Running a modern piano studio takes more than lesson books and a metronome. Between scheduling students, sending invoices, building digital resources, communicating with families, and keeping everything organized, you need tools that make all the behind-the-scenes work easier.
In my recent YouTube video, I shared a breakdown of the tools I personally use to run both my online piano studio and my digital-product business.
But I wanted to create a permanent home for all the links, recommendations, and descriptions—a one-stop shop you can return to anytime.
In this article, you’ll also find all of the free tools I use to create, run, and manage everything! (And I use a loooottt of free tools that I’m excited to share with you.)
And probably most importantly, after over 20 years of teaching piano (most of that running my business), I’ve learned what TO spend money on, and what NOT to spend money on (find a free tool!).
Whether you’re brand new to teaching or scaling a full studio, here are the tools I use every single week to keep everything running smoothly. Save this page for future reference as your business grows.
Piano Studio Tools: From Keyboards to Scheduling
Here are the everyday tools I use in the studio and behind the scenes to provide the best education for my students and the smoothest running music studio possible.
We’ll cover physical items I use every day to apps I open on the daily.
Yamaha Clavinova: Main Teaching Digital Piano
I can honestly say piano teaching would be impossible without my Yamaha Clavinova! It’s the main digital piano I teach on. I’ve had it for about 10 years and it’s still going strong.
If you’re a brand new teacher, don’t worry about going fancy right away. I taught years of lessons on a subpar digital piano. It’s what I had. And although I was slightly embarrassed about it, I’m so grateful I swallowed my pride and started my studio when I did instead of waiting until everything was perfect.
Unfortunately, I can’t link directly to the model of Clavinova I have for two reasons. First, it’s now an old model. And second, Yamaha gives exclusive selling rights to local music stores for Clavinova so you won’t see them on Amazon or the big music retail sites.
But I can share some details about it to help guide you to purchase your upgraded digital piano!
It’s a Yamaha YPL-000 Clavinova.
It is the middle of the road as far as Clavinovas go.
It has wooden keys!
It has a realistic sound and feel that works for me and my studio.
Check out the Clavinova website to learn more and find a local dealer.
Yamaha P-71 Digital Piano Package: Piano Lab & Partner Lessons
This is the cheapest keyboard package I feel comfortable endorsing to my students who want to save space and I use these as “lab keyboards” for workshops, practice pianos, partner and group lessons in my studio. In fact, I currently have a P-71 next to my desk for quick recording and composing, and it works great!
It’s easy to plug in headphones (1/4″ jack) or connect via USB.
If you’re used to a fancy digital piano or a real, acoustic piano, you will find the touch sensitivity to be lacking, but for the price (and the compact style and light weight), you really can’t beat this model.
Now I would strongly recommend to both you and your students to get the Yamaha stand and the upgraded pedal! I mean the stand that is build specifically for this model. The little switch pedal that comes with it and the X-style stand sometimes advertised with it are insufficient in my opinion.
So, here’s the package I recommend/get for my studio:
- Yamaha P-71 Digital Piano
- Yamaha L85 Stand for P-71
- Yamaha PKBB1 X-style Bench (small but good cushion) – for more booty room 😉 I like this one
- Yamaha FC4A Sustain Pedal (it’ll come with the FC5, but it’s garbage)
Yamaha Arius Digital Piano: A Middle Ground
Now if you really like the look of the Clavinova but dropping a few thousand isn’t an option right (for you or your student), and the P-71 just won’t be good enough, I’ve got a middle-of-the-road option that might fit the bill.
The Yamaha Arius series has a piano-esque cabinet and comes with the nicer bench, like the Clavinova and performs similarly to the lowest models in the Clavinova line.
They start under $1,000 (at the time I’m writing this) and go up from there.
If you want to check them out, I would start with the Yamaha Arius YDP-145, not the cheapest, and not the most expensive in the Arius lineup.
MacBook Pro Laptop & Accessories
The second most vital component in my studio (after the piano itself), is my laptop. Everything runs from this little magical rectangle!
I’ve been a MacBook endorser for nearly twenty years, and I really think it’s the way to go for musicians.
I love recording on my Mac, and my students love using GarageBand which is a free app for Apple users.
