Every Fall, Summer, and Winter “Billion Dollar Startup Ideas” hires interns to build ideas from the blog as MVPs, conduct industry research, and write their own blog posts. This blog post is an excerpt from that series.
Problem: Every hobbyist or professional struggles with something or the other. Musicians, especially those learning new instruments or trying to expand their repertoire, often struggle to find sheet music that matches their skill level, interests, and specific instrument. Having a large repertoire is often a requirement for auditions with professional groups. This can result in frustration, lack of progress, and diminished enjoyment of playing music. What contributes to this frustration is that levels of difficulty are not standardized across music companies, meaning musicians have to put more effort into finding music suitable for themselves. For example in Canada, piano music publishers have different difficulty rating systems (link from bottom), including rangers from 1-3, 1-6, 1-10.
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Solution: This business would provide a monthly subscription box that delivers personalized sheet music tailored to the subscriber's skill level, musical interests, and specific instrument. Each box will include high-quality, curated sheet music, along with additional resources to enhance the learning and playing experience. In order to determine music suitable for each individual, an artificial intelligence model can be provided with the customer’s preferences.
Assuming a monthly subscription model, subscribers can expect to receive carefully selected sheet music that matches their preferences and abilities. The service will use advanced algorithms and expert curation to ensure each box is perfectly suited to the subscriber's needs, keeping them engaged and motivated.
This model is not entirely new. In fact, this business model of monthly subscription boxes is nowhere near original. Its value comes from a lack of competitors in a similar space. Similar subscription services exist for various interests, but applying this concept to personalized sheet music offers unique value for musicians. Bespoke posts, which sells subscription boxes based on personal interests, currently has revenue of 20.9 million dollars.
So let’s go through some of the facts:
Musicians need music that matches their skill level to avoid frustration and encourage progress.
Personal preferences in musical genres and composers are important for maintaining interest and motivation.
Specific arrangements for different instruments ensure that musicians receive music that is suitable and enjoyable to play.
To become a "billion dollar startup," this personalized sheet music subscription service would need to attract a large and loyal subscriber base. The primary target audience includes individuals aged 12-45, ranging from students and hobbyists to semi-professional musicians. This audience spans beginners to advanced players seeking to enhance their repertoire and skills across various genres.The service would offer various types of boxes, including a Beginner Box with simplified pieces to help new musicians build foundational skills, an Intermediate Box with more challenging compositions for skill development, and an Advanced Box with complex pieces for experienced musicians to master. Additionally, Genre-Specific Boxes focusing on specific genres like classical, jazz, or pop, and Instrument-Specific Boxes customized for instruments like piano, violin, guitar, and flute, would be available.
The social component of the service could include a Music Box Community with an interactive forum and chat room for subscribers to discuss music and share experiences. Collaboration opportunities would enable subscribers to find duet partners or ensemble groups to play the pieces together. Monthly webinars hosted by professional musicians and educators would provide techniques, feedback, and answers to subscribers' questions.
By offering a personalized sheet music subscription box, this business can cater to the unique needs of musicians at various skill levels and with diverse musical interests. The combination of curated sheet music, tailored learning resources, and a supportive online community creates a comprehensive and enjoyable learning experience. This service not only simplifies the process of finding appropriate music but also fosters a deeper connection to the art of playing an instrument, ultimately helping musicians of all levels to thrive and grow.By providing exceptional value and continuously improving the service through customer feedback and technological advancements, this goal could be achieved over time.
Monetization: Monthly subscription fee, with different boxes having different fees. The most basic box would have the highest cost per piece, approximately $10, but having few enough pieces that the total price would remain under $30. As boxes increase in complexity or skill level, add more pieces while offering a slight discount on the per piece price.
Contributed by: Michael Bervell (Billion Dollar Startup Ideas)