‘The Market is Getting Crowded’ – Woodwind Mouthpiece Brands Jockey for Position in a Dense Segment of MI

Predictably, as live performance and in-person music instruction began to return to normal starting in 2021, sales of many types of musical accessories soared. With nearly 80 percent (79.7%)of this month’s survey participants reporting an upward or level sales trajectory for woodwind mouthpieces, the trend is clearly holding strong for this segment of MI.

An ongoing influx of newer suppliers is muddying the waters for many dealers and players, according to those we polled and the impact of COVID on school music programs continues to be a challenge for certain regions of the country, but on balance the metrics for mouthpieces are extremely encouraging.

Read on to learn what specific brands, price-points, and materials are driving profits for retailers in 2023.

When compared to this time in 2022, sales of woodwind mouthpieces are…

Up: 61.9%

Down: 20.3%

Level: 17.8%

What types of materials are favored by your customers?

Rubber: 84.3%

Metal: 30%

Plastic: 35.5%

Crystal: 3.3%

Which brands are the top sellers for your store?

Backun: 25.3%

Beechler: 5%

Berg Larson: 5%

BG: 5%

Brihart: 5%

Bugs: 5%

Clark W. Fobes: 24.7%

D’Addario Woodwinds:52.1%

Rousseau: 10.7%

Giardinelli: 5%

J&D Hite: 30%

JodyJazz: 37.7%

Leblanc: 20.5%

Lip Lock: 5%

Meyer: 30%

Otto Link: 20.5%

Rico: 5%

Rovner: 5%

Selmer: 27.5%

Selmer Paris: 30%

Theo Wanne: 15%

Vandoren: 65%

Yamaha: 50.7%

Most sales of woodwind mouthpieces at your store are for…

Clarinet: 14.5%

Saxophone: 21%

Evenly split between clarinet and sax: 64.5%

What are the most popular price ranges for woodwind mouthpieces?

Under $25: 1.8%

$26-$50: 20%

$51-$100: 15.3%

$101-$200: 45%

$201-$300: 15%

$301-$500: 1.8%

Over $500: 5%

Have you been observing any significant trends in this market segment?

“Increased consistency in manufacturing is making life a little easier for store owners. I am getting fewer client requests to try two-to-five of the same mouthpiece.”

Miles DeCastro

North Country Winds

Potsdam, New York

“COVID wrecked many of our local school music programs. While we will always roll with the punches, we have experienced a massive decrease in all band accessory categories. With the exemption of a couple schools, Humboldt County School Music Programs are in serious trouble. We have assisted with some private and charter programs that have worked to make up the difference.”

Anthony Mantova

Mantova’s Two Street Music

Eureka, California

“We are still seeing an uptick in sales on mouthpieces (since 2021) as more players are playing live again in clubs and other venues. High school and college students are also looking to upgrade more often.”

David St. John

Music & Arts

Glendora, California

“The market is getting crowded by new entries. The old guard seems to continue to be the most popular. Meyer and Link are by far the most popular saxophone mouthpieces, Vandoren most popular pro clarinet. The Hite premier line is starting to dominate the student market in my area. Notable mention is the Lip Lock brand that I was recently introduced to. It’s a brilliant new twist on the student woodwind mouthpiece. Teachers LOVE the concept and the playability.”

Ray Noguera

Laconia Music Center

New Hyde Park, New York

“People are still interested in upgrading mouthpieces for their students who take music seriously, but budgets are tight. We’ve had a lot of people interested in intermediate/step up mouthpieces like the Yamaha Custom hard rubber. Those fill the niche between hard plastic mouthpieces for beginners and the nicer/more expensive offerings from Vandoren or D’Addario.”

Ben Salter

Giant Steps Music Corp.

Chattanooga, Tennessee

“The huge rebound last fall in beginning rentals also extended to more experienced players. There was a great demand to play again and a new mouthpiece was often part of that decision. We encourage customers to try them before they buy them and that happens here almost daily. We see no signs of that slowing down.”

Drew Parker

Separk Music

Lewisville, North Carolina

“While a lot of the talk revolves around “paint peelers”, the majority of sales occur in the more classic jazz mouthpieces like Meyer and Otto Link. Even JodyJazz sales lean heavier toward the DV and HR* than Super Jet.”

Mike Boles

Sweetwater Sound

Fort Wayne, Indiana