My 12 Must-Have Platforms for Running a Piano Business
Running your own piano business is amazing and incredibly rewarding, but oftentimes it means you’re wearing all the hats. And there’s only so much you can get done as one person in 24 hours. Thankfully, there are many platforms available to help make the day-to-day of running a business smoother.
If you have the resources to outsource a virtual assistant, creative director, or accountant, then I say GO 
FOR IT. You will never regret having people on your team who align with your vision and help you grow in your business.
There’s never enough time when it comes to having a business. 
And one of the hardest parts about running a successful piano business is trying to figure out what platforms are worth investing your precious time in! Many platforms are very helpful, but you don’t necessarily need them all — and you may not need them right away. Not every platform is free, so also be sure to read reviews or try out a free trial to ensure it is something that aligns with your business to help you grow and scale.
When investing in a platform for my business, I like to process a few things:
Table of Contents
*Free version or starting at $12.95/mo
User-friendly
Budget-friendly
Easy to customize templates
Canva is my GO TO platform for pretty much everything. 
I create books, piano games, Boom Cards, social media posts, blogs, emails….everything! It is SO user friendly. Plus I can easily upload all of my fun characters and personal branding to use throughout all of my content.
*Free version with ads or plans starting at $9.99/mo
Massive music library
Budget-friendly
Create your own playlists!
*Free
Upload videos
User-friendly
Learn SO much!
I use YouTube as a helpful resource for students and other piano teachers. Once my students film or record a piece, I will upload to my channel and add it to their playlist. I also upload Boom Card walkthroughs, as well as some walkthroughs of how I teach my books like Hooked On Piano and the Cascade Method Piano Theory book.
*Free or plans starting at 149.00/yr
Face-to-face lessons!
Screen sharing
Live chat
Free with Apple account
Face-to-face lessons!
High-quality sound
Convenient
I tend to use Facetime for my more advanced students. This is because Zoom doesn’t always pick up every note, so I can hear them play better through FaceTime, and don’t need to be doing any screen sharing as much at their level.
*$9.99/mo
Unlimited listening, reading, and sheet music
Free features
Budget-friendly
*Free or $49/year
Easy to use
Edit music
Tons of downloadable sheet music
MuseScore is strictly a music platform that allows you to create, play, and download sheet music with user-friendly music notation software. With the pro version, you can download sheet music as a PDF or as XMLMusic file which allows you to edit the music!! SO cool 
*Free or plans starting at $99.00/yr
Compose pieces
Play back music
Easy to use notation tools
FUN and engaging for kids!
Assign decks easily
Kids can practice them at home
If you have been hanging around Cascade Method for a while, then you know I LOVE me some Boom Cards!! I use Boom Learning for teaching and assigning Boom Cards to my students.
If you don’t have a Boom Learning account, I have a FAQ blog that outlines the process of signing up, creating a classroom, assigning decks, and adding more Boom Cards to your account!
*Free with Apple account
User-friendly
Convenient
Store resources in one place
*Free or plans starting at $19.00/mo
Creative control over website
Blogging!!
Third party integration tools
What would I do without WordPress! Through WordPress, I am able to host my website, write and publish blogs, sell products, and offer online course — all in one place!
*Free
Great for networking
Allows followers to get to know you!
Boost sales
I love utilizing Instagram for my business! It has allowed me to connect with *quite literally* thousands of people! I love getting to share snippets of my personal life, news with Cascade Method, new products, and of course, piano playing! 😉
Okay teachers, let me know if any of these are your must-have platforms! I also want to know YOUR must-have platforms that you can’t live without. I am always looking to add to my list. 😍
