JamPlay vs ArtistWorks 2023

In a world where everything around us is turning digital, it's no surprise that you can learn the guitar right at the comfort of your home. The challenging part is to choose the right platform for your learning needs, simply because not all platforms will be effective for all students.

There are so many variables to take into consideration, like experience level and preferred learning methods. Some platforms also teach you other instruments alongside the guitar, just in case you want to expand your skillset.

With that being said, we’ve picked two of the most well-acclaimed online guitar courses and put them side by side in our JamPlay vs. ArtistWorks comparison. Keep reading!

JamPlay vs. ArtistWorks – Feature for Feature Comparison

Before we jump into the details, let’s overview what each platform has to offer for its members.

Feature	JamPlay	ArtistWorks
Ideal For	Intermediate-Advanced	Beginner-Intermediate
Price	$19.95	$35
Free Trial	30 days	One free lesson
Money-back Guarantee	30 days	N/A
Instructors	120+	35+
Private Online Lessons	No	Yes
Active Forum	Yes	Yes
Lessons Variety	7000+	A few hundred
Song Library	450+	Limited

JamPlay vs. ArtistWorks – In-Detail Comparison 

As we've mentioned, your experience level is one of the key factors influencing your decision when comparing different platforms.

Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, we'll give you a brief idea about what to expect from each platform based on your existing knowledge and experience.

Beginners 

As a beginner, starting a guitar course that doesn’t take you from the very basics is pretty much useless. Luckily, ArtistWorks is actually tailored for new players with little to no idea on how to strum a guitar.

What’s more interesting is the video exchange program that allows you to record a video of your guitar practicing session and send it to the instructor to view. The instructor will then reply with another video with detailed feedback on your performance and the elements you can improve.

And it doesn’t just end there; you can also access the videos submitted by fellow players and look for inspiration in your learning journey.

On the other hand, JamPlay is a bit more complicated for beginners, targeting players who already know the basics and looking to learn new techniques. And unlike ArtistWorks, JamPlay doesn’t offer any form of private tutoring or video exchanging, highlighting that it isn’t the best choice for beginners.

If you’re a beginner and really want to join JamPlay, we recommend that you go through the basics from the thousands of free guitar lessons on YouTube and other platforms. This video here is a good starting point.

Winner: ArtistWorks. Despite offering a vast library of content, JamPlay doesn't come close to how ArtistWorks is specially designed for complete beginners.

Intermediate Players 

If you have some experience with the guitar and already know the basics, and have played dozens of songs before, things get tricky. Both JamPlay and ArtistWorks can be excellent choices for intermediate players. The ultimate choice here depends on your personal learning goals.

As an intermediate player, you’ll need to be able to communicate with the instructor if you want to develop your skills and strengthen your existing ones, which is best done with the video exchange program on ArtistWorks.

On the flip side, if you’re committed to learning more advanced styles and techniques in the long run, then JamPlay is the way to go with its colossal content library that boasts over 7000 lessons.

Winner: Tie. While both platforms can be suitable for intermediate players, those who need to tackle their weak points while also learning new styles and techniques will appreciate how easy it is to get in touch with the instructors on ArtistWorks. Similarly, players who plan to keep learning on a long-term basis will love JamPlay’s massive library.

Advanced Players 

Advanced lessons are what make JamPlay shine the most. Players with relevant experience in playing the guitar are the ones who get the true potential out of JamPlay’s huge lessons library. 

Don’t get us wrong, ArtistWorks is an excellent platform, but experienced players won't likely benefit that much from it. You might learn some new stuff, but you’ll run out of new things to learn in a short time.

Winner: JamPlay. Advanced players will definitely benefit from JamPlay’s extensive library with lessons from more than 120 instructors.

Bass Guitarists

For the players who have taken the bass guitar path, both JamPlay and ArtistWorks offer a comprehensive collection of lessons for bass guitarists. 

However, just like with the regular guitar lessons, you’ll find that JamPlay gives you a more sophisticated experience by allowing you to choose from more than 20 bass guitar instructors, compared to just 3 on ArtistWorks. Some of the most world-renowned bass guitarists on the platform are Freebo and Megadeth’s David Ellefson. 

The downside is that bass lessons require a separate subscription to access them.

That’s not to say that ArtistWorks isn’t suitable for bass guitars. While it offers fewer choices than JamPlay, the quality of the lessons is top-notch. Each of the 3 available courses is tailored for specific niches in the world of bass guitar, like jazz and electric bass lessons. 

For example, if you're into Bluegrass bass, you should enroll in Missy Raines' bass guitar course. Missy Raines is an award-winning bass guitarist with many years of stage rocking. She has won the International Bluegrass Music Award a record 7 times.

Winner: JamPlay. While bass guitar lessons on JamPlay require a separate subscription, we were impressed with the excellent choices it offers in this niche.

The Detailed Breakdown of Each Platform

Alright, now that we've compared both platforms concerning skill set, it's time to put them side by side for a feature comparison. After all, your experience level isn't the only aspect that you have to keep in mind before enrolling in an online guitar lesson, despite being the most relevant.

