Soniq Studio is a tool for teaching today, and we hope it becomes more than that over time. This article explains the direction we are heading, how we decide what comes next, and how you can help. It describes our thinking, not a schedule. We do not attach dates to ideas that are still taking shape.
Teaching comes first
Our first job is to help you earn a sustainable living from teaching. That means a timetable you can trust, invoices built from your lessons, and payments that arrive on time. Every new idea has to sit on top of that foundation, so teaching stays our focus for now. We explain why in Why Soniq Studio exists.
One musician, many kinds of work
Very few musicians earn their living in one way. The same person might teach on weekday evenings, play a function band on Saturday, and accompany exam candidates during the week. We call this person the polyglot musician: fluent in teaching, performing and accompanying, and often several other things besides.
Each kind of work brings its own admin. Gigs need dates, fees and set lists. Accompanying needs rehearsal times and a way to bill each candidate or school. Most musicians keep all of this in different places, and the pieces rarely fit together. Our long-term hope is to bring that working life into one place, the way we have started to do for teaching.
Music is made together
Musicians rarely work alone for long. Bands, choirs, orchestras and community shows depend on people finding each other and keeping in touch. Students grow when they get the chance to play with others and to perform.
So we are exploring tools for groups as well as individuals. On our website you will see ideas we are working on: tools for choirs, ensembles and bands to organise themselves; small, playful apps for learners between lessons; and concerts and workshops where students can use what they have learned. These are directions, not promises. Some will change shape as we learn, and some may not happen at all.
How we try new features
We build new features in small steps and test them with real teachers before everyone sees them. To do that, we can switch a feature on for a small group of accounts while it is still being shaped. The rest of Soniq Studio works the same for everyone in the meantime.
Some features in this help centre work this way today. The timetable generator, drafting a timetable with AI and the contact portal are early-access features for founding members. If an article describes a screen you cannot see yet, the feature is probably not switched on for your account. You can read about one of these in How to draft a timetable with AI.
We work this way because a feature is far easier to change before it reaches everyone. Early feedback from a handful of teachers saves every teacher from a design that does not fit how they work.
Founding members shape the direction
Founding members are teachers and other music makers who help us decide what to build. The programme is free. We ask for your time and your opinions, not your money.
As a founding member, you get a direct line to the team, without a support queue in between. You get early access to new features, so you can help shape them while they are still being built. You can weigh in on what we prioritise, and what we drop. When Soniq Studio launches publicly, founding members are credited by name.
We are especially keen to hear from people who run a teaching practice, lead a group or ensemble, run a studio with several teachers, or work to make music more accessible in their community. You do not need hundreds of students or a large following. What matters is that you care about grass-roots music and would enjoy helping to build something from the start.
You can leave the programme at any time, and your Soniq Studio account carries on as normal. To find out more, or to join, visit the founding members page.
What stays the same
Whatever we add, some things matter to us above the rest. Your account and student data stay in the European Economic Area. We aim to keep fees low and the free plan generous, because lessons must stay affordable for the families who pay for them. We explain that commitment in Why lessons must stay affordable.
Most of all, we will keep listening to the people who use Soniq Studio every week. The road ahead is one we want to walk with you.