Search for music school software and you will quickly find a dozen tools that look identical on paper. Many of them are good, and several focus mainly on scheduling and billing. The differences that matter tend to show up only after a few months of daily use. This guide helps you find them in advance. We make Musicdott, so we are not neutral; that is exactly why we are upfront about where we fit and where we don't.
Start with your bottleneck, not the feature list
Comparing feature lists leads you to the tool with the most ticks, which is rarely the one that helps you every day. First write down the three things that cost you the most time or go wrong most often. For one school that is chasing lesson fees; for another it is the stream of parent messages or juggling make-up lessons. Judge every tool on those three points first. The rest is secondary.
Think about where you want to be in two years, too. An independent teacher who never wants to grow has different needs from someone planning to take on a second teacher next year. If that is on your mind, readwhen to hire a second music teacher.
The checklist
Put these questions to every provider. The right-hand column has our own answer, so you have an immediate point of comparison.
| Criterion | Question for the provider | Musicdott |
|---|---|---|
| Data processing agreement | Is it included as standard, or do you have to ask for it? | Included with every plan (see /en/dpa). |
| Data storage | Where is the database? Which sub-processors are outside your region? | Application and database in the EU; the full sub-processor list is public. |
| Security | Is two-factor sign-in available, or required, for staff? | Required for owners and teachers. |
| Scheduling and make-ups | Can you set up weekly lesson series? How are holidays and make-up lessons handled? | Lesson series, holidays, double-booking warnings, make-up list with suggested slots. |
| Lesson content | Can you build lessons with your own material, and show them in the lesson room? | Block-based lessons (video, sheet music, tab, drum patterns, chords) plus Teach Mode on a second screen. |
| Practice between lessons | Can students find their material at home? Does the teacher know whether they practised? | Yes, this is the core of Musicdott: practice log, teacher scoring, XP. |
| Parents | Do parents get their own login? Does it work for families with several children? | Parent portal with one login per family. |
| Fees and invoicing | Does it issue invoices and take payments, or only track who has paid? | No invoices or payment collection. Payment status, reminders and CSV export via the Manager add-on. |
| Import | Can you import your current student list without retyping it? | CSV import with preview and column mapping. |
| Pricing model | Per student, per teacher or flat? What does it cost at twice your current size? | Plans with a base price and blocks of 5 students; Compleet is flat. |
| Trial and contract | Can you try it for free? Are you tied into an annual contract? | First month free, cancel monthly. |
Data protection and children's data
A music school processes personal data, often about minors. You are the controller and the software provider is your processor, which under UK and EU GDPR you record in a data processing agreement. Ask where the data is stored and which other parties (sub-processors) can access it. "Hosted in the EU" is a good start, but email or payment services may sit elsewhere. That isn't necessarily a problem, as long as it is transparent and covered by safeguards such as standard contractual clauses. Musicdott'sdata processing agreement and full list ofsub-processors are simply published on the site. Outside Europe the same questions are still worth asking; your students' parents will appreciate it.
Scheduling, practice and parents: the daily work
Don't just test whether there is a calendar; test what happens when things go wrong: a cancelled lesson, a teacher off sick, a holiday week. How quickly can you arrange a make-up lesson? Ourlesson scheduling page shows how we approach it.
Then look at what happens between lessons. Software that only does admin keeps your school running but doesn't move your students forward. Can a student find their material at home? Does the teacher know whether they practised? Can the lesson be shown on a screen in the room? That is where Musicdott comes from; see thepractice tracking page andwhat a good music app should and shouldn't do. And with children: do parents get their own login, and does it work for a family with two children at your school?
Invoicing: in your school software or your accounts?
Some tools issue invoices and collect payments by card or direct debit; others only track who has paid and leave invoicing to your accounting software. Both work, as long as you know which you want. If you need one system for everything, Musicdott is not for you: we don't issue numbered invoices or collect lesson fees. With the Manager add-on (€19.95 a month) you can track payment status per student per month, send reminders, create receipts and export everything as CSV for your accountant.
Per-student pricing or a flat fee?
Per-student pricing feels fair when you are small, but it rises with every new enrolment. A flat fee is predictable, but you pay it in August too. So always work out two scenarios: your current number of students and the number you expect in two years. Include add-ons, setup fees and VAT or sales tax, and check which currency you will be billed in.
Musicdott sits in between. Standard costs €29.95 a month for 1 teacher and 25 students, plus €4.50 per block of 5 extra students, so a teacher with 40 students pays €43.45. Pro costs €49.95 for up to 3 teachers and 75 students, and Compleet €89.95 flat for unlimited teachers and students. As soon as a larger plan is cheaper for you, we switch you automatically. All prices are in euros and exclude VAT; details on thepricing page.
Switching without retyping everything
A switch rarely fails on the software itself; it fails on the move. Ask whether you can import your student list, whether you see a preview first and what happens to lesson history. In Musicdott you import a CSV file from your spreadsheet and map the columns yourself. Students and parents then get an invitation to activate their account. How to keep those records in good shape afterwards is covered on thestudent management page.
Where Musicdott fits, and where it doesn't
A good match
- Individual weekly lessons
- Independent teachers up to schools with a handful of teachers
- You want students to practise more between lessons
- You want to use your own lesson material, on a screen in the room
- Parents should be able to follow along
- Your invoicing already lives somewhere else
Look further
- You want invoicing, card payments or direct debit in the same tool
- Your school runs mainly on group classes, orchestras or ensembles with termly registration
- You need a drag-and-drop calendar or two-way Google Calendar sync
- You are mainly looking for accounting or point-of-sale software
There are several good tools for music schools. Our advice: trial two or three with your own data and your own teaching week. With us the first month is free and you can cancel monthly. Teaching on your own? Also seesoftware for music teachers.