Al & Ed's Autosound franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening an Al & Ed's Autosound franchise takes $140,800 – $371,150 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is From $25,000. To qualify, Al & Ed's Autosound asks for $100,000 in liquid cash and a $300,000 net worth. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated.
Al & Ed's Autosound franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $25,000 | n/d | From $25,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $140,800 | $371,150 | $140,800 to $371,150 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $300,000 | $300,000 | $300,000 | |
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | $100,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | |
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $140,800 | $371,150 | $140,800 to $371,150 |
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | Not disclosed |
See the full Al & Ed's Autosound cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Al & Ed's Autosound's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Al & Ed's Autosound's disclosed cost sits against the Retail category:
- Minimum startup cost of $140,800 — about in line with the Retail median of $165,000.
- Initial franchise fee of $25,000 — about 32% below the Retail median of $36,750.
Category medians are computed from the Retail brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Retail franchises
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How Al & Ed's Autosound's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2017: began the window at 17 units; 4 units opened, 5 closed, ending at 14 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Al & Ed's Autosound or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Al & Ed's Autosound for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Al & Ed's Autosound is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Al & Ed's Autosound grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Al & Ed's Autosound can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Al & Ed's Autosound franchise
Al & Ed's Autosound is a retail franchisor with 14 units at the end of 2017 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2017, it began the window at 17 units; its filings record 4 unit openings and 5 closures, ending at 14 units. Its parent company is HRAP's, Inc..
Disclosure filings report 1 franchise-related lawsuit. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
A & E Auto Sound, Inc., a California corporation, offers franchises for the operation of Al & Ed's retail stores ("Al & Ed's Stores") that offer mobile and marine electronic, audio and video entertainment equipment, GPS navigation and alarm, systems, satellite and HD radio receivers, Bluetooth Systerns and related accessories and merchandise for sale to the general public imder the trade name "Al & Ed's". We offer the rights for 3 different franchises in this Disclosure Document
Al & Ed's Autosound franchise: quick answers
- How much does an Al & Ed's Autosound franchise cost?
- $140,800 – $371,150 all-in to open, per Al & Ed's Autosound's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Al & Ed's Autosound units are there?
- 14 units at the end of 2017 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Al & Ed's Autosound's units held up?
- 94.1% of units at risk between 2015 and 2017 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).