Home Sweet Some: Home Digital Keyboards Driving the Market in 2016

Time was, nearly every family had – or aimed to have – a piano in the living-room. Upright, baby grand, or grand – it didn’t matter, so long as there was a keyboard that the adults could play for sing- alongs during dinner parties and holiday gatherings, and which the kids could practice their weekly piano lessons on.

It’s no question that the piano no longer holds quite as prominent a position in modern-day culture (just wait, though – it’ll come around. Everything does…), but home digital keyboards offer a powerful and appealing alternative for homes that may be a little tight on available square footage or families on a budget that doesn’t happily accommodate more expensive acoustic consoles.

We recently touched base with a few of the bigger names in this market segment to get a feel for what’s good, what’s challenging, and what’s on the horizon for home digital pianos & keyboards…

For your brand, specifically, how are sales of home digital keyboards, compared to this same time in 2015?

Tom Love: Sales are very steady this year compared to last year. Our established core models, the CN, CA and CP Series, are performing well in a very competitive market. In the under $1,500 market, we’re doing very well with the ES100 and KDP90 models. And our high end digitals ($3,000 and higher) are doing remarkably well, given the price range.

Mike Martin: Many of our products are equally suited for both situations but the majority of growth is in products that are used in the home. Products like our Privia PX-160 and our CGP-700 are perfect for the family and that would be our most typical user. There are a percentage of users that seek our great keyboard action and portability they are also used on the stage. Another segment entirely is our Celviano Grand Hybrid which brings the best in piano technology, performance, and keyboard action as well as an elegant look to the home and this has been a dramatic area of growth for Casio.

Antonio Ferranti: 2016 has been a tremendous year for Roland Pianos. We are enjoying excellent sales growth in our piano division, compared to this time last year, and are exceeding even our own forecasts.

James Sajeva: Unit and net sales have increased from STLY. That includes all of our B1, LP, and SP models(we’ll keep SV1 strictly classified as a “stage piano” here, even though it does get used in the home often).

Dane Madsen: Calendar year-to-date, our Home Digital Keyboards sell-through data shows that the MI channel is up three percent over 2015 and that Yamaha is well over that trend so we’re happy with that figure.

Have you been noticing any emerging trends with these types of consoles – technological developments, materials used, size or style preferred by end-users, et cetera?

AF: At Roland we pride ourselves on always being at the cutting edge of technology and development. We are a company known for “firsts.” In late 2015, we were the first brand to introduce onboard Bluetooth Audio, MIDI, and PageTurn technology in our pianos. The ability to connect our pianos with popular mobile devices has created new opportunities for unique solutions in both private and classroom teaching settings as well as live performance.

JS: As with any technology, consumers can get a lot more in a digital piano for a lot less than they’d have spent only a few years ago. Action, sound quality, increased PCM memory to drive that sound and speaker wattage are all improving at all price points. Various forms of tablet integration – both wired and wireless – are also sure to increase to provide access to the exponentially-increasing availability of music creating and teaching apps

DM: Design-wise, North Americans still prefer digital pianos that emulate the acoustic pianos in design and color. The slimmer, space-saving cabinets with lighter finishes, while popular overseas, have never achieved double-digit share in the U.S. Every manufacturer offers them, but they’re mainly produced for other markets. All that said, we’re selling more each year… just not that many more. Technologically, customers are interested in connecting their mobile devices to anything digital in their lives. However, many aren’t sure why or what music apps can do for them yet. Right now, it’s up to manufacturers to show how the user experience can be enhanced on their products with apps on a mobile device.

MM: Casio made a significant impact in the digital piano category last year with the release of our Celviano Grand Hybrid. Thanks to our collaboration with C. Bechstein we’re able to deliver a digital piano that actually has a grand piano action in it complete with full length wooden keys. When customers play our Grand Hybrid the technological achievement is clear. At the same time Casio has released three digital pianos including our CGP- 700 that have color touch screens. This brings the ease of use that customers expect from their phones and other devices to the musical world where they can explore hundreds of sounds, rhythms, song writing capabilities and more.

TL: There are lots of new developments in this product segment, not only from Kawai, but from notable competitors as well. It’s quite interesting. As for Kawai, our Hybrid instruments continue to surge, especially the CA95 and CS11 models with their innovative Soundboard Speaker Systems.

How would you describe the demographic of the typical purchaser of a home digital keyboard in 2016?

DM: Yamaha sells digital pianos with MSRPs ranging from far below $1,000 to well-above $15,000 so there’s a model for every type of customer at any income. Many of today’s entry digital piano buyers were shopping for portable keyboards as little as 10 years ago. So we’re seeing that shift as digital piano price points are lower on average today compared to that time period. Today’s portable keyboard customer is often a gift buyer for a child, entry level digital pianos are going to families ready to take piano lessons more seriously, while high-end Clavinova digitals pianos are being purchased by higher-income homeowners ready to double down on their family’s musical investment.

