Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Teachstead — the studio management and lesson platform for music and voice teachers.
What is Teachstead?
Teachstead is a studio management and lesson platform for private music and voice teachers, tutors, and small studios. It combines lesson scheduling, attendance-based invoicing, virtual lessons with live transcription, AI lesson summaries, make-up credits, and a parent and student portal in a single web application. It is operated by Gregory Softworks LLC d/b/a Teachstead.
Who is Teachstead for?
Teachstead is designed for independent instructors and small studios that teach music, voice, or academic subjects — from a single teacher managing 15 students to a multi-teacher music or voice studio with up to 10 instructors. It is particularly useful for teachers who bill families monthly, track make-up credits, and want to reduce time spent on scheduling and invoicing.
How much does Teachstead cost?
Teachstead offers three monthly plans: Solo at $17/month (1 instructor), Studio at $34/month (up to 3 instructors), and Multi-Teacher at $69/month (up to 10 instructors). All plans include studio scheduling, studio billing, make-up credits, portal messages, homework assignments, and two-way calendar sync. A Video Lessons add-on is available from $12.99/month.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Every Teachstead plan includes a 30-day free trial. No credit card is required to start the trial. You can sign up at teachstead.com/auth/signup and have your studio configured within a single afternoon.
Does Teachstead support virtual or video lessons?
Yes. Teachstead includes an optional Video Lessons add-on that provides in-browser 1:1 video sessions with music-grade audio — designed to preserve the full frequency range of singing and instruments, which standard video call software compresses. Live transcription runs during the session and feeds the AI lesson summary draft automatically. Sessions are not recorded.
Can Teachstead send invoices and take payments?
Yes. Teachstead generates monthly invoices from real attendance — lessons taught become line items automatically. Families can pay by card through Stripe directly from the student portal. Teachers can also log cash, Venmo, or Zelle payments against an invoice. Overdue payment reminders go out automatically on a schedule you set.
Does Teachstead support multiple teachers or a full studio?
Yes. The Studio plan supports up to 3 instructors and the Multi-Teacher plan supports up to 10. Each instructor has their own availability, booking calendar, and student roster within a shared studio account. Billing and reporting are available at the studio level.
What are make-up credits?
Make-up credits are account credits issued to a student when a lesson is cancelled by the teacher or excused within your studio's cancellation policy. A credit entitles the student to a rescheduled lesson at no additional charge. Teachstead issues and tracks make-up credits automatically so neither the teacher nor the family needs to keep a manual log.
Does Teachstead have a parent and student portal?
Yes. Every Teachstead account includes a parent and student portal. Families can view upcoming lessons, download invoices, read AI lesson summaries, send and receive messages, access homework assignments, upload practice recordings, and work through the teacher's practice library — all without logging into the teacher's account.
How do students book lessons?
Teachers publish a booking page at teachstead.com/book/[studio-name]. Families select from available time slots based on the teacher's configured availability, buffer times, and booking policy. Recurring weekly lessons can be set up once and continue automatically. Teachers can also add lessons manually from the dashboard.