Best Software for Small Music Schools & Studios
Lesson reschedules, recital prep, and tuition collection can overwhelm a small studio. Here’s how to pick software that simplifies admin so you can focus on teaching.
Where small music schools feel the pain
- Make-ups and swaps: parents need flexible scheduling without endless phone calls.
- Multiple billing types: monthly tuition, exam fees, and recital charges should land on one invoice.
- Attendance and progress: teachers need to mark attendance and notes on the go.
- Communication: recital reminders and schedule changes must be easy to send in bulk.
Must-have features for music studios
Scheduling & make-ups
Recurring lessons with easy swaps, caps, and waitlists for popular time slots.
- Recurring lessons
- Make-up tracking
- Waitlists
- Teacher assignments
Billing & payments
Automatic tuition runs plus add-on recital/exam fees, all tied to family balances.
- Auto tuition
- Fee add-ons
- Reminders
- Family ledger
Attendance & progress
Teachers mark attendance and notes from phone or tablet; share progress with parents when needed.
- Mobile check-in
- Progress notes
- Certificates/reports
- Parent visibility
Top software options for small music schools
NNERB
All-in-one for class-style programs: recurring lessons, payments, attendance, progress notes, and certificates. Free tier for small rosters.
- Strengths: simple UI, kiosk/mobile attendance, recurring billing, local currency support, communication tools.
- Why it fits: replaces spreadsheets and messaging threads with one place to run the studio.
My Music Staff
Affordable teacher-focused platform with lesson tracking and invoicing. Light on advanced certificates or kiosk attendance.
- Pros: budget-friendly, built for music teachers.
- Watch for: fewer class/term tools and kiosk flows; primarily 1:1 lesson oriented.
Mindbody / Omnify
Broad scheduling systems used by some studios; pricing usually starts above $100/month for full features.
- Pros: robust scheduling and payments.
- Watch for: higher cost and complexity for many small studios.
Why NNERB works for small music schools
- Fast onboarding: import rosters from spreadsheets and open enrollment in one sitting.
- Make-ups managed: track absences and offer make-ups without losing the paper trail.
- Attendance + notes: teachers mark attendance and jot progress notes from their phone.
- Certificates & recitals: issue completion certificates or share recital readiness reports.
- Transparent pricing: a free tier to start, with clear steps as you grow.
Quick setup checklist for music studios
- Create lesson schedules with caps and waitlists for high-demand slots.
- Set monthly tuition plus exam/recital fees; enable reminders.
- Turn on kiosk or teacher attendance; test from a phone.
- Build a certificate or progress template for grade completions.
- Draft recital reminder templates and save audiences (performers vs. parents).
