Dance Studio Software Australia: A 2026 Buyer’s Guide

Choosing dance studio software in Australia comes down to whether it can bill by school term, handle mid-term joiners and sibling discounts, keep a roll for every class, and fit concert rehearsals around the weekly timetable without double-booking a room. Beyond that, three local questions decide the shortlist: how families pay (direct debit, card or bank transfer), whether you need GST on your invoices, and how you’ll keep track of teachers’ Working With Children Checks. Get those answered first; most tools look alike on timetables.

Running term enrolments from a spreadsheet and chasing fees by text? Svich StudioOS keeps classes, term enrolments and fee reminders in one place, with attendance as an add-on, priced per studio rather than per teacher. See how StudioOS works for dance studios.

#What should dance studio software in Australia do?

It should run your year in four school terms: enrolments with start and end dates, term fees collected on time, a roll for every class, and reminders before re-enrolment. A good test is whether your office could open Term 1 without rebuilding anything from Term 4.

• Term-based enrolments that end with the term, so a dancer who joins in week 4 isn’t billed for weeks 1 to 3.
• Several pricing models at once: term fees for weekly classes, casual classes, and class packs for adults or open classes.
• Sibling and multi-class discounts that show clearly on each receipt.
• Room and teacher clashes flagged before you save a class, which matters once you add solos and troupes.
• Attendance rolls for every session, so you notice when a dancer stops coming in week 5.
• Concert and eisteddfod rehearsals outside the weekly timetable, with their own capacity.
• Fee reminders that go out without the owner writing them at 10pm.

#How should you set term fees, mid-term joiners and sibling discounts?

Charge each weekly class as a term fee, pro-rate joiners by the weeks left, and apply sibling discounts as a percentage on each enrolment rather than one family total. That keeps every receipt explainable when a parent asks.

A worked example for a 210-dancer studio in Brisbane with two rooms and three teachers (example prices in AUD, 10-week term):

In StudioOS, each enrolment has its own start and end date, so a mid-term joiner runs to the end of the term. A discount from 0 to 100% can go on any enrolment and shows as its own line on the receipt, which covers sibling, multi-class and pro-rata reductions. Each dancer has their own record, with all of their classes and payments on one payment history; siblings are billed separately rather than on one family invoice. Our class pack pricing guide helps if you also sell packs to adults.

#What do GST and Working With Children Checks mean for your software?

You need GST on your invoices once you’re registered, which is compulsory at $75,000 GST turnover, and you need a current Working With Children Check for every adult teacher. Software can help with the first directly and with the second only as a record-keeper.

• GST. The ATO says you must register once your GST turnover reaches $75,000, measured over the current and previous 11 months or projected over the next 11, and you have 21 days to do it (ATO, checked October 2026). A studio with 210 dancers at $195 a term for one class each takes about $163,800 a year in fees, well over the line. Ask every vendor for a sample tax invoice with GST shown.
• Working With Children Checks. NSW’s Office of the Children’s Guardian lists dance teachers among the roles that need a Check, with an exemption for workers under 18. Each state runs its own scheme, so check your state’s rules for junior assistants and volunteers too.
• Record-keeping. Keep one register of each teacher’s check number and expiry date, and diarise renewals. Ask whether the software can store it, rather than assuming.

For transparency: Svich’s prices are listed in US dollars. An Australian GST tax invoice format and Australian data storage aren’t listed features, so ask about those, and about billing in AUD, in a demo. This is general information, not tax or legal advice.

#How do you plan concert rehearsals without breaking the timetable?

Add rehearsals, photo days and the concert itself as one-off sessions outside the weekly timetable, each with its own capacity and notes. That stops a Saturday dress rehearsal from silently colliding with the 9am junior ballet class.

In StudioOS, rehearsals and concerts sit as one-off sessions with their own capacity and notes, and a dancer who only joins for the concert can go on a short plan of their own. The week grid flags room clashes before you create a session.

#How do you get families to re-enrol for next term?

