Bach to Rock franchise
2022 filing · April 27, 2022GrowingShares sales figures
Bach to Rock at a glance
A music school offering lessons, group classes, bands, early childhood classes and camps for children and adults. At the end of 2021 there were 49 Bach to Rock locations in the US, 39 franchised and 10 company-owned.
The business
- Industry
- Education
- Franchisor
- America's Music School LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Current franchisor selling since
- 2011
- 11 years of selling franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Bethesda, Maryland
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $242K–$443K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $40,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of gross sales, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales to the national brand fund, within a 6% advertising obligation
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 49
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 39
- Company-owned
- 10
- Change in 3 years
- +10
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
- States
- 20
- Most in Virginia, California and New York
From America's Music School LLC’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Bach to Rock among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Bach to Rock | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $342,100 | Costs less than 52% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $40,000 | Lower than 46% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 49 | More than 64% of franchises |
How much a Bach to Rock franchise costs
Opening one Bach to Rock costs an estimated $241,700 to $442,500. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($105,200 to $190,000) and initial franchise fee ($40,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $40,000 | ||
| Harmony Gateway License Fee | $5,000 | ||
| Real Estate; Prepaid Rent and Security Deposit | $3,000 | $15,000 | |
| Leasehold improvements | $105,200 | $190,000 | |
| Signage | $4,000 | $15,000 | |
| Furniture and Fixtures | $2,000 | $10,000 | |
| Architectural Plans and Design | $6,000 | $13,000 | |
| Lease Review Fee | $0 | $2,500 | |
| Computer System | $3,000 | $9,000 | |
| Equipment | $15,000 | $25,000 | |
| Insurance Deposits and Premiums | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Travel and living expenses during training | $500 | $5,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $25,000 | ||
| Licenses and permits | $2,000 | $8,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $3,000 | $15,000 | |
| Inventory, Curriculum and Course Materials | $2,000 | $4,000 | |
| Pre-Opening Costs | $4,000 | $16,000 | |
| Additional Funds (3 Months) | $20,000 | $40,000 | |
| Total | $241,700 | $442,500 | |
Source: America's Music School LLC, 2022 filing, page 23
Bach to Rock franchise fee
The franchise fee is $40,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: America's Music School LLC, 2022 filing, page 15
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales to the national brand fund, within a 6% advertising obligation. |
| Technology, Maintenance and Help Desk Fee (Harmony Gateway)™ | Currently $210 per month |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: America's Music School LLC, 2022 filing, pages 16 and 17
Other fees as filed, from page 17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Bach to Rock publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: America's Music School LLC, 2022 filing, page 72
SBA loans to Bach to Rock franchisees
Lenders approved 21 SBA 7(a) loans for Bach to Rock franchisees from 2016 to 2026, $7.42M in all. All 11 that have ended were paid in full; none was charged off. The other 10 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
Growth and closures
Share of franchised locations, 2021 / 2019–2021. Typical means the median: half of brands are above it, half below.
| Measure | Bach to Rock | Typical education brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| GrowthNet change in franchised locations | +11% / +34% | +3.7% / +24% | +1.2% / +10% |
| ClosuresTerminated, not renewed or stopped operating | 2.9% / 3.4% | 2.5% / 16% | 3.9% / 16% |
| Bought backLocations the franchisor took back | 0% / 3.4% | 0% / 0% | 0% / 0% |
Typical education brand is the median of the 88 brands in education franchises with three years of counts.
How Bach to Rock compares
Of the 221 education franchises on this site, Bach to Rock is the 165th cheapest to open and the 53rd largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Bach to Rock | Typical education brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $242K | $120K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $443K | $228K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $42K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 49 | 15 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 148 of 221 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 221 brands in education franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 (+2) | 8 | +2 | 0 |
| 2020 | 35 (+4) | 10 | +5 | −1 |
| 2021 | 39 (+4) | 10 | +5 | −1 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: America's Music School LLC, 2022 filing, page 79
Where Bach to Rock locations are
At the end of 2021, Bach to Rock had locations in 20 states. The most are in Virginia, California and New York.
- Virginia8
- California4
- New York4
- Texas4
- Florida3
- Georgia3
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| California | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| New York | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Texas | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Florida | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Georgia | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Illinois | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Indiana | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Maryland | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| New Jersey | 2 | 0 | 2 |
All 20 states
| North Carolina | 2 |
|---|---|
| Tennessee | 2 |
| Arizona | 1 |
| Connecticut | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
| Minnesota | 1 |
| Oregon | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 1 |
| South Carolina | 1 |
| Washington | 1 |
Source: America's Music School LLC, 2022 filing, page 80
Who owns Bach to Rock?
Bach to Rock franchises are sold by America's Music School LLC. It is a subsidiary of Music Makers Holdings LLC.
From America's Music School LLC’s 2022 filing, page 12.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: America's Music School LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 15, bankruptcy on page 15
Bach to Rock filings
The figures on this page come from America's Music School LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 27, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 27, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