Video Player 

JamPlay's video player is one of its strongest points. You get to adjust the resolution from 240p all the way up to 4K. Very few online music teaching platforms offer you the option to view the content in 4K, so we were pretty impressed that JamPlay's video player could do that.

ArtistWorks’ video player is somewhat basic, and it’s not really on par with other online guitar platforms when it comes to responsiveness. Nevertheless, it gets the job done, but we’d give this one to JamPlay.

Unfortunately, neither JamPlay nor ArtistWorks let you download the video lessons for offline viewing. This can be a bit disappointing, especially for those who have an unstable internet connection. 

Nevertheless, you can try using a third-party extension on your browser to download the videos, but keep in mind that you can’t send them to other people as this is against both platforms’ policies. Alternatively, you can let the videos fully load to be able to practice uninterrupted.

Winner: JamPlay. Despite lacking an offline viewing option, JamPlay’s video player is one of the smoothest ones you can find on a music teaching platform.

User Interface 

Navigation through JamPlay’s website is pretty straightforward. Once you create your account and join the course, you can access your member dashboard to see how far you’ve gone in your guitar learning journey with a progress tracker. The user interface is quite sleek, and you should have no problem finding what you need in the blink of an eye. 

Similarly, ArtistWorks’ website is perfectly designed to let new users get acquainted with it quickly. The user interface is quite modern, and going through the courses is as easy as it gets. 

Once you launch the website, you’ll be greeted with a dashboard that acts as your lesson library. There’s also a navigation bar at the top that gives you access to other resources like FAQs, additional materials, and the blog.

Winner: ArtistWorks. While both websites are professionally designed, ArtistWorks’ website offers a more refined user experience than that of JamPlay.

Song Library

For many people, especially new players, song-playing is the part that they care about the most. Luckily, JamPlay offers its members a gigantic song library with more than 450 songs from many genres to suit all tastes.

Conversely, ArtistWorks offers a limited number of songs for you to practice. The course emphasizes teaching you techniques that can help you learn new songs on your own. So, if you prefer to learn with songs, JamPlay is the better choice for you.

Winner: JamPlay. With more than 450 songs and lots of genres and styles to pick from, ArtistWorks doesn’t stand a chance in this battle.

Community

Since ArtistWorks is designed for beginners, it provides many resources that encourage community-based learning, including a chat room, dedicated forums, and an active Facebook group with more than 50,000 members. 

The instructors are very engaging with the members, and you can even ask them whatever you want without having to use the video exchange feature.

JamPlay also has a forum, in addition to live Q&A sessions with the instructors that are held regularly. Plus, the platform also has an active Facebook community with 30,000+ members.

Winner: ArtistWorks. While both platforms have an active community, we’ve found it easier to reach out to the instructors and other fellow players on ArtistWorks than JamPlay.

Cost 

At the time of writing this article, JamPlay is priced at $19.95/month, which is relatively affordable compared to other online guitar platforms. You can also sign up for a 30-day free trial if you’re not ready to commit long-term yet. What’s more, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee if the lessons weren’t on par with your expectations.

Per contra, ArtistWorks doesn’t offer a free trial, and there are no refunds. You can try out the platform by watching the free guitar beginner’s lesson to get an idea of what you can get out of this membership, which is priced at $35/month.

Both platforms let you cancel your subscription anytime you want, but you won’t get a refund unless you’re in the 30-day tolerance period, which is only available in the case of JamPlay.

Winner: JamPlay. JamPlay gives you more value for your money by offering a cheaper subscription plan than ArtistWorks while also having many more lessons to pick from.

FAQs

Does JamPlay Have an App?

Yes! JamPlay has an Android app for members to view their content on the go. Non-members can also enjoy some free content. There’s no app for iOS, though.

How Much Do I Need to Pay to Join JamPlay?

JamPlay offers a monthly and an annual subscription plan. The monthly plan costs $19.95/month, while the annual one is for $159.95 a year.

Is Artistworks Worth It for Learning the Guitar?

Definitely! ArtistWorks offers a set of beginner-friendly guitar lessons that take you from knowing how to hold the guitar all the way to playing open chords and rhythm strumming.

Final Verdict

That’s pretty much it with this JamPlay vs. ArtistWorks comparison. Can’t make up your mind yet? Alright, we can give you a few hints that help you decide on a platform to join.

If you just got your new guitar yesterday, then ArtistWorks would be an excellent start for you. The way the lessons are structured and the video exchange program make ArtistWorks unbeaten in teaching beginners everything they need to know to start playing some songs. We wish it had a bigger song library, though.

In contrast, JamPlay’s wide variety of lessons make it a favorable choice for more experienced players. Additionally, it has a lot more songs to practice on than the technique-focused ArtistWorks. 

It's also cheaper, which is a big plus for the budget-minded players. Yet, we still think that the overall experience would've been much better if the platform had some one-on-one lessons or video exchange options. But that’s fine!