Online lessons or tutoring is a fantastic side hustle for teachers… but it can also turn into a full time job. This is especially true if you’re teaching a special skill like music. In the music lesson industry, there are two major online companies: TakeLessons and Musika. Both websites connect students with teachers and provide a safe way to exchange money for services. So which should teachers choose? Let’s break down each of their features to determine which is best: TakeLessons vs. Musika.

Flexibility

Both Musika and TakeLessons allow teachers to set their own schedule. This includes the ability to teach on an online platform. That means students can take lessons right from their own home!

Additionally, both companies have calendar features and manage payments. Teachers at both companies do not need to worry about reaching out to students for payment or managing monthly billing. Sharing their profile on social media and get new leads through their own social media platforms.

Ease of Setup

What do they have in common?

• Both companies allow teachers to sign up and become accepted online.
• No interview required for the hiring process.

What is different?

• Musika takes a few days to get your background check and profile set up, while TakeLessons lets you get started right away.
• Musika requires a background check that teachers pay for from their first few paychecks. TakeLessons recommends a background check and has you pay for one right up front.

Ability To Find New Students

What do they have in common?

• Provide advertising and work to come up in google searches.
• Use search engines to assign students to you.
• Use a type of ranking algorithm based on need, ratings, and length of time with the company.

What is different?

• Musika helps filter parents to teachers, but Musika does not explicitly spell out how to rank higher.
• TakeLessons ranks teachers higher in searches based on a specific criteria (reviews, length of student stay with a teacher, availability, adding pictures and videos to your profile).

How Much Can Teachers Make?

What do they have in common?

• Both companies take a percentage of what the student pays.
• Both companies pay teachers by 60 minutes, 45 minutes, or 30 minutes. (TakeLessons also offers 20 minute increments)

What is different?

• Musika offers a specific amount to their teachers based on location. Typically this amount is around $20 an hour, but in some cities it could be as much as $30. This is regardless to what the parent pays. Reviews say that it is difficult to get a raise through Musika.
• TakeLessons allows teachers to set their own prices, and then the company gradually takes less of a percentage off over time.

What Do Teachers Agree To Do

What do they have in common?

• Teachers agree to not teach privately with a student who has found them through the service.
• Both take a fee from student payments.
• Both help with taxes each year.

What is different?

• Musika offers teachers a set amount and then charges students a set amount of money.
• Musika requires a background check while TakeLessons just recommends it. To pay for it, Musika takes the price of the background check from teacher’s first pay check.
• While TakeLessons let’s teachers set their own amount, they take 60% from the first 5 lessons, 50% from the next 5, 40% from the next 5, until it reduces to 10% of lessons. Teachers can change their prices at any time.
• TakeLessons does not hire you as an employee, whereas Musika hires you as a contractor. TakeLessons has you file taxes as your own business.

Reviews

Musika Average Review: 3.6/5

• Indeed Tutor Reviews: 4.3/5
• Glassdoor Tutor Reviews: 2.9/5
• No Reviews on Facebook.

TakeLessons Average Review: 3.7/5

• Indeed Tutor Reviews: 4.1/5
• Glassdoor Tutor Reviews: 3.2/5
• Facebook Reviews are from customers not teachers (so I won’t factor this in), but people gave it: 3.6/5

After seeing these scores, I was pretty surprised that these averaged out the same. Although, from employee reviews, it seems that teachers feel that both companies should not take as much money from teachers. My personal opinion is that TakeLessons pays teachers more fairly.

Extra TakeLessons Feature

An additional plus for TakeLessons is that it allows lessons for any type. I even found knitting lessons, academic tutoring, sewing, and even options for group lessons. Musika is strictly music related teaching.

Conclusion

A problem that was mentioned with both is that teachers sometimes wait a long time for their first student. Another was that both had teachers who became disenfranchised because the company took too much from their pay. These could potentially sway you from using either service.

In review, I personally think that TakeLessons allows more freedom. Teachers can pick their own price and have the option of teaching other subjects. However, as a side note, if you’re interested in academic tutoring you may want to check out one of these tutoring websites.

Anyways, if you’re cool with playing by the rules of these two companies, they could be an awesome option for your growing music business or side hustle. Again, my personal opinion is that TakeLessons is a little cooler, but don’t take my word for. Go try it out!

Tell me your experiences here!