My current laptop is the MacBook Pro M4 Pro Chip 24GB Laptop with the My Passport Ultra for Mac Hard Drive (for much needed extra storage).
And I use it with this keyboard and this mouse and this monitor.
Although, not directly related to teaching lessons, I also love my standing desk and walking pad!
MyMusicStaff (Studio Scheduling, Billing & Parent Portal)
Now, after my pianos and my laptop, the next most vital part of running my piano lesson studio is…MyMusicStaff!
MyMusicStaff is my all-in-one studio management platform. It handles scheduling, automatic tuition invoices, makeup credits, student profiles, practice logs, and more. It’s beginner-friendly, affordable, and beautifully built for private music teachers…all for under $20 per month (for a single-teacher studio).
Why I use it:
- Saves me hours each month on billing
- Parents get instant access to schedules and lesson notes
- Makeups and cancellations are easy to track
- Works perfectly for in-person or online studios
I have a full review of MyMusicStaff here if you’d like more details about everything this all-in-one platform can do for you and your studio.
👉 Check it out: 30-day FREE TRIAL of MyMusic Staff
Google Workspace (Business Email + Drive Storage)
Keeping studio files organized is essential—lesson plans, video recordings, printables, tax docs, you name it. Google Workspace gives me a branded email address plus unlimited organizational tools.
Upgrading your Gmail account to Google Workspace is very reasonable (under $10 per month currently), and most importantly allows you to email from your website’s domain making you look very professional and more likely to land in your recipients’ inbox.
Why I recommend it:
- Use a professional studio email
- Share assignments or folders with families
- Store sheet music PDFs, assignments, and video submissions
- Access from any device
👉 Learn more: Start Your Free Google Workspace Trial
GarageBand for Recording and Editing Music
My students and I love playing around with the loops on GarageBand. It’s a powerful free app available to any Mac computer. If you have a Mac, I highly recommend downloading it to see it’s potential as a teaching tool!
However, I also use GarageBand as an easy platform to record audio, whether it’s me playing the piano, or my voice for YouTube videos.
👉 Learn more: See if you can get GarageBand free for your device
MuseScore Notation Software
This tool blows my mind. Back in the day, I spent hundreds of dollars on professional music notation software (Finale, Sibelius). Today, you can download MuseScore for free and it does nearly everything the pro software can do on an easy-to-learn platform!
I use MuseScore now to create my original composers, write arrangements, and my students use it too. We even use it in our summer Composition Bootcamp every year and I have yet to have a student not find the notation feature they need for their compositions.
👉 Learn more: Check out MuseScore Notation Software
Business & Finance Tools: Stay Organized, Stay Legal
True, this category isn’t nearly as fun and exciting as getting a new laptop or picking out a gorgeous new digital piano, but…
It doesn’t matter how much money you make–if you don’t know where you money is going!
Let’s reframe this rather dry topic as “Tools I Use to Put MORE MONEY Into My Pocket.” Now we’re talkin’, right?
Gusto Payroll for Small Business Owners (SCORP)
I formed my LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) years ago, but at the advice of my tax professional, this year I switched from being taxed as an LLC/sole proprietor to being taxed as an S-CORP. This saves my money at tax time.
However, it also means that I need to cut myself an official paycheck every month. I had no idea how to go about doing this (in a way that wouldn’t get me in trouble with the IRS). You see, it’s not as easy as just transferring money to yourself. You need to submit all of the correct forms, give the correct amount each month to the government, and report quarterly and annually.
I’m so glad I found Gusto right away! Yes, this is an additional monthly cost for my business. But my tax pro assures me that it is well worth it to save tax money (as an S-CORP) and have all my ducks in a row when it comes to getting the government it’s correct cut each month.
Gusto makes it super easy by walking your through the process, offering support, and making payroll day a three-click breeze.
👉 Learn more: Get $100 back as a new Gusto customer!
H&R Block Professional Tax Preparation
I’m not gonna lie, this annual bill hurts a little. It’s not cheap. Lately, my tax returns (yes, I have to file two) run several hundred dollars (which includes filing fees along with the pro’s time). But trust me when I say, hiring an accountant and/or tax professional is MONEY WELL SPENT!
