What Berklee Online does

Berklee Online, founded in 2002, is the online school of Berklee College of Music, Inc. and operates as a private, NECHE-accredited nonprofit delivering the same curriculum as Berklee's Boston campus to a global audience. It is the world's largest online music school by enrollment, serving 75,000+ students across 164 countries with 18,000+ annual credit-based course enrollments and 3.1 million MOOC enrollments to date. The platform offers 200+ individual 12-week courses across 16 interest areas, 50+ multi-course certificate programs, 12 undergraduate majors (Bachelor of Arts, $59,160 total tuition; $63,660 for guitar), and multiple graduate degrees (Master of Music and Master of Arts, $33,120 total tuition) including a newly launched Music Supervision MA in 2025. Pricing is structured as $1,575 per credit course plus a $175 certificate registration fee, with a 10% discount for upfront payment; federal financial aid is available for degree programs.

The business is built on a custom online learning platform featuring video lectures, exercises, interactive quizzes, weekly live class sessions (recorded for replay), small section sizes capped at 20 students, and weekly instructor feedback. Go-to-market is hybrid: certificate programs and individual courses use product-led growth via open enrollment with no application required, while degree programs run a sales-assisted admissions process with academic advisors (phone, text, email) and a $75 waived application fee. Distribution is direct-to-consumer at online.berklee.edu, supported by content marketing (Take Note magazine, free sample lessons, handbooks, podcasts), masterclasses, the annual Berklee Onsite Boston conference, and partnerships with Women in Vinyl/Marshall (scholarships), Semper Fi & America's Fund (veterans), and Berklee Valencia (study abroad). Customer segments span aspiring musicians, adult learners/career changers, working industry professionals, female musicians, and military/veterans; reported student outcomes include 97% satisfaction, 79% employed/in continuing education, and 78% of working graduates employed in the entertainment industry.

Name

Berklee Online

Legal name

Berklee College of Music, Inc.

Website

https://online.berklee.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Berklee Online is the online division of Berklee College of Music, delivering NECHE-accredited undergraduate and graduate music degrees, certificates, and individual courses to aspiring and working musicians worldwide via a custom online learning platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Music Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms (EDAMANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE), Music (Instruments, Voice, Music Theory) (EDAAAGAC)

Keywords

• Online music education
• Music degree programs
• Music certificate programs
• Music production courses
• Music business courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Degree Programs: Full tuition for Bachelor of Arts degree ($59,160 for 120 credits; guitar major $63,660). Students taking 10 courses per year can complete in four years at $14,790 per year. Federal financial aid available.
2. Graduate Degree Programs: Master of Music and Master of Arts degrees at $33,120 for 36 credits. Programs designed to be completed in one year (12 three-credit courses over four 12-week semesters).
3. Certificate Programs: $175 one-time registration fee per certificate program plus $1,575 per credit course. Optional 10% discount for full payment. Programs range from 3-18 months.
4. Individual Courses: Individual courses priced at $1,575 per credit. Both undergraduate and graduate level courses available for credit or non-credit enrollment.
5. Masterclasses: Short 2-hour masterclass sessions providing learning from Berklee instructors on specific topics. Free sample lessons and handbook resources drive conversion to paid programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Berklee Online delivers online music education credentials through its custom learning platform: 12-week individual courses, multi-course certificate programs, Bachelor of Arts and Master of Music/Master of Arts degree programs, and short masterclasses across contemporary music disciplines such as music production, music business, songwriting, performance, and film/TV/game scoring. Coursework is delivered via video lectures, interactive exercises, weekly live online classes capped at 20 students, and personalized instructor feedback, with the same Berklee College of Music faculty teaching the Boston on-campus curriculum.

