BBC Maestro vs MasterClass:
Comprehensive Comparison Guide

MasterClass vs BBC Maestro: Courses and Instructors

MasterClass and BBC Maestro have a wide range of categories that dive deep into different aspects. For example, BBC Maestro’s writing category includes courses for fiction writing, love stories, storytelling, and more. MasterClass also has the same variety of courses teaching screenwriting to writing for young audiences. However, MasterClass features more courses than BBC Maestro, which adds to the overall variety offered on the platform.

As for the lessons, both platforms feature well-organized, structured lessons with top-notch production quality. It almost seems like you’re watching a big-budget movie brought to you by the MasterClass instructor Martin Scorsese. The platforms feature high-quality video lessons that add to the entertainment of each course, making it engaging and fun to watch.

One thing that caught my eye with BBC Maestro is it primarily features British instructors. Although the platform doesn’t specifically target learners from the UK, this is something to note. Besides this, the expertise of instructors on both platforms is undeniable. Even if you only know one or two things about what you’re learning, who’s teaching the course is likely to be a familiar face with many credentials.

Course Categories

MasterClass Categories

As I mentioned, you’ll always find something to learn from a MasterClass course, whether you’re an absolute beginner or an advanced learner. The expertise of every instructor brings something new to the table. Even if you’re experienced, you’ll get valuable insights from world-class experts who can help you take your skills to the next level. The detailed lessons combined with the well-organized structure enrich the content of MasterClass.

MasterClass has 11 categories that teach from business to arts and entertainment. Every category teaches something specific, helping learners find exactly what they want to learn. You can also go between categories to further improve your skills, as some categories are closely related to each other, such as Design & Style and Arts & Entertainment.

Although 11 categories may not sound like plenty, I’ve never found myself not being able to find what I wanted to learn during my time in MasterClass. There’s a great variety in the courses in each category. For example, you’ll find lessons that teach home cooking and baking bread in the food category – two completely different skills relating to food. This range applies to all categories, allowing greater specialization.

Perhaps what complements these is the structure and the depth of each course. Every course is easy to follow, with ten to fifteen-minute lessons that touch on different aspects of the skills you’re learning. You can find the best examples of this on my Negotiator Chris Voss MasterClass review – such a well-organized and structured course that simplifies the art of negotiation.

BBC Maestro Categories

The content of the courses in BBC Maestro is rich and covers pretty much everything you need to learn about a given field. Many courses run longer than five hours to ensure you’re equipped with everything you need. The length of the courses can be a bit scary at first, but most lessons are shorter than 15 minutes, which makes everything more digestible.

BBC Maestro has six categories, which is fewer than MasterClass – understandable considering the number of courses available. This can make it hard to find what you want to study. It’s rich enough for beginners, but advanced learners may have trouble finding a suitable course.

Still, the variety of the categories is at a sufficient point for most learners. There’s also a coming soon section that includes courses that will be released shortly. The depth of the courses depends on the category. Some feature up to ten courses, while others have only a handful. For example, you’ll find ten writing courses compared to the three in the music category.

Nonetheless, the quality of the available courses is impressive. Everything from writing to business courses, you get expert insights from world-class instructors. Every course also has a downloadable PDF course note you can follow along with the lessons. These notes feature detailed information about the subjects covered in the lessons and additional tips to reinforce what you’ve learned.

Top Rated Lessons

MasterClass Top Lessons

1. Gordon Ramsay Teaches Cooking – The seven Michelin star Chef Gordon Ramsay teaches cooking in two installments that include his signature dish, Beef Wellington, and many others.
2. Martin Scorsese Teaches Filmmaking – One of the most influential directors of the New Hollywood era, Martin Scorsese instructs aspiring filmmakers on casting actors to marketing their films.
3. Christina Aguilera – Elevate Your Singing And Stage Presence – The talented singer, referred to as the voice of a generation, prepares you for performing in front of a live audience in this interactive course.
4. Chris Voss – Win Workplace Negotiations – The former FBI hostage negotiator prepares you for the next step of your career with mock interviews and negotiations.
5. Kelly Wearstler Teaches Interior Design – The interior designer of high-profile celebrities and commercial estates, Kelly Wearstler’s interior design classes help you find inspiration to design any space.
6. John Douglas Teaches How to Think Like an FBI Profiler – Special agent John Douglas helps his students utilize criminal profiling methods to understand people’s motives in everyday life. 
7. Phil Ivey Teaches Poker Strategy – Often thought of as the best all-around poker player, Phil Ivey walks you through betting tactics and bluffing to practice routines that will lead you to success.

BBC Maestro Top Lessons

1. Lee Child Writing Popular Fiction – The author of the Jack Reacher novel series shares his writing insights in an eight-hour-long comprehensive course.
2. Pierre Koffmann Classic French Bistro Cooking – The three Michelin star cook with over 55 years of experience in the kitchen, Pierre Koffman, breaks down making stocks and soups to preparing breakfast delicacies.
3. Mark Ronson Music Production – The record producer behind countless popular tunes teaches everything about making a hit song with lessons on songwriting, sampling, and producing.
4. Edgar Wright Filmmaking – Edgar Wright touches on writing and choosing a genre to cinematography and sound design – a complete course on filmmaking.
5. Peter Jones Toolkit For Business Success – Shark Tank entrepreneur Peter Jones equips you with everything for a successful in 40 lessons.

Instructors Overview

MasterClass Instructors

MasterClasses has courses from one of the most notable instructors in their industry. Every instructor, regardless of what you’re learning, is someone highly accredited with plenty of achievements under their belts. These instructors range from Gordon Ramsay for cooking and Bobbi Brown for makeup classes to Aaron Sorkin’s scriptwriting and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s scientific thinking lessons.

It isn’t only the authoritativeness of the instructors that makes MasterClass stand out. There’s a good entertainment aspect of the lessons that comes with the engagement of the instructors. Whenever I was taking a MasterClass lesson, it always felt as if I was binge-watching a favorite TV show.

BBC Maestro Instructors

BBC Maestro’s instructors aren’t any behind. The accomplishments of the “Maestros” are all undeniable. You will get a chance to learn from leading figures. Among these instructors, some notable names are Alan Moore for storytelling, Edgar Wright for filmmaking, Peter Jones for business, and Marco Pierre White for cooking.

Since BBC Maestro is a UK-based e-learning platform, the majority of the instructors are British. However, this doesn’t get in the way of learning, as they’re all beyond qualified to teach you what you want to learn. In case you fear understanding may become difficult, note that there are subtitles for each course, along with downloadable course notes that cover everything taught in the lessons.

User Experience and Interface

Both BBC Maestro and MasterClass have a user-friendly interface, but I found the latter platform more accessible. The search bar works seamlessly and brings not only the courses but also the individual lessons, which can save a lot of time when you want to take a quick look. BBC Maestro lacks such a simple feature, and you must navigate courses using the browse. Another feature that BBC Maestro misses is offline viewing. You can’t download courses to watch later on your device.

The production quality of the lessons on both platforms is excellent. These add to the engagement and make it easier to digest long lessons. Before starting a course, you can watch the trailer or the introduction lesson if you’re already subscribed to the platform. BBC Maestro also shares a short trailer for the upcoming courses, which can be helpful when contemplating whether or not to extend your subscription.

BBC Maestro and MasterClass courses are accessible through desktops, smartphones, and tablets. MasterClass is also available on smart TVs. On the platforms where the course videos are available, you can easily track lessons and continue learning from where you left off the previous day. Overall, both platforms are user-friendly, but MasterClass makes learning seamless with better accessibility, offline viewing, and easier navigation.