Guitar Sales and Sheet Music Market Report: Five-Year Analysis
(2020-2025)
Executive Summary
The guitar industry has experienced remarkable growth over the past five years, driven primarily by the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on consumer behavior and the continued expansion of digital music platforms. The US guitar market has seen explosive growth with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34.1% from 2020-2025, while the global guitar market is projected to grow at a more moderate but steady 7.7% CAGR through 2030. In contrast, the sheet music market represents a much smaller segment, valued at approximately $379 million globally in 2024.
US Guitar Market Performance
Market Size and Revenue Growth
The US guitar market has demonstrated exceptional resilience and growth, with market size expanding from $821 million in 2020 to an estimated $3.57 billion in 2025. This represents one of the most dramatic expansions in musical instrument retail history, largely attributed to pandemic-driven lifestyle changes.
Key US Market Milestones:
- 2020: $821 million (21% growth due to early COVID impact)
- 2021: $1.3 billion (60% surge as lockdowns drove home music learning)
- 2023: $1.8 billion (80% growth as market momentum continued)
- 2025: $3.57 billion (projected, representing 76% growth)
Unit Sales and Consumer Trends
US guitar unit sales have remained relatively stable around 2.4-2.6 million guitars annually from 2020-2024, indicating that revenue growth has been driven by premium product sales and higher average selling prices rather than just volume increases. The average guitar price has risen from approximately $353 in 2021 to $433 in 2024.
Consumer Demographics:
- 50% of new and aspirational guitar players are now women, representing a significant shift from the historically male-dominated market
- The 18-24 age group shows the highest purchase rate at 17.5%
- 9.0% of males reported guitar purchases in 2022 compared to the overall average
Global Guitar Market Trends
Market Size and Regional Distribution
The global guitar market was valued at $12.04 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $18.44 billion by 2030, growing at a 7.7% CAGR. The market shows strong regional diversity with different growth patterns across continents.
Regional Market Share (2023-2024):
- North America: 35.7% of global market share, led by strong cultural affinity for guitar-centric music
- Asia Pacific: Largest revenue-generating region with approximately 35% of global total
- Europe: 26.4% market share with strong classical and contemporary music traditions
Product Segment Analysis
Acoustic vs. Electric Guitar Distribution:
- Acoustic guitars: Currently hold 53.7-60.4% of market share, popular for their accessibility and versatility
- Electric guitars: Fastest-growing segment with projected 8.5% CAGR through 2032, driven by rock, metal, and electronic music popularity
Price Segmentation:
- Budget guitars (under $500): Experiencing market saturation due to overproduction
- Mid-range guitars ($500-$1,500): Strongest growth segment
- Premium guitars ($1,500+): Maintaining steady demand despite economic pressures
Sheet Music Market Analysis
Global Market Size and Structure
The global sheet music market represents a much smaller segment of the music industry ecosystem, valued at $378.92 million in 2024. This market is projected to grow modestly to $394.33 million by 2029, representing a minimal 0.02-6.8% CAGR depending on the source methodology
.
Digital Transformation Impact
The sheet music industry has undergone significant digital transformation, with several key trends:
Digital vs. Physical Distribution:
- Digital sheet music now represents a growing share of the market, offering features like transposition, interactive playback, and mobile accessibility
- Paper-based sheet music continues to serve formal educational settings and professional performance environments
- Guitar tablature specifically faces ongoing copyright challenges, with many free online sources being removed at publisher request.
Major Digital Platforms:
- Musicnotes.com: Claims to offer over 500,000 arrangements across all instruments
- Guitar-specific platforms: Include specialized publishers like Guitar Solo Publications (GSP) and various educational content providers
Guitar-Specific Sheet Music Segment
Guitar sheet music represents a specialized subset of the overall sheet music market, with several characteristics:
Market Characteristics:
- Educational focus: Strong demand for guitar method books and instructional materials
- Genre diversity: Coverage spans classical, rock, pop, jazz, and folk arrangements
- Tab notation: Guitar tablature remains popular despite copyright controversies
- Digital integration: Many platforms combine traditional notation with guitar tablature
Distribution Channels:
- Online retailers: Dominate sales through platforms like Musicnotes, Thomann, and specialized guitar sites
- Physical stores: Guitar Center and local music stores maintain sheet music inventory
- Direct-to-consumer: Publishers increasingly sell directly through their websites
Music Publishing Industry Context
Overall Publishing Market Growth
The broader music publishing industry provides important context for sheet music sales, with global revenues reaching $9.03-$12.1 billion in 2023-2024. This sector has shown double-digit growth rates, significantly outpacing physical sheet music sales.
