Electronic Drums & Percussion: Electronic Drums Continue to Appeal to a Niche Market, While Hybrid Kits are Here to Stay

Based on this month’s survey – sent out to over 450 MI retailers, globally – electronic drums & percussion represent a fairly static market segment in 2015.

While more participants indicated sales of these instruments were up this year than down or level (almost 38 percent), it was hardly a slam-dunk.

Trends that were frequently reported include the appeal of these types of drums to younger, intermediate players and the increased prevalence of hybrid (acoustic and electronic) drum kits, across all skill levels and ages.

Additionally, the “quiet factor” continues to be a selling point for electronic drums & percussion, appealing to apartment-dwellers, parents, and others who just can’t have (or don’t want) the volume that comes along with traditional, acoustic kits.

Overall, these instruments seem to be serving an ever-growing number of needs as technology evolves and price-points drop. As Anthony Mantova of Eureka, California’s Mantova’s Music notes: “Electronic drums meet so many different needs, such as keeping the neighbors happy, maintaining controllable volumes in church, and the ease of folding up for storage.  Those benefits span all age groups.”

Compared to this time in 2014, sales of electronic drums & percussion for your store are:

Up: 37.7%

Down: 30.3%

Level: 32%

“Electronic drum sales are up, but acoustic drum sales are way down.”

Chad Clausen
Brass Bell Music Store
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

“It’s a diminishing focus for us.”

Shane Kinney
Drum Center of Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire

“Drums had a rough time in 2014, but this year sales are way up! We hand-built a great drum display that holds up to 16 drum kits, and subsequently drummers have chosen us as the place to go.”

Anthony Mantova
Mantova’s Two Street Music
Eureka, California

What’s the breakdown, percentage-wise, of total drum sales for your operation?

100 percent acoustic: 17%

100 percent electronic: .3%

100 percent hybrid: 1.7%

Close to an even split, across the board: 16.4%

Mostly acoustic: 55.7%

Mostly electronic: 8.5%

Mostly hybrid: .4%

“Even with most high-end [electronic] sets you cant get a natural cymbal sound.”

Dan Patterson
Roger’s Pawn & Music
Fort Payne, Alabama

With respect to these types of instruments, what price points are doing best for your store?

Low-end: 42.3%

Intermediate: 50%

High-end: 7.7%

“The $500 to $1,800 price range is our best seller. Over $3,000 kits are selling at shops that avoid MAP pricing, local sales tax, and [offer] free shipping. Not paying sales tax on an over $3K item saves money!”

George Sigler
Ritchie’s Music Center
Rockaway, New Jersey

What brands of electronic drums and percussion instruments are the strongest sellers for your operation in 2015?

Roland: 60%

Alesis: 4%

Yamaha: 56%

Zildjian: 12%

Korg: 2%

Akai: 1%

Pearl: 9%

2Box: 4%

KAT Percussion: 12%

NFUZD: 2%

ddrum: 4%

Behringer: 8%

Pintech: 4%

“Other” 16% (The most commonly cited “other” brands were, in order: Tama, GIG, Percussion Plus, and Ludwig)

Can you describe the typical customer who purchases electronic drums at your store (age, ability level, et cetera)?

“Extremely mixed, from children to teenagers, to young/older adults – Usually hobbyists.”

Greg Allen
Long Island Drum Center of Nyack
Nyack, New York

“Parents that want to have the headphone hookup and low volume.”

Kurt Gilbert
The Hill Music Co., Inc.
Casper, Wyoming

“Church worship groups, apartment residents, and intermediate drummers who already own an acoustic kit. Ages vary.”

Steve Barone
World of Music
Erie, Pennsylvania

“Many parents buying a first kit for their children.”

Ronn Marriott
Long and McQuade Musical Instruments
Windsor, Ontario
Canada

“Beginners, or intermediate – 20-45.”

Mark Fullerton
Ted Brown Music
Yakima, Washington

“Younger age – 23-28 – Intermediate level of drums.”

George Copeland
North Channel Music
Elliot Lake, Ontario
Canada

“12-50 years old – novice,  intermediate, and semi professional.”

Rob Wilson
Footes Music
London
England

What larger trends have you been noticing in the electronic drums & percussion market?

“We are starting to see an increase in drum set sales, electronic and acoustic, and the price ranges move higher. Signs of an improving economy.”

Mike Guillot
Mississippi Music, Inc.
Flowood, Mississippi

“More church and school sales.”

Terry Nirva
Leithold Music
La Crosse, Wisconsin

“[There are] more percussion students now that they can have quieter drum kits to practice on at home.”

Kathryn Irving
Sound of Music
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Canada

“On a down cycle. Seems like every other year is decent on electronic kits.”

Eric Burgess
Alpha Music
Virginia Beach, Virginia

“Interest in accessory items to augment acoustics. This could be a larger market, but current prices are too high.”

Justin Hoppe
Cadence Music
Rochester, New York

“More hybrid setups are being used, adding a pad or two to the acoustic set seems to be a growing trend.”

Adam York
The Music Store, Inc.
Tulsa, Oklahoma