Music Go Round Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $335K – $444K
- Disclosed sales
- $1.6M
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 23.3%
- on 49 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Music Go Round is a retail franchise that buys, sells, and trades new and used musical instruments and gear. Franchisees run the stores, managing used-inventory buying, resale, and customer service.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Music Go Round franchise requires a total initial investment of $335K – $444K, including a $15K – $25K franchise fee and an ongoing 4.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $1.6M[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 23.3% charge-off rate across 49 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored7 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $335K – $444K
- 37th pct Retail
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- 17th pct Retail
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- 3rd pct Retail
- Units
- 35
- 16th pct Retail
- SBA charge-off
- 23.3%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Retail · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Retail median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $335K – $444K including a $25K franchise fee, 4.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $1.6M/year (median $1.4M), with an estimated 21% cash-on-cash return (based on Operating Income(9) $146,957).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 23.3% across 49 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHPositive: net +1 franchised outlets in the latest year (3 opened, 2 closed) (Item 20).
- FLAG4 units terminated last reporting year (11.4% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Winmark Corporation
- CEO title
- Chair of the Board, Director and Chief Executive Officer
- Brett D. Heffes
- Incorporated in
- MN
- HQ
- 605 Highway 169 N, Suite 400, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55441
- Auditor
- Grant Thornton LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $86.1M
- vs $81.3M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Brett D. Heffes
- Headquarters
- MN
- Founded
- 1988
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 19
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 16% above the typical retail franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown12 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Feenot refundable | $25K | $25K | |
| Fixtures and Supplies | $25K | $35K | |
| Signs | $11K | $16K | |
| Security System and/or Cameras | $2K | $4K | |
| Point-of-Sale (POS) Systemnot refundable | $19K | $23K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $9K | $11K | |
| Build-Out | $35K | $55K | |
| Deposits and Business Licenses | $5K | $15K | |
| Opening Inventory | $110K | $130K | |
| Miscellaneous Pre-Opening Expenses | $35K | $50K | |
| Rent - First 3 Months | $20K | $30K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 Months | $40K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $335K | $444K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $335K – $444K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $40K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $15K – $25K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 4.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 0.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 7.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
- Payback period
- 4.8 yrs
- From FDD / Item 19
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 0.0% |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Transfer fee | $10K |
| Renewal fee | $10K |
| Inventory (initial) | $110K – $130K |
| Total fee load | 7.0% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 97% above the retail norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Music Go Round until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$435K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
FDD-reported earnings
The FDD reports $147K as Operating Income(9) $146,957. This is a disclosed figure, not our estimate — we publish no modelled profit for Music Go Round.
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Music Go Round unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $1.6M
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $1.4M
- Avg operating income(9) $146,957
- $147K
- Reported as Operating Income(9) $146,957 in FDD Item 19
- Cash-on-cash
- 20.8%
- Based on Operating Income(9) $146,957 / investment midpoint
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales and gross profit
- Sample size
- 31 outlets
- vs category median 46
- Range (low → high)
- $260K→$3.7MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 44 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Quartile band
- $645K→$2.9M
- Bottom 25% → top 25%
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 10 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 278 Retail brands
Revenue is 4.1x the investment midpoint. At typical franchise margins, this suggests a payback under 3 years.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $1.6M/year in gross sales. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 4.1x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 7.0% (near the Retail median).
Disclosure
Transparency score 10/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System contracting at -5.4% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Retail medians
How Music Go Round Compares
Category median of published Retail brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 35
- Opened
- 3
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 2
- Terminated
- 4
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 1
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 14.3%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +2.9%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -5.4%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 4
- Not renewed
- 1
- Transferred
- 2
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Projected new
- 3
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 19 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
38 current owners across 21 states.
- MN 5
- OH 5
- CO 4
- CA 2
- MI 2
- MO 2
- NC 2
- PA 2
- WI 2
- BC 1
- FL 1
- GA 1
- +9 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20; 5 entries carry no state. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 49
- Loan volume
- $10.7M
- Median loan
- $140K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 23.3%
- on 49 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 76.7%
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 32
- Defaults
- 10
- Typical loan rate
- 6.6%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 18.0%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 276
- 2.6 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 12%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 22% went to startups / new businesses, 78% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in musical instrument and supplies stores, franchised businesses charge off at 18.0% vs 15.9% for independents — franchising is associated with 13% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Music Go Round charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Music Go Round franchisees
Showing 3 of 32 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Music Go Round from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 9.7%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 72%
- Avg interest rate
- 6.56%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $103K
- Lender concentration
- 12.2%
- Job velocity
- 2.6 per $100K
- NAICS benchmark
- 23.3%
- NAICS 451140
- Jobs supported
- 276
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 12% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Huntington National Bank | 6 | $2.5M | 0.0% |
| 2 | PNC Bank, National Association | 4 | $1.1M | 0.0% |
| 3 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 3 | $392K | 66.7% |
| 4 | Old National Bank | 3 | $413K | 33.3% |
| 5 | Fifth Third Bank | 2 | $255K | 100.0% |
| 6 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company | 2 | $92K | 0.0% |
| 7 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 2 | $280K | 100.0% |
| 8 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 2 | $200K | 0.0% |
| 9 | Guardian CU | 2 | $550K | 0.0% |
| 10 | Wings Financial CU | 1 | $75K | 0.0% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| MNMinnesota | 7 | 3 | 42.9% |
| TXTexas | 5 | 1 | 33.3% |
| WIWisconsin | 5 | 1 | 20.0% |
| CACalifornia | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| MIMichigan | 4 | 0 | 0.0% |
| IAIowa | 3 | 0 | 0.0% |
| COColorado | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| INIndiana | 2 | 2 | 100.0% |
| MAMassachusetts | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
| NCNorth Carolina | 2 | 0 | 0.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 23.3% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 4 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 23.3% — 45% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: officers or affiliates. The franchisor is not a named party in these cases.
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Grant Thornton LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Consolidated total revenue of Winmark Corporation and Subsidiaries (parent franchisor of Music Go Round and 4 other brands) for fiscal year ended December 27, 2025. Comprised of royalties $76,352,800, leasing income $2,631,800, merchandise sales $3,282,800, franchise fees $1,525,800, and other $2,262,500. Net worth is a shareholders' deficit driven by retained earnings deficit from share repurchases.
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results — the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth of only 2.9% YoY with only 35 locations suggests mature/declining system
- 02MINORNet income margin of only 9.3% ($146,957 on $1.58M sales) is thin and leaves little room for error or unexpected costs
- 03MINORHigh initial investment ($335K-$443K) combined with slow growth indicates recovering or struggling system
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 7.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Territory type | Exclusive territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Territory radius | 4 mi |
| Territory population | 50,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | MN |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 40 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 20 hrs
- Training location
- Minneapolis, MN (Winmark training center) and existing Music Go Round store for in-store session
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Winmark proprietary POS System
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Winmark proprietary POS System
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
43 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Music Go Round franchise?
The total investment to open a Music Go Round franchise ranges from $335K – $444K, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Music Go Round franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Music Go Round FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $1.6M. The median is $1.4M. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Music Go Round?
Music Go Round is franchised by Winmark Corporation. The FDD names no parent company. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Music Go Round FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Music Go Round FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Music Go Round's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Music Go Round has a charge-off rate of 23.3% across 49 loans, meaning 23.3% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Music Go Round franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Music Go Round has 35 total units in the United States, including 35 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 3 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Music Go Round a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Music Go Round as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.