Hal Leonard vs Schirmer:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hal Leonard had more branded searches than Schirmer among sheet music publishers worldwide. Hal Leonard had about 42,400 branded searches, while Schirmer had 6,600. Hal Leonard made up 23.3% of all sheet music publisher searches we track, and Schirmer accounted for 3.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sheet music publishers, Hal Leonard appeared in all five answers and Schirmer in two. Hal Leonard was mentioned before Schirmer in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Hal Leonard, about 6 searches for every 1 for Schirmer
Who does AI mention more?
Hal Leonard, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Hal Leonard, named ahead of Schirmer in 4 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. Schirmer was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Hal Leonard was listed before Schirmer in four 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 Hal Leonard or Schirmer more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hal Leonard and Schirmer 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 Hal Leonard, Schirmer. 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 Hal Leonard and Schirmer comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hal Leonard was ahead of Schirmer in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Schirmer’s share of searches among sheet music publishers worldwide moved from 3.9% to 3.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 6.6K.
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%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Schirmer worldwide fell 18.5% over 12 measured months, from 8.1K to 6.6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hal Leonard’s and Schirmer’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.
Hal Leonard
2 branded search terms
- hal leonard music
- halleonard
Schirmer
1 branded search term
- schirmer
Other head-to-heads among sheet music publishers
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