Virtu.Academy Review

What is Virtu.Academy?

Ever wanted to pick up a new instrument?

Or maybe just hone your musical skills?

Those who’ve taken music lessons before will likely empathize with how difficult finding the right program can be. Not only in terms of getting a good teacher but also lessons that fit your style and interests.

That’s the problem Virtu.Academy aims to solve through e-learning.

So what is it?

Virtu.Academy is a platform for online music lessons founded in 2018. It has instructors from all over the world in dozens of instruments and 13 genres. 

The genres on offer cover everything from rock music to the Suzuki method. Don’t have access to an instrument? That’s fine, Virtu.Academy also has lessons on theory and composition. All you need is a computer with a webcam.

The best part?

Anyone can apply, regardless of age or skill level.

Virtu.Academy Teachers

The most important part of taking lessons is the teachers.

They’re what can make or break your experience in learning an instrument.

So how does Virtu.Academy’s roster fare?

To start, there are hundreds of teachers to choose from. Each specializes in different categories, age groups, and skill levels. Some of them teach more than one instrument.

Each tutor has a personal page where you can read about them and their qualifications. Virtu.Academy’s teachers are highly trained. They all have degrees in their respective fields and have struck careers in music.

And there are tutors of all kinds of backgrounds, nationalities, and ethnicities.

The best part?

Virtu.Academy offers trial sessions where you can book virtual music lessons and see whether you like that teacher. Trial classes are the same length as normal ones – either 30 or 60 minutes. However, first-timers get 50% off.

If by any chance, you aren’t satisfied with your current teacher, you can contact the academy and get a new one.

Courses and Content Quality

Now we get to the core of Virtu.Academy – the courses themselves.

To start off, all classes are online. As such, it goes without saying you’ll need a computer with a webcam and your own equipment. Those are usually the only requirements for starting a course. Naturally, make sure to check each class description before signing up.

But what about in-person teaching?

Unfortunately, Virtu.Academy only offers online music classes. This may deter those who prefer face-to-face sessions but is also what creates the platform’s veristility.

There are 24 instruments you can choose from.

Now, “instruments” also include vocals and composition. So if you take those out, there are technically 22, which is still a lot. Anything you can think of – flute, guitar, piano, harp, violin, Virtu.Academy has it all.

Classes are also divided into age and skill groups.

Most teachers on the platform tutor adults, but many also take in younger students. Virtu.Academy offers private online music lessons to all ages four and up. You can see what age groups each teacher accepts on their personal page.

Now: skill.

Feeling hesitant to try learning because you’ll have to start from scratch? That’s no problem, Virtu.Academy has plenty of tutors who can take you in. The full list of skill levels the platform teaches is organized as follows:

• No Experience
• Beginners
• Intermediate
• Advanced

So, you’ll be able to find a class even if you have zero musical experience.

Learning Experience

How do courses work?

Signing up for one is pretty simple.

Almost all Virtu.Academy teachers offer trial lessons that you can book for either 30 or 60 minutes. You even get 50% off your first class! That’s ideal for getting an overall feel for the course and the instructor’s teaching method.

Scheduling

When you pick the course you want, you’ll have a list of dates and times you can pick. This is when your class will take place. Most seminars have a pretty wide variety of slots for nearly every day.

You can book a class as early as tomorrow or up to one year in advance. The ball is entirely in your court.

Once you pick a time, you fill out your personal information, and you’re all set!

Accessing the Session

So you’ve scheduled and set up your first course.

Now what?

Before you start, the platform will ask you to fill out a short form. It contains questions like how long you’ve played music, have you taken any previous classes, etc. This is so the teacher knows what to expect from you during your virtual music lessons.

Once that’s done, you’ll receive an email with a link to a Zoom meeting.

Quality of Lessons

Now let’s talk about value.

Does Virtu.Academy actually succeed in teaching anything? And are their sessions worth your time?

Obviously, the answer will depend on not only the teacher but also the fact that each class is a subjective experience. What seems ideal to you may not work for someone else.

However, from my personal experience working on our Virtu.Academy review, I can confidently vouch for the platform’s quality. Just the idea of connecting you to all these professional musicians and having you learn from them is great.

For the most part, the lessons are friendly and casual in tone.

You can choose to study around a strict learning schedule. 

Or, you can work with your tutor to make up your own freeform curriculum. For instance, you can have a session where you and your teacher examine a particular musical project you’re working on. Then you get advice on what to add and how to improve it.

This is just an example. The contents of your curriculum can be whatever you and your teacher land on. Based on personal experience, I can assure you the positive Virtu.Academy reviews are fully representative of the platform.

In the constantly growing world of e-learning, interactions between students and lecturers have largely fallen by the wayside. Virtu.Academy manages to break that trend.

Virtu.Academy vs MasterClass

Now let’s compare Virtu.Academy to a similar e-learning platform: MasterClass.

If you’re into music composition, you’ve undoubtedly seen plenty of ads about its classes featuring world-famous composers.

But is it actually better than Virtu.Academy?

