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Wise Music Group

Logo: Copyright101, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons4

Global music publisher

Wise Music Group is a global music publisher, with headquarters in Berners Street, London. Robert ("Bob") Wise, an American based in Britain, founded The Music Sales Group as a printed sheet music specialist and copyright acquisition company in the early 1970s. Its headquarters was in London.2 It was founded by Robert Wise.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1972Founded1
  • Industrymusic publishing1
  • HeadquartersLondon1
  • Websitewww.musicsales.com
  • Legal formPrivate Limited Company3
  • LEI213800UDI14B6TAG2K613
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusLapsed (not renewed)3
  • Registered address14-15 BERNERS STREET, W1T 3LJ London, United Kingdom3
  • Registered withCompanies House, 008844493

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Wise Music Group is a global music publisher, with headquarters in Berners Street, London. Robert ("Bob") Wise, an American based in Britain, founded The Music Sales Group as a printed sheet music specialist and copyright acquisition company in the early 1970s. Its headquarters was in London. His sons Tomas Wise (CEO, Wise Music USA) and Marcus Wise (Group Head of Media) are also involved in the business. In February 2020 the company changed its name to Wise Music Group.2

Corporate structure

Wise Music Group sits at the top of its group. 5 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • Wise Music Group London, United Kingdom

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Founded by Robert Wise in 1972.1

Leadership

Who has led Wise Music Group, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Subsidiaries and ownership

Subsidiaries

From Wikidata.1

Acquisitions

In 1999, Music Sales Group acquired Margun Music and Gun-Mar from Gunther Schuller.

In 2014, Wise Music Group (as The Music Sales Group) acquired French classical music publisher Éditions Alphonse Leduc. Éditions Alphonse Leduc publishes classical music by French composers including Jacques Ibert, Henri Dutilleux, Olivier Messiaen, Francis Poulenc, and Joseph Canteloube. It also publishes operatic works by Italian composers Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, and works by Muzio Clémenti, Johannes Brahms, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

In March 2017, The Music Sales Group acquired disco publisher Bleu Blanc Rouge from Belgian record producer and songwriter Jean Kluger. In April 2018, Music Sales sold its physical and online print divisions, including Musicroom, to Milwaukee-based publisher Hal Leonard for $50 million. Hal Leonard will continue to distribute Wise Music's publishing catalogue worldwide.

In April 2023, Wise Music Group acquired a controlling interest in Edition Peters Group, a publishing house founded in Leipzig in 1800. Shortly after, Faber Music announced an agreement between Wise Music Group and them for the printed music business, making Faber Music the worldwide representative of the entire sales catalogue of Edition Peters.

Read the full text

Wise Music's catalogue of music includes classic hit singles such as "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell, "My Sharona" by The Knack, and "The Twist" by Chubby Checker, among others.

Chester Music

Chester Music is a British publisher of printed music specializing in classical composition and educational music of the 20th and 21st centuries. J & W Chester Ltd was founded in the 1860s in Brighton, Sussex by Joseph and William Chester. It became important for promoting modernist composers. For example, it was the publisher of works by Manuel de Falla.

MusicFirst

MusicFirst is the Digital Education Division of Wise Music Group, specializing in educational music software. In 2025 Wise Music Group sold its digital education division to Achieve Partners.

Novello & Co

Novello & Co is a London-based printed music publishing company specializing in classical music, particularly choral repertoire. It was founded in 1811 by Vincent Novello. August Jaeger of the firm was a friend of Edward Elgar. It was acquired by Robert Wise (Wise Music Group) in 1993 for £2.5m.

Schirmer Theatrical

Schirmer Theatrical is Wise Music Group's concert and theatrical production company, specializing in film with live orchestra and high-end non-classical symphonic concerts.

From Wikipedia’s article on Wise Music Group, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Former names

  • The Music Sales Groupuntil Feb 20201

Timeline

  1. 1972Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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