Francisco Partners exits Muse Group (Audacity, Hal Leonard, MuseScore)

Francisco Partners, the private equity firm, is now exiting Muse Group amid 2026’s financial maneuvers. Muse Group is the Cyprus-based conglomerate that owns the publishing giant Hal Leonard, audio editor Audacity, notation software MuseScore and StaffPad, and the online platform Ultimate Guitar.

Muse Group to “partner” with music publishing giant Hal Leonard

Music consolidation continues – even beyond what we might have imagined. Hal Leonard is “joining” software maker Muse Group in a “partnership” (read: merger, but with separate operations, they say). Private equity giant Francisco Partners, the same company behind the NI – Plugin Alliance – iZotope conglomerate, is providing the investment.

Peter Kirn - December 4, 2023

Avid, makers of Pro Tools, Media Composer, Sibelius, will go to private equity

As expected, media tech giant Avid is ending its life as a NASDAQ-listed public company and selling to private equity, in a $1.4 billion all-cash acquisition by STG.

Peter Kirn - August 10, 2023