<p>Several empirical studies have found that mothers engage more actively in children’s education and music education than fathers. However, existing research rarely explores the significant role of mothers in promoting and supporting children’s extra-curricular music learning, particularly in the Chinese context. Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, this research employs a mixed-methods approach integrating questionnaires (<i>n</i> = 480) and semi-structured interviews (<i>n</i> = 20) to examine the influence of mothers’ backgrounds and attitudes towards music learning on their children’s participation in extra-curricular music learning in China. This study focuses on the role of maternal cultural capital in supporting children’s participation in extra-curricular music learning. Mothers possessing higher levels of cultural capital were more likely to enrol children in extra-curricular music and instrumental courses, particularly those with a music instrument learning background. Furthermore, this study underscores the significant role of maternal cultural capital in shaping their perceptions of music-related benefits, thus promoting active investment in children’s extra-curricular music learning. Research findings further demonstrate that outstanding academic performance remains the principal conduit for upward social mobility in Chinese society. Consequently, Chinese mothers do not primarily consider supporting their preschool children’s extra-curricular music learning as a strategy for achieving educational success and social status. This study offers a fresh perspective on the application of Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital within the Chinese context, suggesting that Chinese parents’ educational practices are shaped by broader socio-cultural factors rather than solely relying on the intergenerational transmission of cultural capital.</p>