Masterclass Review – Is Masterclass Worth It? (2022 update)
In this Masterclass Review, I’ll help you decide if Masterclass is worth it. I’ll also include brief write ups and ratings of the specific Masterclass courses I have taken so far.
If you’re not into reading, you can watch some Masterclass trailers on the official Masterclass site, or scroll down to watch Masterclass Reviews I’ve created on a specific courses. The video versions are entertaining and contain much of the same info.
What is Masterclass and is it worth it?
Masterclass is an online learning platform that presents high production value courses taught by true industry legends.
So far, I’ve found Masterclass to be an excellent source of education and entertainment. You get to learn high level concepts and tips from the best of the best and you also get to hear stories and learn what it really takes to become a master in a particular field.
The first thing to note in a Masterclass review is that the courses are so well shot and edited together. Watching Masterclass feels a bit like ‘Netflix and Chill’ only you know in the back of your mind you’re also being productive.
My recommendation is to get the all access pass at $180 a year (far cheaper than a college education and you can pay just $15 monthly) – and then you’ll have the option to learn:
- Writing from the World’s All-Time Best Selling Author James Patterson
- Filmmaking from Martin Scorsese or Spike Lee
- Acting From Oscar winner Helen Mirran or Natalie Portman
- Cooking from a 16 time Michelin Star Chef – Gordon Ramsey
- Music Production from Deadmau5, Hans Zimmer, or Timbaland
- Comedy from Steve Martin and Judd Apatow
- Singing from Christina Aguilera
- Soul Guitar from Santana or Rock Guitar from Tom Morello
- Basketball from Steph Curry or Tennis From Serena Williams
… just to name a few.
Masterclass Review: Price and Discounts
Unfortunately, there are no free trials for Masterclass. As of May 2020, Masterclass is no longer offering access to a single class and only promoting the full subscription. That is fine as that is the method I have found to give you the most bang for your buck. There is also a 30 day money back guarantee.
Masterclass used to offer discount codes and special deals, but now as they’ve become more popular they tend not to do that. If they do offer a Masterclass discount code it is usually open to everyone on the site itself. If there is a special deal or coupon I’ll be sure to keep the below link up to date:
Masterclass Review: Course Overview
At the time of this writing there are over 50 Masterclass courses, and they are constantly adding more. To stay up to date you can check them out here on Twitter or Facebook.
Many Masterclasses are worth their individual course price and I detail a few of those below. However, what I personally have liked the most is having the all access pass. I like this for a few reasons.
- Most course subjects particularly film, writing, and music production all have multiple A listers that teach a masterclass. Why choose to listen to just one course when you can pay just double and receive access to 4 or 5 experts discuss how they became successful.
- I watch Masterclass slightly different than I do other online courses. Since they are so well-shot and filled with interesting anecdotes I often binge watch a course with a notepad nearby. You don’t need to stop every couple minutes to complete a task or master a certain aspect. The downside to this is that the courses tend to be more tangible and high-level. The upside is that each course is filled with wisdom and ideas to spur you forward. So I like to just enjoy and write down the high level points as I watch the courses.
- If you aren’t watching multiple Masterclasses you feel like you are being wasteful. The self-guilt that I paid for an all access pass and I’m not using it to the max pushes me to learn more. This may not be the best strategy for some, but for me and my personality type, I love this extra pressure to absorb the knowledge available to me.
Masterclass Review: My Overall Recommendation
My recommendation would be to get the all access pass and replace Netflix and chill, with Masterclass and chill. It will be slightly less enjoyable, but 100x more beneficial.
Some of the courses are worth the individual $90 price tag, but not all. If you’re going to go for Masterclass the best bang for your buck is to commit to watching 4 of them. You’ll be surprised how much you learn and improve.
The Best Masterclass Courses For Musicians:
I am a musician (singer/songwriter) so I’ve started my journey at the musical end of the course load.
In particular, I wanted to start with a voice lesson course. I have been on a long journey to improve my singing and speaking voice. Taking many online courses. In particular, I have been working on how to make your voice deeper.
Now onto Christina’s Masterclass review.
Christina Aguilera’s Masterclass Review
- Video Production Quality: 10/10
- Instructors Pace/Ability to Hold Attention: 8/10
- Concrete Learning/Exercises: 5/10
- Inspirational/Philosophical boost: 9/10
- Personal Enjoyment: 8/10
- Overall: 8/10
What I liked best about Christina Aguilera’s Masterclass
Christina has a wonderful ability to describe the indescribable.
Creating a certain sound with your voice is much harder to describe than finger positions on a piano or guitar and Christina does a good job of describing and demonstrating those more esoteric points.
Also, because singing is such a “feel thing” the high production value of the videos let me “feel” like I was in the room with her and learn through Osmosis. In some videos she was accompanied by a piano player and drummer, and she would take some of her popular songs and change up the rhythm on the spot, just to demonstrate how to feel a beat or modify a melody. It was super interesting and entertaining to watch.
What I didn’t like about Christina Aguilera’s Masterclass
As compared to other singing courses I have taken in the past, Christina Aguilera’s Masterclass wasn’t as participatory or tangible. It did have a few tangible steps and vocal warm up suggestions, but it was primarily demonstrations and ideas to keep in the back of your mind that will help you make those high level tweaks to texture your singing with emotion and also inspiration to help you break through the mental barriers required to become a great performer.
If you’re looking for a more tangible singing course, filled with excellent step by step vocal exercises you can check out my review of Roger Love’s Singing Course, or just check out his site in general and decide if that online singing course is better for you.
To read my full Christina Aguilera Masterclass Review Click Here.
Timbaland’s Masterclass Review
I’m a singer-songwriter, who primarily creates demos in logic and therefore had beginner to intermediate production skills before this course. I took Timbaland’s Masterclass on Beatmaking and Producing because I wanted to improve my skills and learn some tricks from the pros.
- Video Production Quality: 10
- Instructors Pace/Ability to Hold Attention: 8
- Concrete Learning/Exercises: 7
- Inspirational/Philosophical Boost: 9
- Personal Enjoyment: 9
- Overall: 8.5
Best Masterclass For FilmMakers
Masterclass offers courses from a variety of filmmakers, directors and writers. I have taken a few but my favorite was Judd Apatows.
Judd Apatow’s Masterclass Review: Comedy
Judd Apatow’s Masterclass on Comedy is a long and overarching course on show business. Of all the Masterclasses I have taken and reviewed this one has had the most information for the viewer. There are over 30 lessons and Judd Apatow covers everything form writing, pitching, producing, directing, and even a little bit of acting and auditioning. I really enjoyed his practical advice.
My Conclusion on Masterclass
In conclusion Masterclass is a super entertaining and educational resource that is well worth the $180 for the full access pass. Follow this link if you plan to join me on the journey and let me know your thoughts and tips in the comments.
Thanks for reading!
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