Is offering private music lessons on a platform even worthwhile?

Oli Kipfer
2 days ago
7 min read

Have you considered teaching music privately and playing with the idea of registering on a platform for music lessons? Are you unsure whether it's worth it for you and whether the costs are justified? Then read this article and learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of platforms for music teachers.

Are you considering working freelance and teaching music, and wondering whether it's worth creating a profile on a music teaching platform, even though it will cost you money? Here you can find out: what tasks do good platforms take off your hands, what costs/expenses you save as a result, and how much do you pay for the services?

What costs do you need to consider as a private music teacher?

Freelance music teachers incur fixed and variable costs, which you need to take into account when setting your prices for lessons.

Fixed costs refer to financial expenses that remain the same every month, regardless of how many students you teach. A classic example of this is the rent for your teaching studio or utility bills.
Variable costs in this case refer to expenses that increase with the number of music students, for example. Variable costs in this case can also be expenses that take up your time. For example, the more students you teach, the more invoices you have to create, postage you have to pay, and hours you have to invest in billing and accounts receivable.

The Swiss Music Teachers' Association (SMPV) has compiled lists and recommended rates for freelance music teachers regarding expenses and costs. Here you will find various items and costs that you should take into account as a freelance music teacher.

Item	Explanation
AHV and unemployment insurance (first pillar)	Old-age pension, unemployment insurance (ALV), short-time work, or other loss of income through no fault of your own.
Contributions to the pension fund (second pillar)	Pension fund contributions for your retirement provision. Contributions also cover the risk of disability and death and supplement the benefits provided by the first pillar.
Accident insurance	Medical expenses in the event of an accident, comprehensive wage protection against loss of wages and earnings.
Loss of earnings insurance in case of illness	Daily sickness allowance insurance (KTG) is a supplementary insurance policy that covers the risk of loss of earnings in the event of incapacity for work due to illness, accident, or maternity.
Vacation pay	Saved vacation time to compensate for lost earnings.
Training and education	Professional training of any kind.
Teaching location / Studio	Rent, utilities, maintenance, and cleaning of the personal studio.
Maintenance and insurance of the instrument	Spare parts, repairs, consumables, and maintenance of personal instruments. For expensive instruments, additional insurance against theft or damage is recommended.

What are fair prices that cover your costs as a music teacher?

In order to cover your costs in the long term and pay yourself a fair “wage,” you need to charge appropriate prices for your lessons. These prices should not only cover your costs, but ideally leave you with something left over to put aside. Freelance music teachers can set their own prices, but it is highly advisable to take the SMPV's recommended rates into account. If you would like more information on the subject of “prices for music lessons,” read this blog article.

Additional and hidden costs for music teachers

In addition to the above items, each teacher also incurs additional expenses and costs that must be included in the overall assessment. Some of these costs are not obvious, but they are essential for successful teaching. The costs listed are not always direct expenses, but often also opportunity costs. In other words, they are time expenditures that are necessary for successful teaching but must be deducted from the actual teaching capacity.

Item	Explanation
Own website (creation)	In order for interested students to find you in your location, you need an appealing website that radiates trust and attracts students. To do this, you either need a web agency or a provider that allows you to put together your own website.
Own website (maintenance)	Your domain and domain hosting cost you money every month. Updating security plugins also requires regular monitoring. These costs vary depending on the provider, but can add up to a significant amount per year.
Marketing	To ensure that your lessons are found, you should invest in search engine marketing and be active on social media. These costs can be relatively high depending on the instrument and location. Google campaigns must be monitored regularly and a budget allocated for them. Every click costs you money.
Data privacy	To protect your data and that of your students, you should invest in your digital security and hide your contact information behind forms, etc. Security updates on your website are also highly recommended!
Communication with students	Communicating with and supporting your students can take up a lot of time each month. Coordinating appointments, bookings, rebookings, payments, and vacation breaks requires your full attention. The more students you support, the greater the effort required. To set boundaries, it is worth getting a second business number so that you can leave your cell phone at home sometimes.
Administration	Every student subscription must be managed. How many lessons are still available, has the subscription expired, have the lessons already been paid for? You should keep an eye on these things, and a suitable tool is highly recommended as your student numbers grow. Such tools usually cost extra money.
Payments (tuition fees)	Students often no longer want to pay with cash and prefer to pay for their lessons with Twint, credit card, or Apple/Google Pay. Such e-commerce solutions with payment options usually come from web providers. However, commissions and other costs are to be expected here as well.
No-Shows	Appointments that are canceled within 24 hours do not actually have to be rescheduled. To protect yourself from no-shows and last-minute cancellations, you should request payment for the course in advance. In the event of a dispute, you may have to waive your claim in order to retain students.
Appointment coordination/scheduling	The more students you have, the more appointments you have to coordinate. If there are changes, this can quickly become very time-consuming. A tool is also advisable for this.

