Faber vs Hal Leonard:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Faber had more branded searches than Hal Leonard among sheet music publishers worldwide. Faber had about 110,000 branded searches, while Hal Leonard had 42,400. Faber made up 60.5% of all sheet music publisher searches we track, and Hal Leonard accounted for 23.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sheet music publishers, Hal Leonard appeared in all five answers and Faber in three. Hal Leonard was mentioned before Faber in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Faber, about 3 searches for every 1 for Hal Leonard
Who does AI mention more?
Hal Leonard, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Hal Leonard, named ahead of Faber in 3 of 5 answers
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Top sheet music publishers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hal Leonard appeared in all five answers. Faber was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Hal Leonard was listed before Faber in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Hal Leonard1st
- G. Henle Verlag2nd
Alfred3rd- Faber4th
- Bärenreiter5th
Schirmer6th
Schott Music7th
Boosey & Hawkes8th- Peters Edition–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Hal Leonard5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- G. Henle Verlag4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Faber3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Alfred3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Schirmer2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Bärenreiter2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Schott Music2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Boosey & Hawkes1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Peters Edition0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about sheet music publishers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which sheet music publisher should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best sheet music publisher brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best sheet music publisher for piano students?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sheet music publishers”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sheet music books”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Faber or Hal Leonard more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Faber and Hal Leonard by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine sheet music publishers we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Faber, Hal Leonard. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Faber | Hal Leonard | Schirmer | Bärenreiter | Boosey & Hawkes | G. Henle Verlag | Schott Music | Alfred | Peters Edition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 64.8% | 20.6% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.77% | 0.91% |
| Nov 2025 | 59.3% | 23.1% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 1% |
| Dec 2025 | 60.2% | 23.5% | 3.6% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 0.88% | 1% |
| Jan 2026 | 56.3% | 26.8% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 0.97% | 0.97% |
| Feb 2026 | 60.7% | 23.7% | 3.6% | 3% | 3% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.88% | 1% |
| Mar 2026 | 59.4% | 22.9% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 1% |
| Apr 2026 | 62.9% | 20% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 0.74% | 0.92% |
| May 2026 | 63.5% | 20.2% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 0.75% | 0.92% |
| Jun 2026 | 64.6% | 20.6% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.59% | 0.94% |
| Jul 2026 | 67.2% | 17.5% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.61% | 0.98% |
| Aug 2026 | 64.2% | 20.4% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.76% | 0.76% |
| Sep 2026 | 60.5% | 23.3% | 3.6% | 3% | 3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 0.88% | 0.88% |
How has the Faber and Hal Leonard comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Faber was ahead of Hal Leonard in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Faber’s share of searches among sheet music publishers worldwide moved from 64.8% to 60.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 110K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hal Leonard’s share of searches among sheet music publishers worldwide moved from 20.6% to 23.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 42.9K to 42.4K.
How did search popularity change for sheet music publishers worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Hal Leonard gained share of searches among sheet music publishers worldwide, from 20.4% to 23.3%.
In September 2026, Faber lost share of searches among sheet music publishers worldwide, from 64.2% to 60.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Faber’s and Hal Leonard’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Faber
1 branded search term
- faber
Hal Leonard
2 branded search terms
- hal leonard music
- halleonard
Other head-to-heads among sheet music publishers
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