Well, to start off, MasterClass isn’t just for learning about music. It has courses covering all kinds of different topics. From cooking to business to creative writing, science, economics, and history, the number of options is head-spinning.

Many MasterClass courses are led by renowned celebrities, which is a huge part of its appeal.

Its roster is immense. The platform’s presenters include Hans Zimmer, Gordon Ramsay, Christina Aguilera, Carlos Santana, and many other recognizable names.

Sounds great, right?

But there’s a catch.

MasterClass is not a substitute for an online music academy like Virtu.Academy. You don’t get to actually interact with the instructors. The learning process is a lot more isolated.

Instead, MasterClass courses consist of about two hours’ worth of video clips separated into chunks. In these videos, the instructors talk about their careers, lifestyle, and give you general advice.

Virtu.Academy, on the other hand, provides actual lessons. And when it comes to credentials – you can book online courses with tutors from renowned institutions like Juilliard and the Metropolitan Orchestra.

One advantage of MasterClass is its price. Its subscription plans are significantly more affordable than those of Virtu.Academy. But of course, those prices are reflective of the product’s quality. You’ll have to decide for yourself which one suits you best.

Ease of Use

While Virtu.Academy has tons of options and provides high-quality music lessons, setting it up is actually pretty simple.

Just go to the official website, and scroll down to see a list of all the teachers. On the right side, you can filter results by desired instrument, skill level, and age group. Then, when you’ve found the one you like, click on Learn More.

This will take you to that teacher’s bio page.

All Virtu.Academy online music teachers have a personal profile where you can see their specialties and offered skill levels.

After finding the right tutor, you have two options: book a lesson, or go for a trial session.

Trial lessons are of the same length as regular ones, except they cost half as much and are refundable. The lessons themselves are very accessible, only requiring a computer with a microphone and a webcam.

Now, what if you need to reschedule?

Luckily, that’s super easy to do too.

You can cancel or reschedule the lesson up to 24 hours before the session through the website. You can do that by clicking on the Cancel/Change Appointment button in your confirmation email.

In case of emergencies, however, it’s a different story.

If you have to cancel one of your classes on short notice, you’re subject to an additional fee.

And speaking of fees…

Pricing

How much will studying music through Virtu.Academy cost you?

There’s actually a number of different payment plans to choose from. The best one for you will depend on how often you plan on using the service.

Let’s first address the elephant in the room – is there a free trial?

The answer is no.

The closest thing to that is the 50% discount you can get on your first trial lesson. Aside from that, all online music classes on Virtu.Academy are paid.

With that being said, here’s the full list of payment options available:

• 30-minute private lesson - $31
  An individual, private, half-hour-long session with a one-time payment. Access to all teachers and the ability to reschedule or cancel lessons 24 hours in advance. Trial lessons get 50% off, at $14.50 per session.

• 45-minute private lesson - $46
  Same benefits as above, no option for a Trial lesson.

• 60-minute private lesson - $56
  Same benefits as the 30-minute lesson. Trial lessons of this tier cost $27 per session.

• Weekly 30-minute lesson subscription - $29.55/week
  Access to one 30-minute session per week. Unused credits roll over and don’t expire.

• Weekly 60-minute lesson subscription - $53.30/week
  Same benefits as the 30-minute weekly subscription.

• Monthly 30-minute lesson subscription - $115.88/month
  A monthly recurring payment containing four 30-minute lessons per month. Billed monthly, the price per session is $26.97.

• Monthly 60-minute lesson subscription - $202.40/month
  Same benefits as the 30-minute monthly subscription.

It’s also worth noting you can purchase packages consisting of several private online music lessons. Those can be bought in bulk of 4, 12, or 24 and are a one-time payment.

Now, what about refunds?

Virtu.Academy’s money-back policy is dependent on the situation. Trial lessons have a 100% guarantee if you’re unsatisfied with the quality. All you have to do is contact the academy via email.

However.

Packages and subscriptions aren’t subject to refunds. Individual lessons are also non-refundable, although there are some exceptions.

For instance, if you accidentally purchase a lesson, you can get a credit back to your account. You can also do that if you cancel a session up to 24 hours before the start time. The same applies if your teacher cancels the lesson.

Virtu.Academy Review – Verdict

In a nutshell – what is Virtu.Academy?

It’s an online academy for music, featuring lessons taught by highly trained musicians. There are plenty of online learning platforms out there, but few claim to reinvent the wheel as Virtu.Academy does.

But there’s a good reason for this.

The platform is unparalleled in terms of quality and quantity. With 24 instruments to choose from and classes for all ages and skill levels, Virtu.Academy is truly exceptional.

Is it perfect?

Naturally, no. There are drawbacks, like the lack of in-person teaching. Or the fact that sessions can only be one-hour long max. These are cons, to be sure, but they aren’t dealbreakers.

The truth is, the platform offers very high-quality teaching, as practically all Virtu.Academy reviews can attest. You’re almost guaranteed to walk out of your sessions satisfied.