Key Publishing Trends:
- Digital streaming royalties now represent 47.1% of publishing revenues
- Synchronization licensing (TV, film, games) accounts for 20.2% of revenues
- Performance royalties from live venues represent 21.5% of the market
Sheet Music vs. Digital Publishing
Traditional sheet music sales represent only approximately 3% of total music publishing revenues, with the remaining 97% coming from copyright licensing and royalties. This explains the relatively small size of the physical/digital sheet music market compared to the broader publishing ecosystem.
Market Drivers and Challenges
Growth Drivers
Guitar Hardware Market:
- Pandemic-driven hobby adoption: COVID-19 lockdowns drove massive interest in home-based creative activities
- Online learning accessibility: YouTube tutorials and digital learning platforms lowered barriers to entry
- Social media influence: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram increased guitar visibility and aspirational interest
- Demographic diversification: Growing female participation and age range expansion
Sheet Music Market:
- Educational market growth: Increased music education programs in schools and private instruction
- Digital convenience: Mobile apps and interactive features enhance user experience
- Professional demand: Continued need for formal notation in educational and performance settings
Market Challenges
Guitar Hardware Market:
- Supply chain disruptions: COVID-related manufacturing and shipping delays affected availability
- Price inflation: Rising material costs have pushed up guitar prices significantly
- Market saturation: Some price segments, particularly budget guitars, show signs of oversupply
- Economic sensitivity: Guitar purchases are often considered discretionary spending
Sheet Music Market:
- Copyright enforcement: Ongoing battles against free/illegal distribution online
- Digital piracy: Easy copying and sharing of digital scores impacts legitimate sales
- Slow growth: Minimal expansion compared to other music industry segments
- Competition from free sources: Public domain and user-generated content reduces paid demand
Regional Market Analysis
United States
- Largest single market for both guitar hardware and sheet music
- Strong retail infrastructure through Guitar Center, Sam Ash, and independent dealers
- $8.7 billion music publishing market in 2025 provides broader industry context
- Higher average selling prices compared to other global markets
Europe
- Mature market with strong classical music traditions
- Germany, UK, and France lead in both guitar sales and sheet music consumption
- Strong educational market for guitar instruction materials
- Growing electric guitar segment driven by rock and pop music
Asia-Pacific
- Fastest-growing region for guitar sales, led by China, Japan, and South Korea
- Rising middle class with increasing disposable income for musical instruments
- Strong digital adoption for both instrument purchases and sheet music consumption
- Cultural shift toward Western music styles driving guitar adoption
Future Outlook and Projections
Guitar Hardware Market (2025-2030)
- Continued growth at 7.7% CAGR globally through 2030
- Electric guitar segment expected to outpace acoustic guitars
- Premium market expansion as consumers seek higher quality instruments
- Sustainability focus becoming increasingly important in manufacturing
Sheet Music Market (2025-2030)
- Modest growth projected at 0.02-6.8% CAGR, significantly lagging guitar hardware
- Digital transformation continuing with more interactive and mobile-friendly formats
- Educational segment remaining the primary growth driver
- Consolidation likely as market remains fragmented among many small publishers
Technology Impact
- AI and machine learning increasingly used for music recommendation and arrangement
- Augmented reality applications for guitar learning and sheet music display
- Blockchain technology potential for rights management and royalty distribution
Conclusion
The guitar industry has experienced unprecedented growth over the past five years, with the US market expanding over 300% from 2020-2025 and the global market maintaining strong momentum. This growth has been driven by pandemic-induced behavioral changes, demographic diversification, and digital platform accessibility.
In stark contrast, the sheet music market remains a niche segment worth less than 3% of guitar hardware sales globally. While digital transformation is modernizing sheet music distribution and consumption, the market faces ongoing challenges from piracy, free alternatives, and the broader industry shift toward streaming and licensing revenue models.
The 32:1 ratio between guitar hardware and sheet music market sizes in 2024 underscores how the music industry has evolved toward instrument ownership and digital content consumption rather than traditional notation-based learning and performance. This trend is expected to continue through 2030, with guitar hardware maintaining robust growth while sheet music stabilizes as a specialized educational and professional tool.
About The Author