Product overview

Berklee Online is an online music education platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of credential programs: individual 12-week courses spanning over 200 subjects across 16 interest areas (instrument instruction, music production software like Ableton/Pro Tools/Logic, music business, songwriting, theory, and film/TV/game scoring); multi-course certificate programs at undergraduate and graduate levels; Bachelor of Arts degrees in 12 majors including Music Production, Guitar Performance, Music Business, Songwriting and Producing Music, Electronic Music Production and Sound Design, Film/TV/Game Composition, Piano and Voice Performance, and Interdisciplinary Music Studies; Master's degrees including Master of Music and Master of Arts options in Music Production, Music Business, Songwriting, Film Scoring, and Music Supervision; plus masterclasses, the annual Berklee Onsite Boston conference, Take Note online magazine, and a study abroad program in Valencia, Spain. The platform features award-winning learning technology with live video classes, small class sizes capped at 20 students, and instruction from Berklee campus faculty plus industry professionals. Students from over 140 countries access the same curriculum as Berklee's Boston campus at approximately 64% lower cost than on-campus tuition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 12-Week Courses Individual undergraduate and graduate-level courses lasting 12 weeks each, covering beginner to advanced topics across 16 musical interest areas including music production, music business, songwriting, guitar, piano/voice, film/TV/game scoring, and music theory. Available for credit or non-credit enrollment at $1,575 per credit, with no application required.
• Certificate Programs Multi-course certificate programs at undergraduate and graduate levels offering deeper proficiency in chosen music disciplines, requiring 10+ hours/week and running 3-18 months. Students pay a $175 one-time registration fee plus $1,575 per credit; optional 10% discount for full payment. Open enrollment, no application required.
• Bachelor's Degrees Bachelor of Arts degrees in 12 majors including Music Production, Guitar Performance, Music Business, Songwriting, Songwriting and Producing Music, Electronic Music Production and Sound Design, Music Composition for Film/TV/Games, Piano Performance, Voice Performance, Music Composition, and Interdisciplinary Music Studies. 120 credits (165 for dual major), designed for 2-4 year completion, total tuition $59,160 ($63,660 for guitar major). Federal financial aid available; formal application required.
• Master's Degrees Master of Music and Master of Arts degrees in Music Production, Music Business, Songwriting, Film Scoring, Music Supervision, and Interdisciplinary Music Studies. 36 credits, designed for completion in 1-3 years (Music Production and Music Business can be completed in one year), total tuition $33,120. Federal financial aid available; formal application required.
• Masterclasses 2-hour live sessions where prospective students learn specific topics or skills from Berklee instructors. Offered at all skill levels with no application required, used as a free top-of-funnel acquisition tool to drive conversion to paid programs.
• Berklee Onsite Conference Annual on-campus music conference in Boston featuring workshops, panels, performances, and networking events for Berklee Online students and music industry professionals. Featured keynote speakers such as Mark Ethier (iZotope cofounder) draw prospective students and industry attention.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% overall satisfaction rate among graduating students
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Women in VinylcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2026Fourth consecutive year partnership with Women in Vinyl, a non-profit organization, offering a $5,000 scholarship for female or female-identifying individuals to study music business at Berklee Online. Applicants must submit 500-word essay by August 10, winner selected by September 14, must enroll by January 2027 semester. All applicants receive free access to Berklee Online handbooks in music business, production, songwriting, guitar, and music theory.
• MarshallcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2026Amplifier manufacturer Marshall partners with Berklee Online and Women in Vinyl for the fourth consecutive year on the $5,000 scholarship program for female musicians. Marshall provides sponsorship support for the scholarship aimed at increasing female representation in music business.
• Mark EthierminorOthers · 6 May 2026Mark Ethier, executive director of Berklee's Emerging Artistic Technology Lab and cofounder of iZotope, delivers opening keynote at Berklee Onsite 2026 conference. Named one of SPIN's Most Influential People in Music for 2026.
• Semper Fi & America's FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2025Non-profit organization caring for critically wounded, ill, and injured service members, veterans, and military families. Provided connection between veteran Tim Donley and Berklee Online for Voice Technique 101 course as part of rehabilitation. Supports music education programs for veterans.
• MusiCorpsminorOthers · 7 March 2025Program connecting musicians with injured veterans at Walter Reed Military Hospital. Berklee Online student Tim Donley participated in MusiCorps during recovery, forming connections that led to his music career and collaboration with Roger Waters.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Major online learning platform partnering with universities to offer courses, certificates, and degrees including music-related programs from Berklee and other institutions. Direct competitor in the credentialed online music education space with significant scale.
• LinkedIn Learning: Subscription-based professional development platform with music production and business courses. Competes with Berklee Online's individual courses and certificates for working professionals seeking skill development.
• MasterClass: Subscription-based online learning platform featuring celebrity instructors across creative disciplines including music. Comparable to Berklee Online's premium online music instruction model, though broader in scope and lacking accredited credentials.
• Udemy: Online course marketplace with extensive music production, instrument, and theory courses at low price points. Competes with Berklee Online's individual course offerings at significantly lower price points but without accreditation.
• Yamaha Music School: Established global music education provider offering instrumental instruction across multiple instruments. Comparable in scale and geographic reach, though primarily focused on in-person private lessons rather than online degrees.

Direct peers

• Icon Collective: Music production school offering online and in-person programs in production, engineering, and sound design. Comparable to Berklee Online's electronic music production and sound design degree offerings.
• Full Sail University: For-profit institution offering online and on-campus degrees in music production, entertainment business, and film. Directly comparable to Berklee Online's accredited degree offerings in music production, business, and film scoring.
• Groove3: Subscription-based music production tutorial platform covering DAWs, plugins, and production techniques. Directly comparable to Berklee Online's individual courses on music production software like Pro Tools, Logic, and Ableton.
• Point Blank Music School: Specialized online music production and DJ school offering certificate and diploma programs. Directly comparable to Berklee Online's music production certificate programs with similar target audience of aspiring producers.

Others

• Ableton: Music production software company offering extensive free and paid learning content (Learning Music, Learning Synths). Comparable as ecosystem player in music production education, though primarily a software vendor rather than credentialed school.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berkleeonline
• Instagraminstagram.com/berkleeonline
• Xx.com/BerkleeOnline

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Berklee Online