Music School Management Software

Built for multi-instrument complexity

Music schools face unique challenges that general scheduling software can't handle. When Sophia takes piano AND violin, you need to track two separate lesson packages, two different skill levels, two sets of exam grades, and two teachers at different pay rates.

Tutorbase's student management system tracks instruments, skill levels, exam grades, and lesson packages in one place—so staff never have to cross-check spreadsheets before scheduling a lesson or processing payroll.

Why music schools need specialized software

Generic tutoring platforms treat every subject the same. But music education has unique requirements:

• Multi-instrument students: One student, multiple instruments, each with its own progression path
• Exam board tracking: ABRSM, RCM, and Trinity College London grades that parents expect you to track
• Recital coordination: Managing piece selections, performance fees, and accompanist schedules across 50+ students
• Skill-based substitutions: Finding a qualified substitute when a Grade 5 piano teacher calls in sick
• Per-instrument payroll: Piano teachers at $75/hour, violin teachers at $85/hour, accompanists at $40/session

Most music schools resort to spreadsheets because generic software can't handle this complexity. Tutorbase was built specifically for these workflows.

How music schools use Tutorbase

Track multiple instruments per student

Sophia's profile shows she's Grade 5 piano and Grade 3 violin. Each instrument has:

• Separate lesson package balances
• Individual skill level and progression notes
• Distinct exam history and target grades
• Different assigned teachers

When Mrs. Chen calls asking about Sophia's progress, you see both instruments at a glance. When Sophia's piano teacher marks a lesson complete, her piano package deducts automatically—not her violin package.

Manage recitals without spreadsheet chaos

Recital season used to mean spreadsheets backstage, chasing payments, and coordinating accompanists. Now:

1. Digital sign-ups: Teachers submit student piece selections through their portal
2. Automatic fee tracking: Recital fees add to invoices automatically based on participation
3. Performance tracking: See who's performing, what they're playing, and who still owes fees in one dashboard
4. Accompanist coordination: Schedule accompanist sessions for exam prep with conflict detection

Araya at Muse Music Academy cut recital admin time by 70% because she's not managing spreadsheets, chasing forms, or calculating fees manually.

Calculate per-instrument payroll accurately

Your piano teachers earn $75/hour. Violin teachers earn $85/hour. Accompanists get $40 per exam session. Some teachers teach multiple instruments.

Tutorbase's automated payroll system calculates everything from completed lessons:

• Applies the correct rate per instrument, per teacher
• Tracks substitute teachers when someone covers a lesson
• Handles accompanist sessions separately from regular lessons
• Exports to your bank in one click

No more end-of-month spreadsheet calculations or payroll disputes.

Track exam grades across multiple boards

Parents expect you to track their child's progression through exam boards. Tutorbase supports:

• ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) - the UK's largest music education body
• RCM (Royal Conservatory of Music) - Canada's leading music education standard
• Trinity College London - alternative to ABRSM with practical focus

Log exam results per instrument. Parents see progression in their portal. Teachers know which pieces students are working on for their next exam. Schedule accompanist prep sessions and automatically bill exam registration fees.

Why music schools choose Tutorbase over alternatives

vs. Spreadsheets

Most music schools manage everything in Google Sheets or Excel because generic software doesn't handle their needs. The problem:

• No automation: Manually deduct from the right instrument package after each lesson
• Error-prone: One wrong formula means incorrect billing or payroll
• No parent portal: Parents call asking how many piano lessons remain vs. violin lessons
• Recital chaos: Separate spreadsheet for sign-ups, another for payments, paper forms backstage

Tutorbase automates all of this. Package balances update automatically. Parents see their dashboard anytime. Recital management is built-in.

vs. Generic scheduling tools (Calendly, Acuity)

Booking platforms can schedule appointments, but they can't:

• Track which instrument a lesson is for
• Enforce room capacities (grand piano room fits 1, theory classroom fits 8)
• Handle package billing per instrument
• Calculate teacher payroll at different rates per instrument
• Track exam grades or skill levels

They're built for spas and consultants, not music schools.

vs. Music-specific competitors (My Music Staff, Music Teacher's Helper)

While these tools understand music education, they often lack:

• Modern parent portal: Parents expect self-service like they get from their gym or yoga studio
• Integrated payroll: Most require separate systems for billing and payroll
• Multi-location support: Schools expanding to second locations hit limitations
• Flexible pricing: Expensive monthly fees that eat into margins

Tutorbase offers a modern, connected platform with no monthly fees—just 1% when you invoice through the system.

Common workflows for music academies

Enrolling a new multi-instrument student

1. Create student profile in the CRM pipeline
2. Add instruments (piano, violin) with starting skill levels
3. Create lesson packages per instrument (10 piano lessons, 8 violin lessons)
4. Assign teachers based on instrument and skill level
5. Schedule recurring lessons with automatic conflict detection

Managing teacher absences and substitutions

When Mr. Thompson (Grade 5 piano specialist) calls in sick:

1. View his schedule for the day
2. Filter available teachers by "Piano" and "Grade 5" qualification
3. Assign substitute in one click
4. System sends automatic notifications to parents and substitute
5. Payroll tracks that the substitute taught those lessons (not Mr. Thompson)

Processing recital season

1. Teachers submit student piece selections through their portal
2. Recital coordinator reviews all submissions in one dashboard
3. System calculates performance fees based on participation
4. Fees add to student invoices automatically
5. Track who's registered, who's paid, who still needs to confirm

Monthly payroll for mixed-instrument teachers

Ms. Rodriguez teaches both piano ($75/hr) and voice ($70/hr):

1. System pulls all completed lessons for the month
2. Applies correct rate per instrument per lesson
3. Includes accompanist sessions at $40/session
4. Shows breakdown for review
5. One-click approval and bank export

Migration support for music schools

Most music schools go live within a week. Here's how:

Week 1: Data export and import

• Export student roster with instruments and current packages from your current system (or spreadsheets)
• Import via CSV with validation
• Map instrument types, skill levels, and exam boards

Week 2: Teacher and rate setup

• Add teachers with their instrument specialties
• Configure per-instrument pay rates
• Set up room assignments (practice rooms, theory classrooms, recital hall)

Week 3: Go live

• Start scheduling lessons with conflict detection
• Teachers mark attendance, packages deduct automatically
• Parents access portal to see remaining lessons per instrument

Free migration support included with all plans. We'll help you map instruments, import historical data, and train your teachers.

Features music schools love

Beyond multi-instrument tracking and recital management, music schools use Tutorbase for:

• Family accounts: Consolidate billing when siblings learn different instruments
• Practice log sharing: Teachers log practice notes that parents see in their portal
• Exam fee tracking: Automatically bill ABRSM/RCM/Trinity exam registration fees
• Ensemble scheduling: Coordinate group lessons, chamber ensembles, and music theory classes
• WhatsApp reminders: Automated lesson reminders with 95%+ open rates
• Multi-location support: Centralized management across multiple campuses

Get started with Tutorbase

Tutorbase is free to use—we only charge 1% when you invoice through the platform. No monthly fees, no per-teacher charges, no hidden costs.

Start by exploring our scheduling features or billing automation, or see how language schools use Tutorbase for similar multi-variable complexity.

Ready to stop managing instruments, recitals, and exam grades in spreadsheets?