The musical instruments market - France

The musical instruments market encompasses all types of instruments (strings, wind instruments, percussion instruments, etc.), related accessories (strings, mouthpieces, cases, etc.), as well as the various services offered by the industry's professionals (maintenance, repair, restoration, rental, etc.). Worldwide, the sector is doing well, with estimated annual growth of 3.5% over the period 2023-2030. Music remains an attractive sector, with rising or constant demand in Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe. In France, the industry is going through a more turbulent period. While the French are attached to music, only 16% play an instrument, the majority of which are based around the piano or guitar. Playing declines with age: while 18% of the under-25s play from time to time, the proportion drops to less than 8% of the over-45s. Distributors are suffering from competition from e-commerce and rising fixed costs, while manufacturers are struggling to differentiate themselves outside the high-end segment. Their top-quality instruments are recognized internationally and export well, but the low and mid-range segments are now in the hands of foreign producers, notably Asian: barely 2% of instruments sold new in France were manufactured in the country. The sector is therefore fragile, especially asit remains highly fragmented: the vast majority of the 2,900 companies active in the field have no employees and operate on a small scale. 88% of companies also specialize in a single type of instrument. Despite this delicate context, opportunities do exist. The difficulties faced by certain players, for example, offer opportunities for acquisition and external growth. While top-of-the-range instruments remain a safe bet for French manufacturers to expand abroad, second-hand instruments are gaining in importance: they already account for a third of annual sales in France, i.e. 500,000 instruments out of a total of 1.5 million, and the emergence of specific platforms and offers is likely to boost this segment a little further. Ecological concerns could also trigger a relocalization movement, as could increased support from the State and local authorities, via public procurement.