Grow your business with the Discover newsletter
Logistics advice & insights straight to your inbox
Subscribe now
“My guitar is not a thing. It is an extension of myself. It is who I am.”Joan Jett
The quote by Joan Jett, the Rock ‘n Roll icon, proves that most musicians have strong emotional attachments to their instruments. So, when it comes to shipping musical instruments, whether you're selling a musical instrument, getting it repaired, or travelling it for work, you need to feel confidence that it will arrive securely and in the same condition as it left.
This information from DHL Express will assist you in ensuring that your instrument arrives at the different destination of the world in good condition, while getting the market insight of musical instruments around the world.
By 2027, the global musical instrument industry is expected to be valued US$18 billion. The largest market is China, where domestic manufacture and decreased musical instrument import duties are helping to boost growth. The second-largest market is the United States, followed by India, Japan, and Indonesia. Despite strong demand, the epidemic disrupted global production, which may take some time to get back on track...
Due to a lack of mass manufacture in impoverished nations like Botswana, indigenous instruments like the segaba, or 'one-string violin,' must be handcrafted by skilled artisans. While this distinguishes each model, it also puts their survival in jeopardy.
In Iran, on the other hand, the indigenous tonbak drum is gaining popularity among young artists. This modest historical instrument is rarely heard outside of the traditional Persian scene, but thanks to Instagram, it is having a local renaissance. Make sure you're thinking locally and keeping an eye on market trends in your area.
The guitar is an established instrument that continues to gain popularity, with 45% of Fender models sold to new players. Half of those new consumers are now female, thanks to a growth in young female performers like Taylor Swift and Haim, who have infiltrated a formerly masculine segment of the musical world. Don't assume that all of your customers are men; diversify your marketing efforts accordingly.
Acoustic guitars currently outsell electric guitars as audiences prefer pop and country to rock and roll. While electric vehicle sales have fallen by half a million units in the last decade, acoustics have climbed by 36% since 2009, resulting in total sales of 2.6 million units in the United States alone.
Musicians prefer to buy used musical instruments over new ones, whether they are valued treasures for lifelong fans or second-hand deals for the novice player.
Musicians are also purchasing their audio-recording equipment online, thanks to technological advancements that allow even inexperienced songwriters to create professional-sounding tunes at home. MIDI controllers and electronic drums now account for 16% of the market, ahead of orchestral stringed instruments, which account for 15%.
Multiple pricey instruments can be replaced by digital synthesizers. ROLI's Seaboard, for example, looks like a rubber piano yet responds to touch and pressure like a conventional one. It can also pitch bend and slide, with celebrities like Stevie Wonder and Hans Zimmer approving of the technology.
DHL Express has lot of experience and competence in transporting musical instruments. Since 2016, we've been traveling the complete contents of The Rolling Stones' 'Unzipped' exhibition around the world, including some of rock's most cherished instruments. Several guitars belonging to Keith Richards and Ronnie Woods, as well as a rare dulcima (a type of double lute) played by Brian Jones, the Stones' founding member and polyinstrumentalist, are among them.
Thanks to E-commerce, DHL Express now has over 9 million customers and ships millions of instruments worldwide.
You'll need to properly box your instruments before entrusting them to DHL. There are different packing procedures for different types of instruments. Follow our tips below.
If you're shipping an entire drum set, you'll need to disassemble it by removing the legs and disassembling the rack tom stand. Wrap the rack tom components in crumpled newspaper and lay them within the kick drum, filling in the crevices with crumpled newspaper to keep them from moving.
To avoid your instrument being lost in transit, it practically goes without saying that you should clearly identify your shipment. Some professional musicians go to greater lengths.
You can also include labels with handling instructions to ensure that the package is treated properly during transit. Up Arrows, indicating the direction in which the package must be transported, handled, and stored; Fragile, Handle with Care, indicating that it should be handled carefully and never tipped over or slung; and Keep Dry, indicating that it should be protected from excessive humidity and stored under cover.
While you can never insure your instrument's sentimental value, you can insurance its monetary value just in case. As standard, we provide complimentary £25 cover for all UK and Ireland deliveries and £50 for foreign deliveries, however this may easily be enhanced if your instrument is worth more.
Due to the fragility of many musical instruments, the less time they spend in travel, the better. As a result, you might want to think about our express delivery option.
If you require more information about any of the instruments you're shipping, or for any other reason, please contact us. Remember, if the Rolling Stones — the World's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band – put their valuable, historic guitars in our hands, you should too!