You do not want to get your taxes wrong as a small business owner. And missing something could mean missing out on deductions (sometimes $1,000’s).
So, if you’re used to using a free tax service or doing it yourself, it’s time to upgrade tax time.
I have used the same tax pro at H&R Block for 15 years now. She knows me. She knows my business. She’s thorough and helpful. And I wouldn’t go to anyone else!
If you need a tax professional this year, start that search early, and start at H&R Block!
👉 Learn more: Find your H&R Block Tax Professional
Rocket Money for Budgeting
And beyond MyMusicStaff for bookkeeping, I just use the free version of Rocket Money to keep track of my personal finances and account balances along with your basic run-of-the-mill spreadsheets and Google Sheets to keep track of what’s going on!
Marketing Tools: Bringing in New Customers
You can have the best equipped studio, the most useful product, or the most transformational service on the planet–but if you can’t effectively point people to your business, you will likely fail.
This category of tools helps me let the world know about my business, my talents, my creations, my products, my offers, and, well, about me!
The first two are email service providers (ESPs). Are these necessary for a piano teacher? Not necessarily. But as your studio grows and as you want to reach out to more potential customers, it will eventually be something you need if you want to successfully send out email blasts (more than 20 emails in one go).
Email Marketing Tool 1: Kit (ConvertKit)
I started my email list using ConvertKit, which is now just known as Kit. For someone just getting started, Kit is a great option for a couple of reasons…
Pros: Kit
First, Kit is powerful! Kit will take you from 5 subscribers to 50,000+ subscribers without having to upgrade. You’ll definitely pay more as you grow, but you will not be lacking in the features you need to attract, keep, and convert new potential customers. Kit has very customizable email templates and automations so whatever you dream up can be realized.
Second, with it’s robust set of features and potential, you won’t have to switch email service providers later on. Which, coming from someone in the middle of this process currently, is no walk in the park.
Cons: Kit
So why am I switching from Kit after using it for years?
I’m switching because Kit wasn’t able to integrate to my new Shopify store where I sell my digital products. In other words, when people signed up as a customer of my store, they wasn’t a clean way to automatically get them onto my email list.
One other con of Kit worth mentioning is that, because it is so powerful, there is definitely a learning curve for figuring out the automation systems and everything Kit can do. And because of it’s comprehensive set of features, it can be pricey depending on which plan you’re on.
For the record, I paid $33/month on an annual plan with 900 subscribers. But I had the Basic Plan and was missing out on some key features. If I would’ve stayed with Kit, I would’ve needed to upgrade soon.
All that being said, I would still highly recommend Kit as a powerful email list tool.
👉 Learn more: Start a free trial on Kit – Black Friday deal so lock it in soon!
Email Marketing Tool 2: Flodesk
I’m switching to Flodesk. Flodesk is a top contender as well if you’re in the market for email service providers.
I don’t have years of experience using Flodesk, but I can give you some insights based on my time using it so far.
Pros: Flodesk
Flodesk is super intuitive and easy to use. If you are new to sending emails to a list and aren’t the technology-savvy type, Flodesk is for you!
Everything just looks so clean and professional with zero effort.
Automations are easier. Integration is automatic.
Cons: Flodesk
So far, I can see that Flodesk is limited compared to Kit.
There is less customization in the email templates and in the automations.
Flodesk is just $35/month, and if you’re reading this now (November 2025), you can lock in this price no matter how many subscribers you gain! That’s a crazy good deal if you look at how high the monthly price can get as you add subscribers to Kit or any other email service provider.
While I miss the email customization features of Kit, all in all, I am really liking the ease of use with Flodesk.
👉 Learn more: Start a free trial on Flodesk – Black Friday deal (50% off) so lock it in soon!
Canva Pro: Designing All the Things
I use Canva nearly every day. If you’re just a piano teacher/studio owner, you could probably make use of Canva’s free plan.
But if you create graphics for…anything else, you’ll appreciate the extra features of Canva’s Pro Plan. And if you create digital resources for TPT, Etsy, or other, you need Canva Pro!
Here’s what I use Canva to create:
- Music Theory Resources from games to worksheets
- All thumbnails for my products and YouTube videos
- Cover pages for my sheet music and other resources
- Social media posts and Pinterest pins
- Teacher Tools for you all!
