Musicologie franchise
2026 filing · March 30, 2026GrowingShares sales figures
Musicologie at a glance
A music school offering private and group lessons in instruments and voice. At the end of 2025 there were 13 Musicologie locations in the US, 6 franchised and 7 company-owned, so most are run by the company itself.
The business
- Industry
- Education
- Franchisor
- Musicologie Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- First location
- 2014
- Franchisor based in
- Columbus, Ohio
- Typical size
- 1,200–1,900 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $190K–$387K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $60,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of gross sales, at least $200 a week
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross sales
- Renewal fee
- $2,500
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 13
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 6
- Company-owned
- 7
- Change in 3 years
- +6
- Franchised locations, 2023–2025
- States
- 5
- Most in Ohio, Indiana and Texas
From Musicologie Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Musicologie among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Musicologie | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $288,297 | Costs less than 58% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $60,000 | Higher than 88% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 13 | Fewer than 57% of franchises |
How much a Musicologie franchise costs
Opening one Musicologie costs an estimated $190,081 to $386,513. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are leasehold improvements ($37,500 to $165,000) and initial franchise fee ($60,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $60,000 | ||
| Rent – 1 Month | $2,106 | $6,388 | |
| Security Deposits | $2,550 | $12,000 | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $37,500 | $165,000 | |
| Architect/Project Management | $12,500 | $30,000 | |
| Instruments & Accessories | $8,500 | $10,000 | |
| Curricula | $4,300 | $6,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment | $11,000 | $15,000 | |
| Market Introduction | $20,000 | ||
| Insurance | $1,125 | $2,125 | |
| Signage | $7,500 | $12,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Professional Support | $5,000 | $10,000 | |
| Permits and Licenses | $1,000 | $3,000 | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months | $15,000 | $30,000 | |
| Total | $190,081 | $386,513 | |
Source: Musicologie Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 20
Musicologie franchise fee
The franchise fee is $60,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Musicologie Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 13
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales, at least $200 a week. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross sales. |
| Software Fee | $800 per month |
| Transfer Fee | $5,000, unless reduced to $1,000 |
| Renewal Fee | $2,500 |
| Transferee Training Fee | $5,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Musicologie Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 15–17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Musicologie publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Musicologie Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 50
SBA loans to Musicologie franchisees
Lenders approved 7 SBA 7(a) loans for Musicologie franchisees in 2026, $2.33M in all. None has been paid off or charged off 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
How Musicologie compares
Of the 221 education franchises on this site, Musicologie is the 146th cheapest to open and the 109th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Musicologie | Typical education brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $190K | $120K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $387K | $228K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $60K | $42K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| US locations | 13 | 15 | 21 |
| Closed or left per year | 0% | 3.7% | – |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 6 | – | – |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 6 | – | – |
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 (+2) | 6 | +2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 6 (+4) | 7 | +4 | 0 |
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.
Musicologie passes four of the five tests on our list of the best franchises to own; it had fewer than 100 US locations three years ago.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Over 5 years, from the start of 2021 to the end of 2025, franchised locations went from 0 to 6 (+6). The earlier years come from the brand's 2024 filing.
Source: Musicologie Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 59
2021–2022: Musicologie Franchising, LLC, 2024 filing, page 63
Where Musicologie locations are
At the end of 2025, Musicologie had locations in 5 states. The most are in Ohio, Indiana and Texas.
- Ohio7
- Indiana2
- Texas2
- Connecticut1
- Tennessee1
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 2 | 5 | 7 |
| Indiana | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Texas | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Connecticut | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Source: Musicologie Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, page 60
Who owns Musicologie?
Musicologie franchises are sold by Musicologie Franchising, LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From Musicologie Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, page 10.
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: Musicologie Franchising, LLC, 2026 filing, litigation on page 13, bankruptcy on page 13
Musicologie filings
A franchisor files a new disclosure each year it sells franchises. The figures on this page come from Musicologie Franchising, LLC’s 2026 filing, issued March 30, 2026; the earlier ones below are on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce and fill in older location counts.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | March 30, 2026 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
| 2024 filing | – | Minnesota | Locations, 2021–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
