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

Dorico 4 is finally engraving-level notation with MIDI editing powers, in a single tool

As Steinberg’s Dorico 4 matures, at last, we’re seeing a single, elegant tool that produces engraver-quality scores, but also the editing powers you expect from computer music.

Peter Kirn - January 14, 2022

‘R is for Roland’ is Coffee Table Pr0n For Synth Lovers

Peter Kirn - May 6, 2015

The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Google Music Contract?

- June 25, 2014

The Natural World, in Code: Dan Shiffman Talks Genetic Algorithms

Peter Kirn - May 28, 2013

A Handmade Children’s Book, a 7″ Vinyl Record, and Tangible, Handmade Music

Peter Kirn - November 17, 2011

Google's Video Play Could Finally Open Up Video on the Web; The Key – Choice

Peter Kirn - April 22, 2010

Magazine Cover Opens Imagined Worlds: Augmented Reality Publishing, Free Code

Peter Kirn - March 12, 2010