My Online Music Teaching Studio Gear and Set Up

I have finally perfected my studio set up for when I teach online music lessons with Zoom! Many of you have been asking me what my set up is, so I thought it was time to show it to you. Since I was moving into our summer bungalow, I figured this was a perfect time to set it up and show you all the gear as I did it.

What I do with this gear

My studio set up is multipurpose. On any given day I do one of the following things

Teach piano lessons via Zoom
Teach voice lessons via Zoom
Teach workshops, masterclasses and give talks via Zoom
Film video tutorials for my online membership The Versatile Musician
Film video content for my YouTube channel
Record social media content
Record piano accompaniments for people.

I am not a technology wizard.

Bear in mind that I am not a technological wizard. In fact, quite the opposite is true. I was a total neophyte for YEARS before I was dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age. I started teaching remote lessons back in 2015, after a trip to Australia handed me a bunch of Australian students. I started out by using Skype, which was totally find for a while. Once Covid hit, I realized I needed to up my game if I was to be effective for the long term.

I watched a ton of YouTube videos to sort out my studio set up. I also asked the Google hivemind a lot of times. I was careful to only purchase what I needed and have upgraded along the way. It has been a process of trial and error to figure out what will work for what I do. I plan to keep this setup permanently and will only replace things are they die. (May that not happen for a long, long time…)

Need to learn more chords?

I am not a technology wizard.

Setting up the Studio

In this video, I show you the steps I took to get the whole operation set up. I took my entire studio setting apart, loaded the stuff in the car and drove it out to our bungalow. I made this video to show you the exact steps to get the damn thing set up again.

My Studio Gear

Please note that these are NOT affiliate links. I with make zero dollars if you click this links. I’m just being a nice person ; )

Apple iMac – $1300. (Purchased in 2018)

Casio Privia keyboard – $600 (Purchased in

Liquid Stands adjustable keyboard stand $72

Proper Keyboard Foot pedal – $25

Focusrite Audio interface $419

Bose Mini Speakers – $149

Cloudlifter Microphone Activator $149

Microphone – Shure SM7B – $399

Bundle the Cloudlifer and Shure SM7B

Webcams – $69

How Much Did This Cost? Could I Do it Cheaper?

The complete cost of my studio set up: $3251

How could I make this cheaper?

1. Get a smaller or cheaper keyboard

Make sure it’s MIDI compatible!

2. Use a USB microphone like the Blue Snowball

I have one and it works great! It also eliminates the need for a DAW, which will save you a bundle!

3. Use headphones or a cheaper pair of computer speakers

4. Use a laptop or a non-Mac computer – I use Mac because of all of the video editing I do. You can totally get away with a non-Mac or a refurbished computer which would work great.

All of this equipment was a tax writeoff for my business and it was worth it for me to invest, since I want to create the highest quality lessons for my private students and film the best possible tutorial videos. It has paid off many-fold since I now have a thriving membership and an almost-full private teaching studio.

Want to know more about my setup or other digital tools I use? I regularly use a software called ManyCam, which helps me create an incredible online piano and voice lesson Leave me a comment

Check it out!

Want to level up your musical skills? Strengthen your piano skills, develop your ear training, become a rhythm ninja and learn new skills like jazz and improvisation.

The Versatile Musician is an all-in-one membership that combines video lessons, print material and live support to help you level up your skills and thrive as a musician and music teacher.

To learn more, check out www.theversatilemusician.com and get ready to become the best musician possible!