Hal Leonard and Ultimate Guitar

[Stratcat77]

https://youtu.be/JIYMTUY4oLg?si=3GOXyhAvHVzSpvQH

My friend Larry Morton interviewed on the merger.

Interesting merger of the worlds biggest sheet music producer with the big tab website.

[fpuhan]

This should be an interesting merger. I can see how it makes sense to both parties.

To be clear, and based on my own experiences with "mergers," this is really an acquisition of Hal Leonard by the Muse Group, which not only owns Ultimate Guitar, but MuseScore and Audacity (both of which are offered as freeware). With Hal Leonard's licensing of notable artists' catalogs, this portends to be a powerhouse in music publishing and transcription.

https://www.halleonard.com/bin/CatMusegrouppr2023.pdf

[Talk2Me]

Originally Posted by fpuhan

This should be an interesting merger. I can see how it makes sense to both parties.

To be clear, and based on my own experiences with "mergers," this is really an acquisition of Hal Leonard by the Muse Group, which not only owns Ultimate Guitar, but MuseScore and Audacity (both of which are offered as freeware). With Hal Leonard's licensing of notable artists' catalogs, this portends to be a powerhouse in music publishing and transcription.

https://www.halleonard.com/bin/CatMusegrouppr2023.pdf

I tend to agree. Here's the official word:
https://www.halleonard.com/viewpress...eleaseid=11683

[Stratcat77]

Yeah, I went through a "merger" when I worked for a company that was acquired back in 2007. Fortunately for me, that gave me an opportunity to be part of a group starting a new company.

I've had the pleasure of getting to know Larry Morton, the CEO of Hal Leonard over the part few months. He's friends with some people who follow my duo and has come out to hear us a few times. Great guy.

[fpuhan]

Originally Posted by Stratcat77

Yeah, I went through a "merger" when I worked for a company that was acquired back in 2007. Fortunately for me, that gave me an opportunity to be part of a group starting a new company.

Welcome to my world. I've told people that I've only had one job over the past 40+ years, but the logo on the building must have been held in place by Velcro.

[Silly Moustache]

So, as a keen user and content creator on YouTube, my un-monetised content is frequently ruined by inane ads, and also ads for other commercial so called guitar teachers.

As a keen user of Ultimate guitar for lyrics and chord progressions, this sounds to me as if U.G, might be going the same way.

I have never used or owned any books by Hal Leonard.

[Glennwillow]

Very interesting, Marty.

I watched and enjoyed the video and found the discussion fascinating. I use both Ultimate Guitar and Hal Leonard very often. I will be interested to see how this acquisition takes shape in the future.

- Glenn

[Medford Guitar]

I subscribe to UG. Comes in very handy at times.

[Talk2Me]

Originally Posted by Medford Guitar

I subscribe to UG. Comes in very handy at times.

I expect your subscription price will rise come next renewal. Just a suspicion.

[beninma]

I have a grandfathered in lifetime subscription to UG. I only had to pay once.. we are talking about a vastly, vastly better deal than what people get now.

I would imagine that is going to go away now.

There's a very interesting thing going on here where you now have a combination company that has valid scores/tabs that they have proper copyrights on, along with crowdsourced sometimes poor quality materials that users generated for them for free.

I have never actually transcribed anything and put it on there. I'm not very good at transcription. But I'm not sure how I'd feel about putting a transcription up there and they get to make money off my work. Maybe if they gave you some kind of credit for doing it?

I of course have bought plenty of Hal Leonard books. If something changes and UG wants $5-10 a month like so many other online services I will cancel in a hurry I think. It's a pretty useful service but I'm not sure it's worth that to read someone else's tab/chord sheet.

[Talk2Me]

Originally Posted by beninma

I have a grandfathered in lifetime subscription to UG. I only had to pay once.. we are talking about a vastly, vastly better deal than what people get now.

I would imagine that is going to go away now.

There's a very interesting thing going on here where you now have a combination company that has valid scores/tabs that they have proper copyrights on, along with crowdsourced sometimes poor quality materials that users generated for them for free.

I have never actually transcribed anything and put it on there. I'm not very good at transcription. But I'm not sure how I'd feel about putting a transcription up there and they get to make money off my work. Maybe if they gave you some kind of credit for doing it?

I of course have bought plenty of Hal Leonard books. If something changes and UG wants $5-10 a month like so many other online services I will cancel in a hurry I think. It's a pretty useful service but I'm not sure it's worth that to read someone else's tab/chord sheet.

Lifetime subs were killed off years ago by UG. They already have "pro"/"official" versions on the tabs now for paying subscribers so you don't have to sift through the debris of other people's tabs (for better or worse). I'm very curious to see what the merger does with your lifetime sub though so please update here if they make any changes. As to the monthly pricing....no idea but right now they're saying an annual sub is $99 (absent the ever present - until now - sales discount). Only time will tell what they decide to charge post-merger (and if they'll still offer "someone else's tabs" for free).

[rstaight]

I was going through some of my old guitar music and lesson books. Hal Leonard was the books that my guitar teacher started me with.