Hal Leonard and Schott Music expand songbook publishing partnership
Hal Leonard and Schott Music have expanded their long-standing collaboration with a new strategic publishing partnership for songbooks in German-speaking markets.
The agreement will see the two companies jointly publish new editions of existing titles as well as newly developed songbooks in print and digital formats. Schott Music will take on exclusive distribution for the joint publications, combining its local market expertise with Hal Leonard’s catalogue and print rights portfolio.
The partnership is intended to increase access to popular songbooks for musicians, educators and retailers across German-speaking territories, while supporting both companies’ wider commitment to music education and active music-making.
Louise Unsworth, Global Head of Publishing Strategy and Partnerships at Hal Leonard / Muse Group, said the partnership reflected ‘both companies’ shared commitment to expanding access to music-making and supporting music education, while maximising catalogue value and broadening the availability of repertoire for new audiences and markets’.
Nico Schellhammer, Head of Business Development at Schott Music, said the collaboration brought together ‘an exceptionally broad repertoire and excellent local market expertise’, enabling the companies to reach musicians in German-speaking markets more effectively through high-quality print editions and an increasing digital offer.
Popular series including Top 100 Hit Collection and Easy Charts will continue under the partnership, with new concepts also being developed for German-speaking markets.
The first publication in the expanded collaboration is Das Fetenbuch für Klavier by Sebastian Müller. The new volume features 100 easy-to-play songs for voice and piano, spanning pop, rock, German hits and folk music, and is designed for music-making across generations. It will be available from music retailers from mid-July.