Ask in week 7, while the dancer is excited about the concert, and remind automatically before the term ends. A family that hasn’t re-enrolled by the last class has the whole summer break to pick something else.

A message your teacher can send in week 7:

“Hi Emma, Ruby has come so far in jazz this term. Term 1 starts on 2 February, same time on Thursdays, and we’re holding her spot until 5 December. Reply YES and I’ll pop her in. Her brother’s 10% sibling discount stays on too.”

StudioOS then catches the rest with prebuilt reminders by WhatsApp or email: before a plan ends (10 days ahead by default), after a missed payment, on birthdays and after a lapse. Lists for “ending soon”, “owes money” and “gone quiet” show who still needs a call. See how StudioOS reminders work, or start free and set up Term 1.

#What does dance studio management software cost in Australia?

Expect anywhere from free (with fees on payments) to US$75 or more a month for dance-specific platforms (dance school software and dance studio billing software are often the same products), and more for larger systems priced by student numbers. Check which currency you’re billed in and whether payment processing is extra.

Svich’s yearly plans are US$490 or US$1,490, with no setup fee and month-to-month terms, and three teachers cost the same as one. Note that every dancer counts as an active member: 210 dancers fits Starter, but a studio heading past 250 should price Growth from the start. For a broader comparison, see our dance studio software guide.

#When might StudioOS not be the right fit for an Australian dance studio?

StudioOS may not suit you if families must enrol and pay online themselves, or if you need term fees collected by direct debit, since neither is a listed feature. Ask in a demo before ruling it out.

• Online self-enrolment. Your team enrols dancers; family self-enrolment and waitlists aren’t listed features, so ask in a demo if you need them.
• Direct debit and card autopay. StudioOS sends invoices automatically and records payments, but automatic BECS direct debit or card collection isn’t a listed feature.
• One invoice per family. Each dancer is billed on their own record.
• Costume orders and concert ticketing aren’t listed features.
• A timetable in the parent portal. The portal shows plan, expiry, payment schedule and receipts; the timetable sits on your public studio page.

It fits owner-run studios where families enrol through the office and the priority is clean term billing and reminders at a flat price, with rolls through the attendance add-on.

#Checklist: how to test dance studio software before Term 1

In StudioOS, CSV import offers to create the plans and packs it finds in your file. The StudioOS classes and packs guide walks through the setup, and our no-show policy templates help with make-up class rules.

#Frequently asked questions

#What is the best dance studio software in Australia?

The best dance studio software for an Australian studio is the one that matches how families enrol and pay. If families must enrol online and pay by direct debit, choose a platform with self-enrolment and BECS direct debit. If the office enrols dancers each term, a simpler per-studio system with term billing, rolls and reminders costs less.

#Do dance teachers in Australia need a Working With Children Check?

Generally yes. NSW’s Office of the Children’s Guardian lists dance teachers among roles that need a Working With Children Check, with an exemption for workers under 18. Each state runs its own scheme, so check your state’s rules.

#When does a dance studio need to register for GST?

According to the ATO, a business must register for GST when its GST turnover reaches $75,000, measured over the current and previous 11 months or projected over the next 11 months, and has 21 days to register.

#How do you charge a dancer who joins mid-term?

Most studios pro-rate the term fee by the weeks remaining. A dancer joining week 4 of a 10-week, $195 term pays $136.50 for the 7 weeks left. In StudioOS, the enrolment ends with the term and the reduction can be applied as a percentage discount on the receipt.

#Can StudioOS handle sibling discounts and concerts?

Yes. StudioOS applies a 0 to 100% discount to any enrolment, shown as its own line on the receipt, and runs rehearsals and concerts as one-off sessions with their own capacity. It does not combine siblings into one family invoice.

#Ready to set up Term 1 in one place?

Set up your classes, term fees and concert rehearsals in StudioOS, or talk us through how your families enrol and pay today.

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More on StudioOS: studio management software overview and class scheduling.