Course Platforms for Music Teachers: Teachable, Podia, Thinkific
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Music teachers selling recorded lessons care about a few practical things: where video is hosted, how lessons are released, whether live sessions are possible, and how payments and taxes are handled. This article compares three platforms on those points, using only what each vendor’s pricing page states. Where a page is silent, we say so. We compare plans and features rather than naming one winner, because the right pick depends on how you teach.
Plans and fees at a glance
| Teachable | Podia | Thinkific | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter: $39/month billed monthly, $29/month billed annually | Mover: $49/month billed monthly, $42/month billed annually | Start: €107/month billed monthly, €79/month billed annually |
| Next plan up | Builder: $89/month billed monthly, $69/month billed annually | Shaker: $99/month billed monthly, $84/month billed annually | Grow and Expand exist; prices not stated here |
| Platform transaction fee | 7.5% on Starter | 5% on Mover | Percentage not stated on the page |
| Free trial | 7 days (see note below) | 14 days | 30 days, no free plan |
Note that Thinkific’s page mixes euro and dollar figures, so check the currency shown at checkout. Teachable’s page is internally inconsistent about its trial: it lists a 7-day free trial, but also says the trial was extended from 7 to 30 days. We cannot tell you which is current. Teachable also mentions a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Fees you will actually pay
Transaction fees and payment-processing fees are separate charges.
Teachable charges 7.5% on Starter. Builder and Growth plans carry 0% transaction fees when you use Teachable Payments. That does not remove card costs: the vendor lists 2.9% + 30¢ on U.S. credit and debit card sales, and tax handling is a separate matter, covered below.
Podia charges 5% on Mover, and says there are no Podia fees on Shaker or Earthquaker. Even then, Stripe or PayPal still charge their standard 2.9% + 30¢, so processor costs remain.
Thinkific lists Thinkific Payments at 2.9%. If you use another gateway, an extra third-party fee applies and varies by plan. The page does not state a transaction-fee percentage for Thinkific, so confirm that before you commit.
What matters for music lessons
Video hosting and streaming. Lesson videos are the core product for most music teachers. Teachable lists video storage of up to 1TB. Thinkific states monthly video bandwidth by plan: 200 GB for Start, 400 GB for Grow and 1000 GB for Expand. These are different kinds of limit (storage versus bandwidth), so they are not directly comparable. Podia’s page does not state storage or bandwidth limits; it describes video counts only.
Releasing lessons over time. A beginner course often works best as a weekly sequence. Thinkific states that it supports drip schedules for releasing lessons over time. Podia’s page does not mention drip content. Teachable lists drip content, but which plans include it is unclear from the page.
Live lessons and events. Podia lists Events, both live and in-person, which could suit teachers who mix recordings with workshops or masterclasses. Teachable’s pricing page does not state whether live classes are supported.
Taxes for international students. Teachable lists U.S. sales tax, global VAT and GST handling. Podia lists sales tax for 230 countries. Thinkific’s tax tooling is not covered in the information we gathered.
Who it suits, and who should look elsewhere
- Teachable suits teachers who want large video storage and built-in tax handling, and who can move to Builder or above to reach 0% transaction fees. Look elsewhere if live classes are essential, since the page does not state them, or if you want to stay on Starter with its 7.5% fee.
- Podia suits teachers who want to combine courses with live or in-person events and are comfortable with the 5% Mover fee. Look elsewhere if you need clear video limits or drip scheduling, since neither is stated on the page.
- Thinkific suits teachers who want drip schedules, a long trial and published bandwidth figures. Look elsewhere if you need a clear transaction-fee percentage or refund terms upfront, since the page states neither. Its entry price is listed in euros, which may matter for budgeting in other currencies.
What we could not verify
- Teachable: live class support, and which plans include drip content.
- Podia: video storage or bandwidth limits, drip content, and whether memberships are offered as a separate feature.
- Thinkific: refund terms, the transaction-fee percentage, Grow and Expand prices, and details on Zoom sessions, communities and tax tooling.
Prices and terms change, and every figure above reflects the vendors’ pages as checked on 2026-10-26. Check each vendor’s current page, and use the trials to test video upload and playback with your own lessons before paying. Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That has not changed which limits and gaps we reported for each product.
Other platforms exist but are not covered here.