Long & McQuade is the largest chain of musical instrument retailers in Canada, with over 100 stores from British Columbia to Newfoundland. Its consistent branding, standardized services, and national presence lead many people to assume it operates as a franchise.
Is Long & McQuade a Franchise?
Long & McQuade is not a franchise. It is, in fact, a privately owned, family-run company — and has been since Jack Long founded it in 1956 on Carlton Street in Toronto. When his original partner Jack McQuade left the business in 1965 to pursue drumming full-time, Jack Long retained sole ownership.
The company expanded steadily from 1968 onward, and remains 100% owned by the Long family to this day. Jack Long passed away in 2025, but his sons Steve and Jeff have assumed control of the business.
There are no Long & McQuade franchises. The company has explicitly maintained corporate ownership over every Long & McQuade location, refusing to franchise their business to Canadian entrepreneurs.
The Long family has gone on the record, stating that franchising would be counter-intuitive to their business model. The Long & McQuade business has grown into one of Canada’s largest music businesses by maintaining the intimate, consistent, family-owned feel at each location. Every store is corporate-owned and operated, but it retains the feel of a family business that connects with Canadians who are passionate about music.
How Long & McQuade Operates Across Canada
Long & McQuade may seem like a franchise business due to its centralized corporate control. Ironically, the centralized control closely resembles a franchise business model. All 100+ stores operate under the same ownership, the same policies, and the same integrated service model.
Their distinct business model goes well beyond instrument sales. Long & McQuade also offers rentals, rent-to-own programs, repairs, in-house financing, and music lessons. Approximately 1,800 employees and around 1,000 contracted music teachers are employed by or affiliated with the Long & McQuade corporate brand across the country.
The company is also Canada’s largest seller of sheet music, operating dedicated print music divisions in Toronto and Vancouver. Their breadth of uniform services, delivered at every location, creates a national brand identity that most Canadians associate with franchise chains. The Long & McQuade national brand comes from a single family’s deliberate, decades-long strategy of corporate expansion without external ownership.
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Can You Open a Franchise in a Similar Business?
The road for music-passionate entrepreneurs to enter the industry is barred with Long & McQuade. Since the company has no franchising model, aspiring entrepreneurs interested in franchising must explore alternative businesses. Most alternative options are primarily in music education and the used instrument retail sector.
- School of Rock. This music education franchise has over 380 locations in 15 countries, including across Canada. The concept combines instrument lessons with performance-based curriculum that helps children and teens pursue musical ambitions.
- Music Go Round. Operated by Winmark Corporation, this is the world’s largest used musical instrument resale franchise. The franchise maintains numerous locations across the U.S. and Canada. They buy and resell gear, serving a budget-conscious and hobbyist musician base.
- Musicworks Canada. Similar to School of Rock, this is a Canadian-specific franchise that offers music, language, and arts education for children. The business welcomes entrepreneurs passionate about supporting their local communities to explore franchise opportunities with the business.
As franchise-owned businesses, these models are structurally different from Long & McQuade’s family-controlled musical instrument store. While Long & McQuade’s full-service retail, rental, and repair combinations offer second-to-none customer experiences, these alternative models offer genuine franchise entry points for entrepreneurs. Under these franchise identities, you can build a business in the music space with the backing of an established brand.
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Long & McQuade’s success as a family-owned corporate chain is, in many ways, a rarity in Canadian retail. For the foreseeable future, if you want to be part of what Long & McQuade has built, you’ll need to apply as an employee — not a franchisee.
