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Want to learn how to cook with Marco Pierre White? What about how to produce music with Mark Ronson?
Having access to insights from incredibly successful household names sounds like a dream come true. And this is exactly what BBC Maestro offers.
With a range of courses on topics such as writing, wellbeing, music and business, BBC Maestro’s classes are led by inspiring experts. Boasting great visuals, in-depth case studies and downloadable bonus content, BBC Maestro certainly has a lot to offer.
But is it worth the membership fee? And just how good are BBC Maestro courses? This BBC Maestro review will cover all this and more to help you decide whether this is the online learning platform for you.
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Quick summary
Features
- Dozens of courses taught by huge names, including Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, superstar producer Mark Ronson and best-selling author Dr Rangan Chatterjee
- Wide range of topics from writing and wellness to design and food
- Each course comes with downloadable bonus content offering further resources and extra tips and tricks
Pros
- Expert tutors who are experienced household names who’ve achieved incredible success in their industries
- Amazing production value with high-quality videos, and fantastic editing and production
- Brilliant downloadable resources you can refer to again and again
Cons
- As the BBC is British, content is geared towards UK viewers. However, the majority of content is super valuable wherever you live
- Can be quite a passive learning experience as no one will be looking at or grading your work
Best for: Anyone who wants to gain new skills, insights and understanding from some of the most impressive artists, business leaders and health professionals working today.
Cost: Check BBC Maestro for the latest prices.
Overall: With a slick, intuitive interface, incredible teachers and an exciting range of topics, BBC Maestro is a brilliant opportunity to get up close and personal with your heroes. With new courses released all the time, their ever-growing catalogue is sure to have something for everyone!
This detailed review will cover everything you need to know, including:
- What is BBC Maestro and who are the instructors?
- How much does BBC Maestro cost?
- BBC Maestro free trial
- What a lesson is like
- Best BBC Maestro classes
- BBC Maestro for business
- How I reviewed BBC Maestro
- What I liked about BBC Maestro and thought could be improved
- Who BBC Maestro is for
- Can I buy BBC Maestro as a gift?
- Tips for finding great courses on BBC Maestro
- Is BBC Maestro legit
- Does BBC Maestro offer refunds
- Alternatives to BBC Maestro
- BBC Maestro reviews: What others are saying
- Evaluating BBC Maestro
- How to open a BBC Maestro account
- Is BBC Maestro worth it?
- Frequently asked questions
Let’s dive in!
What is BBC Maestro?
BBC Maestro is a video-based online learning platform that offers courses in writing, music, food and drink, art, business, and more.
With a mission to bring you teaching from the very best, BBC Maestro’s instructors are huge household names with years of experience in their respective fields. Their video courses offer fantastic opportunities to get up close and personal with top talent.
Who are the instructors?
BBC Maestro offers courses from the very best. We’re talking British Poet Laureate Carol Anne Duffy teaching Poetry, wellness guru and podcast host DR. Rangan Chatterjee teaching A Blueprint for Healthy Living and superstar producer Mark Ronson teaching Music production.
BBC Maestro brings you face-to-face with huge names who have repeatedly proven their talent and expertise.
How does BBC Maestro work?
You can access all BBC courses for a fixed annual fee or purchase individual courses without a subscription.
This is a great option if you want to test out the teaching style before committing to a yearly membership.
All of BBC Maestro’s courses are delivered as video lessons, which are structured into short, easily digestible lessons.
Assignments are scattered throughout the lessons and are the responsibility of the learner to complete. Your work won’t be seen or graded by anyone. So it’s more about getting the most out of the course with active learning than passing any tests.
If you buy a single course, all the content is yours for life. You can watch the content as many times as you like and download resources, which are yours to keep. A subscription allows you to access all courses for a year and download all additional resources.
Currently, BBC Maestro covers:
- Writing
- Music
- Food & Drink
- Home & Lifestyle
- Film, TV, & The Stage
- Business
- Art and Design
These thoughtfully produced, high-quality lessons are by some of the top names in the arts, culture, and culinary world.
How much does BBC Maestro cost?
As mentioned, BBC Maestro offers a few different purchase options.
Annual Subscription
An annual subscription costs $120, which is $10 a month. You pay in one yearly installment. Then, you have access to every single course and all the downloadable resources for the whole year. That’s over 100 hours of video content!
Individual Course
Individual courses are typically $89, and you’ll have lifetime access to them and their downloadable resources.
This is an incredible deal for access to some of the best-known figures in their respective fields. In-person courses without celebrity tutors can be far more expensive. Many of these courses in skills such as writing, art, and design really benefit from expert insights.
Considering the price difference between purchasing an individual course and an annual subscription, I’d say the annual subscription is the best value for money.
BBC Maestro free trial
BBC Maestro doesn’t offer a free trial, but it does have a 30-day money-back guarantee on its annual subscription. So, there’s a low risk of losing out if you’re not happy with the platform.
Additionally, you can sample a lesson from any course for free by entering your email address in the ‘get a free lesson’ box on each course page.
This is a great way to get a feel for the content and teaching style before committing to an individual course or an annual subscription.
What a lesson is like
Typically, lessons are focused on the course leader speaking directly into the camera, or sometimes in conversation with other experts.
With high production value and great video quality, these lessons are accompanied by a downloadable PDF resource that summarizes key points, assignments, and signposts to further information and resources.
Best BBC Maestro classes
Of course, the best BBC Maestro classes will depend on your experience, interests, and goals.
I’m going to take you through the top classes by section, so you can get a feel for the range of content and what you can expect from this platform.
Writing
Writing Love Stories with Jojo Moyes As a New York Times #1 Bestselling author, Jojo Moyes knows a bit about what makes excellent writing. Her 17 books have won plenty of awards. And her bestseller Me Before You has been adapted into a film of the same name. In this course, Moyes reveals every stage of her writing process. From landing on the right idea, finding your authentic voice, shaping believable characters and navigating plots, through to more practical tips on editing your works and finding agents and publishers. An excellent course to get to grips with the novel writing process, with an added focus on love stories and romance.
Writing Poetry with Carol Ann Duffy Award-winning former UK Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy is a huge name in the poetry world. This course is an introduction to writing poetry informed by your life experiences. So it’s an excellent choice for total beginners, or experienced poets who want to explore new directions and ways of writing. Focusing on finding your own voice, this course covers telling your story, writing poems for special occasions, finding inspiration, connecting to your senses, exploring different poetic forms, and engaging with poetry in anthologies. You will also delve into building a collection and developing a writing practice.
Music
Songwriting with Gary Barlow With songwriting credits for Take That, Lily Allen, Shirley Bassey, and more, Gary Barlow is one of Britain’s best-known songwriters. In this course, Gary offers fascinating insights into his creative process by crafting a song from scratch. Covering the basics of song construction from chords, keys, and collaboration, Gary also shares tips and tricks about creativity, reaching audiences, and spotting opportunities. These lessons have much to offer for beginners, experienced songwriters and producers alike. Gary’s personal life lessons and years in the industry make this a unique and insightful learning experience.
Music Production with Mark Ronson Superstar producer Mark Ronson takes us into his New York studio to reveal his process for creating hit records. Demonstrating his production techniques and breaking down the secrets of his biggest songs, you’ll witness Mark with artist Jon Bellion create a song, using editing software to add life and dimension. Mark also gives invaluable tips and tricks for the best equipment to make your song shine.