- Video graphics
- Website graphics
- Canva can also do some light video editing (which I haven’t used a ton, but it’s there)
Canva Pro Features that make it worth it for me:
- Background Remover for images
- Resizing Tool with one click (turn a thumbnail into a pin in seconds)
- Access to 1,000’s of clipart, fonts, images, videos, and sounds
- Downloading Options
- Transparent Background for PNGs
- Compression for PDFs or images
- Size control for file size + quality
- Flattening (needed when using clipart and for any digital product you’re going to share/sell)
- CMYK Color (for professional printing)
- Template Creator
For Canva Pro I pay annually to save some money, which comes out to $10/month.
👉 Learn more: Check out Canva Pro
Keynote (PowerPoint) for Creating
If you are a TPT seller, than I’m sure you’ve created a resource using PowerPoint! Keynote is just Mac’s version of PowerPoint and works basically the same way.
In general, I use a combination of Canva Pro, Keynote, and a bunch of free online PDF tools (see below) to create my digital resources.
If you have a Mac, make sure you check out Keynote, free for Macs.
Free Online PDF Tools
And if you’ve ever sold on TPT, you also know how important formatting your final PDF is for selling online. I know a lot of creators use Adobe, which, as I understand, works great and does all the things! So, if you’ve got Adobe already, you probably don’t need any of these tools.
But if you’re looking for some free work-arounds (besides Canva Pro’s built-in features), check these out…
Powerful FREE Online Tools for PDFS:
- I Love PDF (compressing)
- Sejda (flattening and adding links)
- PDFescape (adding checkboxes and fillable text boxes)
Research + Teaching Materials
In order to bring you all the most thorough piano method reviews, I do make some big orders of piano books!
I realize this won’t apply to everyone, but as a piano teacher, I know you do reinvest some of your earnings back into materials to make the learning process even better for your students.
Although it can be a gamble, I think it’s important for piano teachers to keep researching and ordering new materials constantly to see what’s out there! Sometimes you order something and end up not liking it. Sometimes it becomes a new studio staple. But you have to try new things otherwise you don’t know!
Of course, part of my job as your friendly online piano teacher coach is to make sure you’re not wasting a lot of your hard-earned money on piano books that aren’t right for you or your students.
YouTube Filming & Editing Tools
YouTube is great because there is no monthly fees to use the platform. I have invested in some equipment over the years, however. But beyond that, I use a lot of free tools to make the YouTube videos happen!
Camera for Filming
What do I use for filming? Well, currently I’m just using my Google Pixel phone! Years ago, I invested in a camcorder, tripod, mic….but these days my phone honestly does a better job at capturing clear video!
Since I need a phone for, ya know, life, you could say I spend $0 on my filming camera.
I do want to upgrade in the near future. Based on hours of research and recommendations from other big YouTubers, I’m looking at the:
Webcam for In-Lesson Filming
I originally purchased a webcam for live online lessons, but these days it doesn’t get used for that.
I use my Logitech Webcam for filming lessons for the YouTube Membership (members-only library of behind-the-scenes videos). It’s incredibly lightweight and mounts on the wall easily without needing a tripod.
Is there better video quality cameras out there? Oh, absolutely. After all, it’s a webcam. But it’s cheap price, versatility, and the fact that it streams straight to my computer (no SD card or storage space on the device needed), it’s workin’ for me!
👉 Learn more: Logitech C920x HD Pro Webcam
Microphone for Filming and Recording
I’ve had my Blue Yeti mic for over a decade and for it’s reasonable price it has served me very well! It works for general recording in a lesson, dedicated recording of an instrument, and it’s what I’ve always used for the audio in all of my YouTube videos.
Now, I will say, if you’ve watched my recent YouTube videos, that it is now experiencing some issues. I’m getting static which I believe is the USB connector within the mic. However, did I mention I’ve been using it consistently for over 10 years?!
So, I would still highly recommend the Blue Yeti mic for many applications.
👉 Learn more: Logitech Blue Yeti USB mic
When I am able to upgrade my mic for YouTube videos, I’m looking at the:
Rode NTG4 Supercardioid Condenser Shotgun mic
File Storage and Sending
Video files are big. Neither my phone nor my computer would last long if they had to store all of the raw footage I film on a weekly basis.
