MasterClass learning platform review

MasterClass is an online educational platform that offers streaming content in a variety of categories. It indicates that it has more than 100 classes in various categories. It's also worth noting that the classes are taught by celebrities. Classes are designed to be available on a variety of platforms.

Features

MasterClass is an online streaming platform with a variety of classes. The content falls into one of 11 categories, which include topics such as Sports & Gaming, Arts & Entertainment, and Design & Style, to name a few. There are over 100 classes available in these areas.

What distinguishes MasterClass is that much of the content is taught by well-known experts, in many cases celebrities, as opposed to other sites where you might not recognise the teachers involved. For example, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay teaches "Restaurant Recipes at Home," Grey's Anatomy's Shonda Rhimes teaches "Writing for Television," and celebrity physicist Neil de Grasse Tyson teaches "Scientific Thinking and Communication." New classes are added on a monthly basis.

The MasterClass formula differs from that of the competitors. While some of them have thousands upon thousands of different classes, there are far fewer topics covered here. However, rather than a single video on the topic, we find that MasterClass breaks it down into smaller sections, each averaging about 10 minutes, and each class is about 20 lessons long, resulting in a more comprehensive view of the subject.

A trailer can easily preview the class, and the ones I saw had cinematographic value, soundtracks, and tight editing. While completing a class does result in an email as proof, no certificate is issued. In addition, each class has a PDF workbook that serves as supplementary material.

The topics covered are of more casual interest than hard-core professional interest. For example, in the Design category, we can find courses on photography as well as interior design, but nothing on web design or other business-related topics.

Plans and pricing

Individuals can choose from three different MasterClass plans. The cheapest, Standard, starts at $15 per month and is billed annually. This plan has the limitation of only allowing you to watch on a single device at a time, as well as not supporting offline viewing on the iOS platform, which is useful when there is no internet access. Even the most basic plan, however, provides access to the entire catalogue of over 100 classes divided into eleven categories. It also includes the bonus workbooks and content, as well as course discussion among learners in the members-only community area. Content can be viewed on a variety of platforms, including a PC, a television, a smartphone, or a tablet.

The Plus plan is the middle option, and it costs $20 per month, billed annually. This plan includes all of the features of the lower plan, but adds the ability to view content on two devices at the same time, as well as offline viewing on the iOS platform, which would be useful on an aeroplane, for example.

The most expensive plan is called Premium, and it costs $23 per month, billed annually. This plan includes all of the features of the previous two plans. This highest plan now supports viewing content across 6 devices, which is a new feature.

The MasterClass Plus for Students Plan is discounted. This is essentially the middle tier plan, with the exact same feature set, but at a lower monthly cost of $10--a savings of 50% off the full price.

Support

There are only a few options for MasterClass support. One is a toll-free number that was also easy to find. Another way to get assistance is to use an online portal to submit a question and upload a file. There are also some FAQs that can answer frequently asked questions.

A chat box, a direct email address, a fax number, and forums are all missing from the support arsenal. There were also no whitepapers, eBooks, or online support videos.

User reviews

There are only a few options for MasterClass support. One is a toll-free number that was also easy to find. Another way to get assistance is to use an online portal to submit a question and upload a file. There are also some FAQs that can answer frequently asked questions.

A chat box, a direct email address, a fax number, and forums are all missing from the support arsenal. There were also no whitepapers, eBooks, or online support videos.

Final verdict

When it comes to video streaming courses done on a professional level, MasterClass raises the bar. After all, who wouldn’t want to learn about filmmaking from James Cameron? Other pros include the cross platform support, the highly rated apps, and the PDF workbooks. The cons encompass the annual subscription requirement (especially for those that want only a single course), the limited breadth of course topics, and the lack of course completion certificates. For those that have an interest in the topics presented, MasterClass takes video streaming education to the next level.