Player Piano for Sale

The weight of a player piano varies depending on the piano’s size, build and the player system.

On average, upright player pianos weigh typically between 400 to 1,000 pounds.

Grand player pianos will likely weigh more, ranging from 600 to 1,500 pounds.

For more precise information about the weight of a specific player piano, see the manufacturer’s specs or contact the piano’s dealer.

Additionally, when moving a player piano, hire professionals! They’re no doubt heavy and expensive instruments, and the extra few hundred dollars is worth it to ensure safety.

The earliest player piano technology came in the form of the pianola in 1895. Edwin Votey, American inventor and musician, developed this box mechanism you’d roll in front of a piano. Once in position, you could throw in a paper roll and use the pedals to play a song without knowing how to play the piano.

Votey later sold this technology to the Aeolian Company who incorporated it into their pianos. These would become the first of the old paper-based player pianos we know now.

Later in the 1970s, this technology went fully automatic in what were called reproducing pianos. These early electronic systems were essentially the first comercially-available modern player pianos.

A decade or so later, Yamaha unveiled their Disklavier player system in 1988. This represented the start of mass-produced commercially-available player pianos — and well, the rest is history!

Dive deeper into the history of player pianos.

Yes, a player piano can be played manually like any other traditional piano.

Modern player pianos have an electro-mechanical system that allows them to play themselves automatically. However, this feature can be turned off, allowing the piano to be played by a pianist as well.

There are really no downsides to having a player system installed!

The cost of any given player piano varies depending on brand, size, system — and other typical factors that influence a piano’s price.

A new grand player piano can start around $30,000 where a new upright player piano begins more around $16,000.

If you’re considering a used player piano for sale, you can find options starting in the $5,000 to $10,000 range.

As far as how much a piano player system installation costs, this can range from about $5,000 to $11,000 depending on your piano, labor costs in your area, and the specific player system model.

Of course, these are all very rough estimates based on our own player pianos for sale near Chicago. See our listings above for our current prices — and contact us or your local dealer to find out the cost of installing a player system on your piano!

You have several options for getting more music for your player piano, depending on the type of system you own:

Buying Music: Most digital player pianos allow you to purchase and download music directly from their app or website. Most songs are under a few bucks — pretty reasonable for live renditions of favorite songs!

Streaming Radio Stations: Many popular player systems also have radio stations. The complimentary PianoDisc radio station is a huge plus to that system in our opinion.

Music Subscriptions: If you’re interested in a wider variety of music, something like the Yamaha Disklavier Radio might interest you for a monthly fee. Similarly, you can access a curated selection of QRS Music Library for a yearly subscription — or the entire thing with an active warranty.

Sourcing MIDI Files: Many websites offer MIDI files of various genres that can be compatible with your digital player piano. You can even try converting music into some player piano formats yourself.

Read our Guide to Getting More Music for Your PianoDisc System for more tips and ideas.