Music creation company Muse Group acquires sheet music publisher Hal Leonard… with backing from private equity firm Francisco Partners
Summary
The acquisition was backed by a “growth investment” from Francisco Partners, the US-based private equity firm that acquired Native Instruments in January 2021 and a majority stake in Kobalt Music Group last year. Today, Hal Leonard’s exclusively licensed, premium arrangements include some of the world’s best-known artists and scores from Taylor Swift and The Beatles to John Williams and Disney soundtracks. Ultimate Guitar, meanwhile, the forerunner of Muse Group, sparked what the company says was a “similar revolution in the late 1990s”, by providing tabs to guitarists in the internet’s “formative era”. “Hal Leonard and Muse have been working closely together in commercial partnerships for over fifteen years and have built trust and mutual respect over that time. “The combined business will offer its customers unparalleled content and technology focused on music learning across digital, print, and educational channels.” Lee Rubenstein, Managing Director at Francisco Partners, said: “We are thrilled to provide a tailored capital solution in support of this transaction and are excited to back the innovative growth strategy of the combined company.”Music Business Worldwide