So I’ve found two solutions that make things run smoothly.
First, I store all big files on my external hard drive, rather than on my computer. I like this particular hard drive because it integrates perfectly with Macs and hasn’t failed me yet. Many of the other hard drives I’ve tried in the past were constantly needing to be wiped and reset when connecting to a Mac. If you have a Mac, I wouldn’t recommend any other hard drive!
👉 Learn more: Western Digital 2TB My Passport Ultra for Mac
And the other component of the big file solution is a way to directly transfer files recorded on my Google Pixel to my MacBook Pro. Yes, they will upload to my Google Photos app automatically, but it takes sooo long sometimes. Rather than waiting 24 hours or more to get editing, I can instantly transfer files using a free app called LocalSend.
Video Editing Software
Next stop is editing each raw video into what you see on YouTube!
For the last year or so, I’ve been using Davinci Resolve and I love it. I’ve used Mac’s free editing app, and a paid software called Camtasia (don’t recommend for YouTube videos), but Davinci Resolve is the perfect balance between pretty easy to figure out and editing features and options.
And the best part? It’s free! (There is a paid version, but I haven’t felt the need to upgrade yet.)
👉 Learn more: Check out Davinci Resolve video editing software
Free Stock Music & Sound Effects
Because my channel is educational, I don’t use a lot of extra music and sound effects. Sometimes I create my own tracks in GarageBand, but if I need something quick, I use Pixabay, a free library of no copyright images, sounds, and music tracks.
👉 Learn more: Check out Pixabay
ChatGPT for Time Saving & Ideation
For the record, I don’t have ChatGPT create anything for me. It never writes these blog post for me. It never writes my YouTube scripts for me. It never creates any resources for me. Period. Those all come for lil ol’ human me!!
But ChatGPT can be a very useful and time-saving tool when you run a multi-faceted business.
I can upload an Excel sheet and ask ChatGPT to look for patterns.
I can upload a YouTube video title idea and ask ChatGPT to suggest improvements.
I can upload an audio file and have it transcribed in minutes.
And if my brain is feeling stuck, I can ask ChatGPT to generate some ideas for me. I usually don’t go with its ideas, to be honest. But it gets the wheels turning!
And, it’s free! (There is a paid plan, but I just use the free model with its daily limits.)
Website Tools
Currently, my studio website is just a simple MyMusicStaff hosted site. And it’s free! (Well, it’s included in the $15/month MyMusicStaff fee.)
So, in this category I’ll be highlighting the cost of my WordPress website, the blog (this here website you’re on right now!). If you personally use a Wix or other website for your business, your expenses might look a little different than mine.
Bluehost for Web Hosting + Domain Name
I use Bluehost for both my hosting (every website needs hosting) and for my domain name (mine is “thetattooedpianoteacher.com”).
For hosting, I pay annually, which comes out to about $4 per month.
My domain comes out to about $2 per month. Pretty cheap, huh?
If you’re reading this in November 2025, Bluehost has a big Black Friday sale going on…60% off hosting with this link!! If you’ve been thinking about start a blog or a new website, grab this offer while it lasts.
👉 Learn more: Get the deal for Bluehost hosting – 60% off for Black Friday!
WordPress Website (Blog)
For this here blog website, I pay WordPress around $12/month.
Why WordPress? WordPress is the best place to start a blog if you eventually want to monetize it with the big ad companies and for getting found on Google.
Note that there are two “WordPress” options. There’s WordPress.com and WordPress.org. WordPress.com is not the one you want; it’s a free blog website with very few options. You want WordPress.org! That’s the self-hosted blog option.
👉 Learn more: You can check out more info at wordpress.org, but I recommend starting with Bluehost hosting. They’ll walk you through the whole process and get your WordPress website set up as well!
Elementor Pro
Elementor Pro is the premium version of the Elementor page-builder plugin. When I first started designing my WordPress website, it was clear I needed some help. It is not intuitive like Wix or other user-friendly website builders!
Elementor Pro makes building and editing WordPress pages more like a drag-and-drop editor experience so you can create beautiful, functional pages even if you don’t know anything about coding or website building.
