How to Start a Music Lessons Business

Part 1 - How to start a Music Lessons business - Background

Many people’s interest in music goes beyond just listening to it. A lot of people who enjoy listening to it are also interested in learning how to play an instrument. A music lessons business gives novice musicians a way to learn to play an instrument, and it provides more seasoned musicians with advanced training to help them improve their musical abilities. A business may offer private or group lessons in home or classroom settings.

You may also be interested in additional side hustle ideas.

Our guide is in 3 parts:

• Part 1 - How to start a Music Lessons business - Background
• Part 2 - Our planner tool to see if this idea is the right fit for you
• Part 3 - Action plan to get started

What are the costs involved in opening a music lessons business?

The costs associated with starting a music lessons business are low. Business owners need to have their own instrument, which is often the most expensive startup cost. Typically instruments cost anywhere from less than $300 up to over $2000 (with some instruments falling lower or higher than this range). Instruments can often be found cheaper if used, as well as online. In addition to an instrument, business owners usually need a couple music stands (one for them and one for a student, unless teaching piano or organ; ~$30 each) and their own personal copies of the music they’ll be teaching (students are usually expected to buy their own copies; ~$3 to $25 each).

Instructors also need a place to teach, which can be a room in their own home, at each client’s home or in a public place, such as at a school, church or community center. Renting a space in a public building will increase operating costs a little, but it also provides space for teaching group lessons.

What are the ongoing expenses for a music lessons business?

The ongoing expenses for music lessons businesses are low. Business owners who drive to clients’ homes must pay for transportation to and from each client’s house, and those who use a public space have to pay for that space. Other expenses include instrument maintenance and repair costs, and occasionally purchasing new copies of music.

Who is the target market?

Ideal clients have a passion for music and are interested in learning to create music. Many are either students in school (anywhere from elementary school through college) or adults who have free time that they can spend practicing.

How does a music lessons business make money?

A music lessons business charges students for lessons, which usually last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Lessons may be charged on a per-lesson or hourly basis. Group lessons usually cost a little less than private lessons, but they can generate more income because there is more than one student being taught.

How much can you charge customers?

Piano lessons usually cost between $30 and $60 per hour. Many music lessons businesses that teach other instruments charge similar rates. When lessons are only a half-hour long, these rates are usually cut in half for each lesson.

How much profit can a music lessons business make?

Even a part-time music lessons business can generate a significant revenue. An instructor who offers private lessons for 20 hours a week could earn between $600 and $1200 each week if they charged $30 to $60 per hour. Because the ongoing expenses are low, the vast majority of this is profit.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Offering group lessons is one of the main ways music lessons businesses generate additional revenue. Group lessons might cost students slightly less per hour, but they can increase the revenue a business brings in. Even if students pay just $10 per lesson, a half-hour group lesson with four students could generate $40 in 30 minutes, or an hourly rate of $80.

Other ways of increasing revenue including offering repair services for broken instruments (if the instructor knows how to repair instruments) and hosting recitals. Many instructors charge additional fees for putting on an annual or semiannual recital.

Day-to-Day and Growth

What happens during a typical day at a music lessons business?

Music lessons business owners spend many hours teaching lessons, either one-on-one or in group settings. Depending on their particular business model, instructors may also drive to and from students’ homes, and they might have to repair or maintain instruments. Additionally, music lessons business owners will need to spend time constructing/finding lessons that are suited to their students’ skill level.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful music lessons business?

A music lessons business owner should know how to play at least one instrument very well, and knowing multiple instruments is helpful. While some instructors are self-taught, completing a formal training program ensures an instructor is highly skilled and provides credibility. Many colleges, universities and other education programs offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in music and music education, and certificate programs are also available throughout the country.

It’s also helpful if instructors know how to maintain and repair their own instruments. This isn’t a vital skill, as an instructor can have someone else perform repairs when necessary. Instructors who do their own repairs can keep their costs lower, though. People who want to learn to repair their instruments may learn how to from fellow musicians who are more knowledgeable or through a certification program.

What is the growth potential for a music lessons business?

Most music lessons businesses have one teacher, who is also the business owner. Businesses with a single instructor are limited by how much time the instructor can spend teaching students. An instructor who taught half-hour private lessons full time (40 hours per week) would be able to teach up to 80 students per week. Many instructors have other jobs and, therefore, can only teach part time.

A few music lessons businesses, however, have multiple instructors. If a business elects to hire instructors, there isn’t a limit to how large the business could become. In theory, a business could have lots of instructors offering lessons on many different instruments, and it could open up locations in other cities to reach even more students.

How and when to build a team

A music lessons business doesn’t necessarily require multiple employees. If a business owner wants to hire additional instructors, they usually do so when the number of students requesting lessons exceeds the number of lessons they have available. Most instructors, however, either raise their rates at this point in time or increase how many group lessons they offer. These strategies let them increase their revenue without taking on an employee.

Part 2 - Is a Music Lessons business the right fit for you?

Part 3 - Action plan to launch your Music Lessons business in 90 days