The Best Music Studio Management Applications for Music Teachers

Davis Dorrough, NCTM

MTNA Business Digest, Volume 4, Issue 2

January 2025

For many teachers, gone are the days of keeping track of financial records in a written ledger. In addition to numerous online accounting programs (such as Quicken and QuickBooks) for record keeping, there are also programs designed specifically for music teachers that can assist with studio management (including student registration, auto invoicing, lesson booking, and rescheduling, payment reminders, communication with parents/students and more). Here are four excellent programs worth considering:

My Music Staff

www.mymusicstaff.com

My Music Staff excels in managing independent music studios and music schools, offering a powerful yet user-friendly platform. Key features include an enrollment form widget that streamlines student registration by automatically updating the teacher’s database—eliminating the need for manual data entry. Other highlights are an integrated billing and invoicing system, text and email reminders, PayPal integration, Zoom link integration for virtual lessons, financial report generation and even a free studio website.

Beyond administrative tasks, My Music Staff enhances communication between teachers, students and parents. The platform includes a student portal where students can view their schedules, track practice time and access lesson notes and resources uploaded by their teachers. Parents can also use the portal via a separate login to stay informed about their child’s progress and upcoming lessons.

My Music Staff offers an affordable $14.95/month plan for individual teachers, covering unlimited students. For music schools, additional teachers can be added for just $4.95/month each, also with unlimited students. My Music Staff offers a 60-day free trial to first-time MTNA members. Learn more at www.mymusicstaff.com/mtna-business.

Standout Features:

My Music Staff stands out for its affordability, seamless integration with other platforms and high level of customization, all wrapped in an intelligent and intuitive design that supports a wide range of functions.

Fons

fons.com

Founded by third-generation music teacher Eric Branner, Fons aims to streamline studio management by eliminating invoicing hassles, automating payments and enhancing the client experience. It stands out with its automated scheduling system, enabling clients to book, reschedule or cancel appointments effortlessly. This feature extends to billing, where Fons simplifies invoicing through integrated automatic payment processing, significantly reducing administrative work. The platform supports flexible billing options, allowing for per-session payments, monthly subscriptions or custom payment plans.

The platform supports both individual and group classes as well as events and workshops. Teachers can share personal booking links, allowing students to book or reschedule lessons based on the teacher’s availability. Additionally, Fons offers an automated system that enforces cancellation policies while also sending appointment reminders via text or email, ensuring you receive timely payments. This system allows you to set a customizable cancellation window, which Fons communicates clearly to clients at the time of booking. If a student cancels within this window, they are automatically charged according to the set policy, whether it’s a flat fee or a deduction from a package. This not only helps reduce last-minute cancellations but also ensures that your time is valued and compensated appropriately.

Fons integrates smoothly with QuickBooks, automatically importing clients, payments and deposits, which further reduces administrative tasks. Priced at $29.95 per month for up to five teachers and unlimited students, it offers excellent value, especially for multi-teacher music schools. MTNA members can enjoy a 50% discount for the first three months using the code welcomemtna.

Standout Feature:

Fons has the ability to automate key processes such as scheduling, collecting payments and enforcing cancellation policies, allowing teachers to focus more on their students and less on administrative tasks.

Duet (formerly Music Teacher’s Helper)

www.duetpartner.com

Duet is an ideal choice for music teachers who might feel overwhelmed by complex software, thanks to its streamlined and straightforward design. This studio management tool offers essential features like scheduling, billing and student management in a way that’s easy to navigate, making it perfect for educators who prefer simplicity.

A unique feature of Duet that sets it apart from other management software is the Season Smart Scheduler. This powerful tool enables teachers to send out a customizable form to students, where they can indicate their available times for lessons. Once all the responses are collected, Duet automatically generates an optimized schedule that fits all the lessons together. This automation ensures each student is assigned a lesson time that works for both them and the teacher, minimizing scheduling conflicts and reducing the back-and-forth communication typically required to finalize a calendar. Additionally, the software takes into account the teacher’s preferences and any specific constraints, such as avoiding certain times or grouping students with similar schedules to create the most efficient timetable possible.

Duet is currently priced at $20 per month or $220 annually. MTNA members can use the discount code MTNA20 for 20% off any subscription level.

Standout Feature:

Duet’s Smart Season Scheduler allows teachers to gather student availability and automatically generate an optimized calendar that seamlessly fits all lessons together, reducing scheduling conflicts and streamlining the process.

Studio Helper

studiohelper.com/features

Studio Helper is a versatile studio management software designed for both individual music teachers and larger music schools. One of its unique features is the ability to manage multiple locations, making it an ideal choice for studios with several teaching spaces or teachers operating from different locations. Studio Helper offers a high level of customization options, particularly in integrating with existing websites. Teachers and studios can embed login and registration forms directly into their own websites, providing a seamless experience for students and parents. This level of integration is not as robust in other platforms, making Studio Helper particularly appealing to studios that prioritize maintaining a consistent brand and online presence.

Standout Feature:

Specifically designed to accommodate the needs of larger music schools, Studio Helper excels in managing complex operations that involve coordinating multiple teachers and locations.

Davis Dorrough, NCTM, MM, is an author, teacher and piano editor at Alfred Music. He is co-author of the Easy Piano Lead Sheets and Chord Charts series, created to help students master essential contemporary music skills