Reverb Breaks Free from Etsy, Heads Back to Its Roots

Two new investors with deep music industry roots—Creator Partners and Servco—enter agreement to acquire Reverb from Etsy.

Tuesday, April 22 – Today, music gear marketplace Reverb announced that two new investors—Creator Partners and Servco—have entered into an agreement to acquire the company from Etsy. Once the deal is finalized, Reverb will once again operate as a privately held, independent company, backed by two investors who bring strong music industry experience and a shared commitment to supporting musicians.

“Creator Partners and Servco share our passion for musical instruments and our community-first mindset, along with a clear focus on strengthening creative industries,” said David Mandelbrot, CEO of Reverb. “The musicians, shops, and brands who rely on Reverb have always been at the heart of what we do, and these new partners will help us serve our music-making community in even better ways.”

Creator Partners, known for investing in the digital transformation of creative industries, is already involved with music-centric companies like BMI, SoundCloud, Color Studios, and Mogul.

“Reverb is the #1 global marketplace for musicians and a truly unique platform that has revolutionized access to quality used gear for creators of all levels,” said Kerry Trainor, Creator Partners Founder and former CEO of SoundCloud and Vimeo. “We’re excited to join Reverb’s mission to make the world more musical and to help grow the entire industry through more accessible secondhand commerce.”

Servco has been part of the musical instruments world since 1937, with a long-standing relationship with Fender—first as a gear dealer in the 1950s, later as part of the group that purchased Fender from CBS in 1985, and now as its majority owner. Servco is also actively investing in other musical instrument businesses.

“We’re thrilled and honored to support Reverb’s continued growth,” said Mark Fukunaga, Executive Chair of Servco. “For nearly 90 years, Servco has supported music education and the instrument industry. We’re proud to help lead companies like Reverb and champion musicians everywhere as they pursue their passion for creating music.”

Once the deal is complete in the coming months, Reverb will officially return to being an independent company. According to Mandelbrot, the transition will be seamless for users—but he anticipates Reverb’s community will soon notice new features and improvements as the company continues to enhance the platform.

“We’ve got a lot of exciting developments coming up,” Mandelbrot added. “We’re expanding access to music-making software on Reverb, and soon we’ll pilot a new selling option that pays musicians faster—without the need to list or ship items. Our teams are working on improving search, simplifying shipping, and speeding up support resolutions.”

“All in all, there’s a lot to look forward to, and I’m genuinely excited about what’s next as we enter this new chapter as an independent company once again.”

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