What tasks/costs can good platforms relieve you of?

Platforms for music lessons relieve you of certain tasks and costs, which are covered by a small fee. This often results in cost and time savings. Sometimes higher and sometimes lower. Here are a few examples of how good platforms can relieve you.

Item	Relief through platforms
Own website	Website creation and hosting will be taken care of completely.
Marketing	Good platforms invest money every month in marketing your profile.
Admin-App	App for communication, appointments, subscription management, student management, payments, etc.
Protection against no-shows	Mechanisms and teaching conditions that protect teachers from last-minute cancellations or demands from expired subscriptions.
Regular payments	Completed lessons are paid out securely and reliably.
Customer service	Personal customer service and support for students and teachers.

What questions should you ask yourself?

Before making a decision, you can ask yourself various questions. Depending on your answers, you may lean toward your own solution or a platform solution. Music teachers often take a multi-pronged approach and find a hybrid solution that works for them.

How many new students do I need to be working at full capacity?
How much time will it take me to find these students?
Where and how can I find my music students?
Do I have the know-how to build and maintain my own website?
What prices should I charge for my lessons?
Which tasks would I like to outsource and which ones do I definitely want to do myself?
Which platforms offer which services for me and where do costs arise?
Do I pay if I am successful or do I pay in advance?
Which platforms really invest money in marketing and have a budget?

What platforms are available in Switzerland for private music lessons?

There are various national and international providers of private music lessons in Switzerland. The providers differ in terms of the specialization of their teachers, the instruments they offer, and the learning methods they use. It is worth analyzing and comparing the different platforms and services. Some of the largest providers are listed here.

Plattform	Description	Commission and prices
Matchspace Music	The largest and most versatile platform for private music lessons in Switzerland. All instruments and teaching methods are welcome.	16.5% and only for successful bookings by music students. Otherwise, all services are free of charge. SMPV rates are strictly applied by the platform.
Apprentus	Platform for various subjects, also offers music lessons in Switzerland.	The commission deducted from students is not disclosed. Lesson prices vary greatly and are in some cases significantly below the SMPV recommended prices.
Superprof	Platform for various subjects, also offers music lessons in Switzerland.	10% commission on bookings. Premium members pay no commission but CHF 99 per year to have their profiles highlighted. Lesson prices vary greatly and are in some cases significantly below the SMPV recommended prices.
Instrumentor	Specialized platform for music lessons for various instruments and singing.	No public information about commissions or costs.
Instrumentum	A platform for connecting bands, instruments, venues, and private music teachers.	No commission, but monthly fees of CHF 11.90–31.90 depending on the product selected.

What services does Matchspace Music offer its music teachers?

Matchspace Music offers an all-in-one platform for music teachers. The 16.5% commission covers the following services and ensures a good teaching experience for all students and teachers on the platform. The commission is only payable upon success and is deducted directly from the student's subscription. If no booking is made, there are no costs.

Personal profile and website for teachers
Professional and paid marketing on all search engines
Highest level of data protection
Chat function for student inquiries
Secure payments with all common payment methods
Admin app
- Management of all students
- Administration of subscriptions and lessons
- Automatic calendar invitations
- Automatic payouts for last-minute cancellations
Regular payouts of course fees (after completion of each lesson)
Personal customer service for students and teachers
Great partner offers for students that fully benefit teachers (e.g., offers from health insurance companies and instrument dealers)
Continuous development and new features for music lessons

Conclusion

Teaching music privately is a great thing and means freedom and independence for many teachers. However, building and maintaining your own “customer base” of motivated students is also very time-consuming. Every minute that cannot be invested in teaching means that opportunity costs arise. Recognizing and optimizing these costs is one of the most important tasks of a teacher. It is therefore worthwhile to compare and carefully weigh the costs and benefits so that the goals set can ultimately be achieved.