Free management software vs. spreadsheets for a music school?

When moving from a spreadsheet to dedicated software, look for three key features: 1) Instrument room-based scheduling, 2) An automated balance tracker for accrued makeup credits, 3) Monthly receipt generation compliant with French tax regulations that can be sent straight to parents.

We insisted on using spreadsheets back when we had 35 students. At the end of the year, we realized one parent hadn’t paid for 3 months because a formula error was showing their cell as green. We took a direct hit of 360 Euro just like that.

edit: I wrote something wrong above, sorry about that.

40 students means dealing with 40 parents and their non-stop schedule change requests. anyway trying to manage that via spreadsheets turns you into a full-time receptionist instead of a teacher.

Keep in mind that most off-the-shelf software doesn't really get how music schools handle makeup lessons. A lot of platforms just treat them like generic appointment slots. Make sure you test the makeup lesson workflow during their 14-day trial before committing to anything.

Having three instructors edit the same spreadsheet at the same time is always an invitation to data loss. The second someone accidentally deletes a column, rolling back the version history turns into an absolute nightmare.

check out open source association management tools imo they're free and handle student fee tracking really well just need someone to set it up on a server.

Quick fix until you make the switch: restrict the room column in your spreadsheet using 'data validation' and set up separate protected sheets for each instructor so they can only see and edit their own classes.

If parents' email addresses and phone numbers are being entered into third-party cloud platforms, notifying them and obtaining their consent is essential for institutional transparency.

I agree with this. Everyone rushing into music school management software gets stuck at the same point.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

You're right. anyway if code ownership isn't in the contract, you have no bargaining power when leaving.

Three different views emerged they all complement each other. The real issue isn't the number, but what it's based on.

If you have questions, write them; I'll answer as best I can.

I have an objection here. Weekly written progress reports are much more useful than asking for dates.

Hope this helps.

I'll argue the opposite, don't get mad. When making a decision, first look at what data you have on hand.

Start with a small trial; don't commit to everything at once.

I'm curious too.

I have a question, don't want to go off-topic though. Start with a small trial; don't commit to everything at once.

I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

There's a part I don't understand. Don't hesitate to ask; those who don't ask always pay more.

If acceptance criteria aren't written, when the work is done is open to debate. I'm also curious if anyone does it differently.

I felt relieved reading this answer so it's not just me... If scope grows either time or budget must grow. btw there is no third option.

If you post the result here, it will help others too.

I went through the same thing two years ago. Solutions that work at a small scale collapse when you grow; I learned this late.

Correct me if I'm wrong.