School of Rock

About School of Rock

For more than two decades, School of Rock has been teaching kids and adults how to channel their inner rock stars. You may already be familiar with the movie that bears its name. Even if you’re not familiar with the history of the School of Rock the franchise, or School of Rock the Broadway musical, chances are you’ve heard of School of Rock the 2003 movie starring Jack Black.

There is a shared name and a rock ‘n’ roll spirit with the movie, but the music education franchise is also so much more. Traditional music education approaches rarely teach students how to perform with other musicians, focusing instead on teaching music only through one-on-one lessons and private tutoring. The patented School of Rock MethodTM is different. It combines one-on-one instruction with group rehearsals featuring a broad range of instruments with live performances. Students start on their musical journey by learning the songs that inspire them and began their passion for music, be they classic rock music or today’s hits. This integrated SongFirst® approach teaches students techniques and theory while also helping them apply those skills when performing with other musicians. This method results in remarkable musical proficiency.

As an education franchise, School of Rock provides an immense level of satisfaction in seeing young people change their lives through music and embrace their inner rock star, whether they step into the music industry or take their new skills elsewhere.

How does the franchise model work?

It uses a patented SongFirst® and performance-based music education programme. That means it teaches by doing. School of Rock teaches theory by teaching students how to play songs that have that theory in them. That means students are playing faster and playing with other people. In this way, its teaching method is much more along the lines of how you would traditionally teach a language.

School of Rock finds that taking a song-first and performance-based approach causes students to become much more proficient much faster than traditional music lessons and this message is catching on. School of Rock has more than 500 schools open or in development in 15 different countries. It has seen a large increase in desire for its programmes as it has been dealing with the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The franchisor added 20-plus units in both 2020 and 2021, respectively and has reached 50,000 students worldwide and fully expects to reach 100,000 and beyond.

It is currently actively attempting to engage business partners in the UK for a master franchise agreement in which it would award development rights to entire regions (countries, areas) with the understanding that such a partner would develop multiple units within that area. In Europe, School of Rock currently has master franchise agreements in Ireland, Spain, and Portugal with more on the horizon.

What training and support does School of Rock provide?

As with any new business opening, especially in a new country, there are many issues and barriers to work through – legal, cultural, economic, operational, technological, and more. The partnership with the corporate team is supportive and flexible.

School of Rock also offers local market mapping and assessment with CDO; full support with opening the first unit with its NSO (New School Opening) team; access to its global partner manual, which is an extension of its operations manual, that is specific to master franchisees, the resource of dedicated director of operations that supports all international markets and a master franchise training session that takes place after opening the first unit and before sub-franchising begins. This will cover a wide range of topics, including best practices in sub-franchising, operational support and other departments.

What is School of Rock looking for in its franchisees?

Typical traits of a successful franchise partner are, and what School of Rock is looking for can be summarised as follows:
• Strong management skills (and/or an established structure to provide these)
• Strong sales and marketing skills (and/or an established structure to provide these)
• Strong operational management skills (and/or an established structure to provide these)
• Experience in the music industry is a benefit but is not a deal-breaker
• Experience in franchising is also a benefit, but not necessarily a deal-breaker
• Ability to train new unit-level franchisees to build and run a successful business to ensure the greatest return for all parties.

Did you know?

School of Rock has outlets available across the UK

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How much does a franchise cost?

Working capital and net worth depend on the size and scope of the market. Recommended minimum working capital for the master franchise business model is US$1m and net worth of US$3m to US$5m (these amounts will vary up or down depending on the size of development obligation). Qualified master franchise candidates will receive a copy of its latest Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), which is a legal document required in the United States, and includes earnings reported by franchise owners, as well as more detailed information about startup costs and what franchisees get for their initial franchise fee.

The main areas of variable expenditure that create such a wide range of possible costs are:
• Site selection and construction
• Equipment, furnishings and finishings
• Architectural fees
• Additional funds*

*During the first three months of operation, controllable expenses, such as labour, supplies, and direct operating costs, are typically above average for a School of Rock business due to the need for additional staff and training to ensure exceptional service and promotion for the school.

Each master franchisee will require a minimum total investment of US$500,000 (although this can vary greatly by the specific country and size of development obligation). There will also be an ongoing franchise royalty fee and management services fees paid to the franchisor.

What locations or territories is School of Rock looking to operate in?

It is currently looking for franchise opportunities across Europe, including all of the UK.

What are the franchise terms of agreement and renewal?

The master franchise agreement terms are based on the size and scope of development. The sub-franchises for that region are the same schedule as domestic with an initial ten-year term and three five-year options for renewal.

Why is a School of Rock franchise a good investment?

School of Rock has universal appeal throughout the world. With 15 countries currently open or under development, it has embarked on a global growth initiative. The franchisor is searching for well-qualified candidates interested in acquiring the master franchise rights for their countries.

Whether it be the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Japan or Singapore, among others, there is an opportunity for the School of Rock method in your area. It is excited and passionate about its international growth potential and its criteria are simple; if there is a love of rock music and a desire to learn in a group format, then there is a business opportunity for School of Rock. Bring the most revolutionary music education school in the world home to your country.

Franchisees have the opportunity to work from home for some aspects of the business.

How in demand are music education services?

School of Rock creates deep value for its customers. Wherever there are parents who have the desire and resources to invest in their children’s creative growth, School of Rock can prosper.

The global online music education market held a market size of US$130.74m in 2020 and is expected to reach US$421.92m by 2027. The online music education market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 18.4 per cent over the forecast period. School of Rock has seen increasing growth as well with over 40 locations opened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and a student count that has risen to 50,000 worldwide, with a projected growth to 100,000.

How do I start setting up my own franchise?

To request further information about this master franchise opportunity, complete your name and email address in the form below and click on the ‘Request Free Information’ button now.