MicroFusa: the busiest store for music fans

perhaps microFuse may be a company unknown to the public, but it is a real reference for digital music lovers in Spain. Alongside this we could add other mythical names such as Madrid HiFi or Alfasoni, two other fundamental businesses in our country’s music scene.

But his story is different from hers. The origins lie in the musical education. “The company was founded in 1987 when I was 18 years old. We set up a lab where we trained musicians to use technology. It was quite successful and we started taking courses in sound, music production, disc jockey etc. The school consolidated and we saw that we could offer products related to what they had learned, such as music software, keyboards, mixers… We started selling in a small area within the school. At the same time, we imported products that weren’t distributed in Spain and that’s how we started our distribution business,” he says. Ignasi Benaventcompany founder.

Bet on training

Training is the primary activity, although it is the one that weighs the most in the reckoning. It is articulated by the company microFusa Formació. “One of the celebrities who went through our school and became successful was Joseph Manuel Pinto, former FC Barcelona player known artistically as Pinto Wahin. He studied music production and audio engineering and later won a Grammy for audio engineering Pastori girl. The musician Chemi Lopez, with various jobs as a guitarist and sound engineer, attended the same course. Another case is Ana Lopez Menadaswhich has a record label and was recognized by the magazine time out‘ reveals Benavent.

“Our main teaching is music production. There are two years in Spain complemented by a third degree in the UK in partnership with the University of Southampton,” he explains. No one offers such training in our country. It also trains sound engineers, disc jockeys, etc.

The profile of his students are “people who are enthusiastic about this world and want to devote themselves to music”, as well as technicians, producers or disc jockeys. “DJs don’t just play these days. They are generators of music and they produce it. There has also been a hybridization between sound engineer and music producer. That’s what we offer at the school: the hybridization between production, sound engineers and disc jockeys,” he comments.

There is also online training supplemented by face-to-face practices. Thanks to this, his activity has not been affected too much by the coronavirus crisis. “We were able to develop 80% of the face-to-face courses online. And if possible, the exercises were carried out later,” he specifies.

She has schools in Barcelona and Madrid, where face-to-face classes and internships are carried out. It also has agreements with recording studios or schools in other cities in Spain for internships. In addition, as a supplement, it rents out its studios to students who need it for musical projects. This is managed through microFusa Learning and Service, although these are very specific cases.

reference distributor

Import and wholesale is the most lucrative business field for microFusa, as it contributes more than two thirds to sales, Central Media Tech is the company responsible for this activity. It focuses on the sale of systems for music production and equipment for recording studios -audio and MiDi interfaces, mixers, monitors, recorders … -, professional sound, light and effects equipment -speakers, microphone systems, spotlights, lasers . ..- , equipment for disc jockeys – turntables, mixers, controllers … – or hi-fi sound systems. In addition, although it does not sell traditional musical instruments, it offers purely electronic instruments such as keyboards, drums, synthesizers, drum machines and samplers, accessories for electric guitars – amplifiers, effect pedals, etc.

The company brings all these products to Spain and then distributes them to specialty stores across the peninsula. It even supplies Amazon. It also works directly with the engineering of audiovisual projects, broadcasting, installations for concerts, etc. For example, the company was responsible for the sound system of the Palau d’Esports Catalunya in Tarragona, the pavilion that hosted the 2018 Mediterranean Games, or for the design and acoustic installation of the Marina Beach Club Valencia.

Its specialization in the digital realm has allowed microFusa to be at the forefront of the music industry’s transformation. “We go hand in hand with this change. We teach how to use technology and we sell it. Over the years, recording technology has been democratized and is now reaching everywhere. And we are part of it. Years ago we sold a recording system that cost around 6,000 euros at the time. We sold 200 or 300 a year destined for the recording studio. Now every audio card we sell is used to build a home recording studio. And we sell thousands of these cards a year. You can get one for 300 euros home studio. At the same time, there is a professional part that is becoming more sophisticated, with more specific products for broadcast, microphones, etc.,” he says.

Ecommerce Pioneers

The branches in Madrid and Barcelona as well as the online shop are the visible face of the company. This activity is articulated through microFusa Comercial. Currently, e-commerce accounts for 40% of retail sales, with the rest split equally between the other two physical outlets.

His customers are both music professionals and amateurs. “In general, these are people who are enthusiastic about electronic music, but also about all kinds of music. The main element is that they like technology. Among the professionals there are people who do audio production, recording studios or television. And also disc jockeys, who are the main target of our stores,” he elaborates.

Its main competition comes from the companies that sell online, with two big ones standing out: player. “It’s very difficult for us to keep our businesses going when we’re facing Thomann or Amazon,” he admits. On the other hand, it also offers acoustic engineering services for smaller projects in its stores, such as audio installations for bars, pubs, restaurants or hotels.

Give the breast Do

Although it is a company with a long history, it has grown significantly in recent years. In just six years it has gone from less than 6.5 million euros to 15.5 million last year. Most of its revenue comes from selling devices to retail companies — more than 10 million — with the remainder split between sales in its stores and on its website — about 4.5 million — and training in its schools — about 1 million .

This is the development of invoice from MicroFusa in million euros:

2016: 10.9

2017: 13.3

2018: 15.2

2019: 16

2020: 15.5