Mars Music

Mars Music, Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail (musical instruments and audio equipment)
Founded	1996
Founder	Mark Begelman
Defunct	2002
Fate	Bankruptcy liquidation
Headquarters	Fort Lauderdale, Florida , United States
Area served	United States (20 states)
Key people	Mark Begelman (founder)
Products	Musical instruments, professional audio gear, music lessons

Mars Music, Inc. was a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based chain specializing in music stores. Established in 1996 by guitarist and former Office Depot president Mark Begelman, the company emerged from his dissatisfaction with the typical music store shopping experience. The name MARS originally stood for "Music And Recording Superstore." At its height, following rapid expansion, Mars Music operated 49 locations across 20 states, ranking as the second-largest retailer of its kind in the United States. However, by late 2002, the company ceased operations due to overexpansion, difficulties in securing additional funding, and an unsuccessful restructuring effort.

Company history

Mark Begelman launched Mars Music after acquiring Ace Music, a five-store chain located in southern Florida. His motivation stemmed from a negative encounter at one of Ace Music's outlets, where he was unable to test a guitar amplifier’s volume and was told that returns would not be accepted if he was dissatisfied with the product. Displeased with limited product availability, unclear pricing policies, and sales staff who restricted hands-on interaction with merchandise, Begelman invested $10 million of his own capital to establish Mars Music. The company adopted the slogan "We love it when you touch the stuff" and implemented a 45-day return policy.

Mars Music introduced a retail superstore model featuring an extensive array of musical instruments and professional audio gear, all clearly labeled with prices and available for customers to try out. Each store was spacious and included amenities such as practice rooms, recording studios, and performance stages, reinforcing their customer-friendly slogan.

The stores also housed "Learning Centers" offering individual and group instrument lessons. Programs included "Babies Make Music," targeting early childhood music education, and the "Weekend Warriors" course designed for adults pursuing music on weekends. At one point, Mars Music stood as the largest private music lesson provider nationwide. Additionally, the company pioneered interactive online instrument lessons utilizing innovative pitch recognition technology.

Complementing its retail operations was the Mars Music Foundation, a charitable entity that provided music instruction grants and managed the "In Tune With Kids" initiative. This program collected donated instruments, refurbished them, and distributed them to local schools.

Partnerships and sponsorships

In January 2000, Mars Music secured a six-year naming rights deal for the Coral Sky Amphitheatre by paying $3.3 million to SFX Entertainment, resulting in the venue being renamed the Mars Music Amphitheatre. However, after Mars filed for bankruptcy two years later, the amphitheater reverted to its original name.

During the summer of 2000, Mars Music’s online platform, marsmusic.com, co-sponsored Metallica's Summer Sanitarium Tour, facilitating online fan interactions and streaming a live concert webcast.

Mars Music also ventured into the recording industry by establishing Martian Records, a collaboration with Chris Blackwell's Palm Pictures. The label’s sole signed artist was Seven Channels, chosen from a pool of over 3,000 unsigned bands that participated in a contest.

Expansion and bankruptcy

In 2000, Mars projected $300 million in revenue and was preparing for an initial public offering. That April, they launched their e-commerce site, marsmusic.com. Nonetheless, escalating expansion expenses combined with a contraction in venture capital funding following the dot-com bubble burst and the stock market downturn of 2002 compelled Mars Music to seek reorganization through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Ultimately, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation in November 2002.

External links

• Interview with Mark Begelman in the NAMM Oral History Collection (2017)