advance its strategic growth.