JS: From a certain perspective, there really is no “type” when it comes to home digital piano consumers. Piano is such a universal instrument; an instrument that all ages and levels gravitate towards. Students, hobbyists, and professional players exist all ages. Supporting this on the more granular level, when we look at who’s registering pianos, who calls about them, or who’s looking at them when we’re visiting retail, it’s 20 – 70.

TL: Our “home” digital piano lineup spans a huge price range, from below $1000.00 to over $20,000.00. Thus, there is a tremendous variety of customer groups and demographics. It ranges from the quality-minded entry level buyer, to the value-minded mid-range buyer, to the luxury buyer. Sprinkled in are what I call “power user” hobbyists, plus educational institutions, churches, and professional pianists who need a digital in their apartment or condo for practicing at home.

AF: The love of piano and the desire to learn to play has no limitations of age, income, or gender. Our dealer network reports growth in all of the traditional consumer demographics, from families with young children to adults following their life-long dream of playing piano.

MM: Generally speaking the typical purchaser is male, college educated, married with children in their mid 30s.

What is your brands’ top-selling model?

MM: The Privia PX-160 is Casio’s best selling digital piano.

TL: Unit wise, our CN35 is our top seller. Surprisingly, this is not our least expensive model; not by a long shot. But this model has an incredible feature set for a mid-priced instrument. Customers become aware of Kawai through our entry- level offerings, then gravitate to the higher quality CN25. By then, they have already purchased “a ticket into the club”. Then they see that for only a little more money, they can get into the “VIP section.”

AF: Since its release, our flagship Roland LX-17 premium upright piano has been our top seller. It continues to exceed every ambitious expectation we have set, and we are challenged to keep up with the demand for this incredible instrument. Additionally, our anything-but-entry- level Roland FP-30 has kept a blistering sales pace since its release at Winter NAMM, where it won several awards.

JS: Our B1 slab and B1SP version with stand and three pedals have been doing extremely well for us since launch.

DM: The biggest dollar generators for Yamaha (and the MI Channel) are the P-115 at the lower end and the Clavinova CLP-545 at the higher-end.

Do you have any new or upcoming product introductions in this category you’d like to share with our readers?

AF: Absolutely! Roland is full speed ahead releasing the very best digital pianos for every segment of the piano market (portable, console, upright, and grand). In the grand piano market, our new GP607 combines the best of our flagship technologies with an industry-best 10-year warranty for parts and labor and a beautiful compact design that will appeal to every budget. In the portable market, look for our new FP-90 which combines our flagship technologies (modeling sound engine, hybrid wood & ivory-feel keys, and Bluetooth technology) with stage-friendly onboard mixer sliders and mic inputs. In console pianos, our RP-series, which won MMR’s 2015 “Home Digital Piano Line of the Year,” will expand with the RP501R, and an all new DP603 combines the beloved flagship technologies found in our HP-series in a best-in-class compact design that will fit any space.

TL: We’re working on new ideas and new models all the time. We talk to our development partners in Japan and Europe virtually on a daily basis. All I can say now is, stay tuned for 2017.

DM: We’re offering a new, low-price point just for the holiday period. The Arius YDP-103 is designed to give customers who are considering a lower-cost competitor a reason to step up to Yamaha.

JS: In addition to the new B1/B1SP, we’ve also released a limited edition LP-380 in a Rosewood grain black finish. Beyond those, suffice to say that Korg remains deeply invested in the digital piano category and development of new pianos is ongoing.

MM: We had 11 product introductions in 2015 and several more in 2016. I can’t say much about future products announcements at the time but Casio’s momentum won’t be slowing down.

Lastly, what are your expectations for the home digital piano & keyboard market in the coming months?

DM: All signs are pointing to steady growth in this category. Piano is still a popular choice of instrument when a family decides to start getting children into lessons. And even as traditional as American piano buyers and teachers have been in the past, the future is clearly digital and sales trends are reflecting this fact.

JS: If the market stays on the trajectory it’s been on over the last few years, we should see a continued shift toward lower-cost slabs and consoles, with increasing unit sales at those price points.

MM: I think this market will continue to grow as it has been for the last several year. The entry 88-key digital piano market is very strong and Casio is a leader in this area. The higher end of the digital piano market will also be growing. Products like our Grand Hybrid offer a solution that is very compelling over a new or used upright acoustic piano.

TL: This product segment is very mature, but innovation and new technology are beginning to stir the pot. This is a good thing, I believe. I expect to continue to see manufacturers, including Kawai, introduce new technologies and concepts in an effort to move the market in their favor.

AF: Since the announcement of four new pianos during “The Future. Redefined.” our global launch event on September 9 (#909day)), we have received an outpouring of congratulations and positive feedback. The early demand and pre-orders for our brand-new instruments has been “grand,” and we expect further sales growth and market expansion.