I pay annually for Elementor Pro, which comes out to about $5/month. For me, it’s well worth it because it allows me to do my own website designing and editing rather than having to pay a professional.
👉 Learn more: Get Started with Elementor Pro Plug-in for WordPress
Digital Product & Online Store Platforms
As you know, I sell digital products online. I sell on third-party platforms (Teachers Pay Teachers and Etsy) as well as (new this year) my own website!
In this section, I’ll share the cost of selling my digital products online.
Shopify: Home for My Digital Products
This year, I built a website using Shopify to host all of my digital products, both free and for sale. Shopify is the most powerful retail platform at an affordable price.
It’s relatively easy to set up and use, and offer 1,000’s of integrations through apps that help you run your store exactly the way you want!
If you’d like to check out what my Shopify store looks like, it’s: shop.thetattooedpianoteacher.com
Shopify costs me $29/month.
Combined, my paid Shopify apps cost me $28/month. (I have also added on some paid apps for search, filtering, flipbook previews, and other features I wanted to add to my website. See next Section for free apps I use on Shopify.)
If you’re a TPT or Etsy seller looking to expand your business by starting your own website, let me know in the comments. If I get enough interest, I’d be happy to create some tips and training specifically for those going from a 3rd party platform to their own website!
👉 Learn more: Get Started Building Your Shopify Store
Teachers Pay Teachers Premium Seller Account
For my TPT store, I pay an annual fee (~$60) for a Premium Seller Account. Upgrading to the Premium Seller Account as a TPT seller is a no-brainer. You earn more with each sale and it very quickly pays for itself.
Divided by month, I pay about $5/month to sell on TPT.
👉 Learn more: About the TPT Premium Seller Account
Total Monthly Cost to Run My Piano Teacher Business
If I total up all of these categories, I spend about $297 per month to run my business.
It’s crazy how much I save by using free tools for so many parts of my business!
In the next section, I’ll give you a quick run-down of all of the paid tools I use, and then all of the free tools I use so you have a convenient place to come back to when you need a link!
Summary of All Paid Tools I Use
Here is a quick list of all of the paid tools I use along with their approximate monthly cost for your reference:
- MyMusicStaff ($15)
- Google Workspace ($8)
- Gusto ($55)
- H&R Block Tax Prep ($42)
- Kit ($33), but now using Flodesk ($35)
- Canva Pro ($10)
- Bluehost Hosting & Domain ($6) + WordPress ($12)
- Elementor Pro ($5)
- Shopify ($29) + Shopify Apps ($28)
- TPT ($5)
And all of the “semi-permanent” purchases I use every day, but that were a one-time purchase:
- Yamaha Clavinova
- Yamaha P-71 Digital Piano
- Yamaha Arius YDP-145 Digital Piano
- MacBook Pro
- Hard Drive
- Bluetooth Computer Keyboard
- Mouse
- Big Computer Monitor
- Adjustable Standing Desk
- Walking Pad
- Google Pixel
- Sony ZV-E10 camera
- Logitech Webcam
- Blue Yeti mic
- Rode Shotgun mic
- External hard drive
Summary of All FREE Tools I Use
And here’s a quick list of all of the free tools I use in every facet of my business:
- Mac Apps
- Keynote (PowerPoint)
- Numbers (Excel)
- GarageBand (recording, audio editing)
- Google
- Gmail (I use both paid and free addresses)
- Drive
- Slides
- Docs
- MuseScore (music notation software)
- Davinci Resolve (video editing)
- LocalSend (transferring files from phone to computer)
- ChatGPT (organizing, transcribing, editing, and ideation)
- PDF Tools
- I Love PDF (compressing)
- Sejda (flattening and adding links)
- PDFescape (adding checkboxes and fillable text boxes)
- Pixabay (copyright free music, sound effects, and images)
- Rocket Money (budgeting, personal finance)
- Shopify Apps (free)
- Shopify Forms
- Bundler
- Judge.me Reviews
- GSC Email Marketing
- Google & YouTube (connecting products to my YouTube videos)
Save this page for future reference!
As a Shopify associate, I may earn with qualifying purchases.
