Virtu.Academy scales music education globally with BILL

Benjamin Steger and Bryan Rubin were students at Oberlin College in 2018 when they discovered that families in rural Ohio were driving two hours just to find a music teacher for their child. That's why they started Virtu.Academy, now connecting over 10,000 students with 200 world-class instructors, including Grammy winners and Juilliard graduates. Their online lessons make exceptional music education accessible to anyone, anywhere.

But scaling from a startup to a thriving educational platform brought unexpected operational challenges. Managing payments for hundreds of teachers across multiple countries threatened to consume the very time the team needed to grow the business.

"A founder's day-to-day covers so many different jobs, from operations to marketing to payroll," says Benjamin Steger, Co-founder of Virtu.Academy. "It's the mission that matters, but scaling your reach means handling the logistics. Hiring the right people and working out how to pay them. Those operational hours can really stack up."

Challenge: Orchestrating payments for a global teaching network

With just four full-time employees supporting 200 teachers and thousands of students, Virtu.Academy faced a classic startup dilemma: how to maintain lean operations while scaling rapidly. The company's commitment to working with the best instructors—regardless of location—added layers of complexity to their financial operations.

"Once we hit about 30 teachers, our old payment system became unsustainable," Steger explains. "We were calculating payments individually, inputting them one by one, processing them separately. What worked in our early days was threatening to derail our growth."

The challenges multiplied with international expansion. Teachers in France, Austria, and Argentina faced payment delays and banking complications. "When we paid international contractors through PayPal, they'd tell us about delays, banks unable to find transactions—it was messy," Steger recalls. "We needed a solution that could handle our complexity without requiring a full finance team."

The twice-monthly paydays became events the founders dreaded. "The first and fifteenth of every month meant sitting for four hours just processing teacher payments," says Steger. "That was time we couldn't afford to lose."

“It's the mission that matters, but scaling your reach means handling the logistics. Hiring the right people and working out how to pay them. Those operational hours can really stack up.”

Solution: BILL Accounts Payable with international payments

Virtu.Academy implemented BILL Accounts Payable to transform their payment operations. The impact was immediate and dramatic. "With BILL, we export a spreadsheet from our scheduling system and import it directly—no more creating individual invoices," Steger says. "What used to consume an entire day now takes 30 minutes, maybe less."

The platform's international options, especially Local Transfer, solved their global payment challenges. "BILL's Local Transfer has been incredible," Steger notes. "We're paying teachers in multiple countries without the headaches. No more complaints about delayed payments or missing transactions—everything just works."

This efficiency gain allowed Virtu.Academy to maintain its lean operations while scaling. Instead of hiring dedicated finance staff, the company could invest in growth and student acquisition. The streamlined payment infrastructure also elevated their reputation among instructors.

"We look so much more professional now," Steger explains. "Instead of asking teachers for PayPal accounts, we offer a proper direct deposit system. BILL lets our teachers set up their payment information securely, see their payment history, and get paid reliably. It positions us as a serious organization that values our instructors."

“BILL's Local Transfer has been incredible. We're paying teachers in multiple countries without the headaches. No more complaints about delayed payments or missing transactions—everything just works.”

Results: Deleting busy to focus on growth

The transformation in Virtu.Academy's financial operations has been remarkable. By automating routine payment tasks, the company has reclaimed nearly a full workday each month—time now invested in strategic growth initiatives.

"BILL is saving us 6-7 hours monthly on payment processing alone," Steger confirms. "For a team of four managing 200 teachers and thousands of students, that time is invaluable. It's the difference between just surviving and actually growing the business."

With BILL handling the payment complexity, Virtu.Academy can onboard new teachers quickly and expand into new markets with a deep sense of confidence. The platform's flexibility has also provided key financial tools for a growing startup.

"Cash flow is critical for any business," Steger notes. "BILL's payment flexibility—being able to pay by credit card when needed and managing multiple payment methods—gives us the financial agility we need. Since teacher payments are our biggest expense, those options help us manage growth sustainably."

The 1099 filing feature has eliminated another significant administrative burden. "This was our first year using BILL for 1099s, and it saved us a tremendous amount of time," says Steger. "No more exporting data to separate tools or managing multiple systems. Everything happens in one place, which is exactly what a lean team needs."

“Cash flow is critical for any business. BILL's payment flexibility—being able to pay by credit card when needed and managing multiple payment methods—gives us the financial agility we need.”

Integration: QuickBooks Online

The seamless integration between BILL and QuickBooks Online has further simplified Virtu.Academy's financial operations. "BILL's integration with QuickBooks is remarkably straightforward," Steger says. "Payments flow through automatically, properly categorized. For someone without formal finance training, that automation is essential."

Summary: Scaling the future of music education

For Virtu.Academy, BILL has become more than a payment platform—it's a growth enabler that allows the company to focus on its mission of democratizing music education.

"The first time payday came around after implementing BILL, we actually had the rest of the day to work on the business," Steger reflects. “This was a massive time saver for our team. We could finally focus on growth instead of getting bogged down in operations."

Looking ahead, Virtu.Academy plans to expand partnerships with school districts and nonprofit organizations, bringing high-quality music instruction to even more students. They're also exploring new ways to support their growing teacher network and enhance the student experience.

"We have teachers ready to join and students eager to learn," Steger says. "Thanks to BILL handling our payment operations, we can focus on connecting them. That's how we'll achieve our vision—making exceptional music education accessible to every student, everywhere."

“The first time payday came around after implementing BILL, we actually had the rest of the day to work on the business. This was a massive time saver for our team. We could finally focus on growth instead of getting bogged down in operations.”