Band director here, doing a little informal research on my side hustle - your help is SO appreciated!
-About how many batteries does your program go through in a year? -What types are you buying most often (AA, AAA, 9V, rechargeable, specialty, etc.)? -What is your approximate program size?
I’m also curious about your purchasing priorities: -Do you tend to prioritize quality/brand reliability, or is it mostly about price? -What has your experience been with cheaper vs. name-brand batteries in a band setting?
And one more question: What would realistically sway you to purchase batteries from a local/vendor store instead of Amazon? (For example: better pricing, bulk discounts, faster delivery, free recycling, customer service, reliability, etc.)
Thanks in advance—this is really helpful as I try to better understand what directors actually need and value!
Re: Batteries!
Posted by ForeverN00B on 3/30/2026, 3:09 pm, in reply to "Batteries!"
We typically went through roughly 100 a year, but I bought a pack of rechargeables last year, and just used them. I have a case of 12, and just keep cycling them. It's been great.
Re: Batteries!
Posted by Warhawk on 3/30/2026, 8:09 am, in reply to "Batteries!"
40 or so of our tuners use the CR2032 battery, the remaining Korgs use AAs. For our transmitter packs, hand held recorders, wireless mics, we purchased enough rechargeables and chargers to one complete set on the charger while the other was in use.
Re: Batteries!
Posted by DesertJazz on 3/28/2026, 1:56 pm, in reply to "Batteries!"
How many...?
I don't have a specific count... 1500 or so?
AAAs get the most use in tuners. We use a lot of AA's in wireless packs between director mics and our wireless gear. Probably about 200 of those a year versus 1000 or so on the AAAs.
Price matters, but Amazon Basics have been reliable. Kids tuners last well with them, and they're cheap enough that I feel no guilt flipping them on wireless gear before every contest.
If you're trying to start a business on this - I don't recommend it. There is no way you're going to figure out a profit margin that will beat the model Amazon has. I am not alone in ordering their batteries - our audio guys we bring in once a year also swear by them.
We're a small 3A HS program, so this is 6-12 usage.
Re: Batteries!
Posted by Anon on 3/27/2026, 8:58 pm, in reply to "Batteries!"
We go through hundreds of AA batteries per year. Band budget buys them. Amazon. Energizer.
