Below is a selected list of music teaching and creation resources selected from 1000's of tablet and smartphone apps for Android and iOS (iPhone & iPad). More and more options appearing everyday. I do not pretend to know all the best apps out there for music education. The list below is a highly selected one based on what I've seen and in some cases used. Feel free to send me feedback especially if you find something unsuitable for music education or if you find something that you found really works for your music teaching.
Note: All of the links below lead to either iTunes for iPhone and iPad (iOS) apps or Android (AD) apps. I've used a mix of links through the Lisisoft website, directly through GooglePlay (AD) or iTunes Store (iOS, or to the web developer home sites as needed. Many apps have "lite," "demo," "free," or non-HD versions for no or little cost to permit you to try them before paying for the full versions. The links go to the full paid versions but you should look for entry-level versions as well. Click on the AD or iOS links next to the titles below.
Attached is a link to the DuPage County music in-service workshop handout for which this list was updated (March 1, 2013). I hope you find the information below useful.
David B. Williams, Illinois State University Emeritus
- What's new as of February 2013 for tablet music?
- Android issues for music apps
- Elementary/General Music Apps
- Music Theory Apps
- General Music Aid Apps
- Instruments: Virtual and Electronic
- Sequencers and Tone Generator Apps
- DAWs and More Apps
- Looping, Matrix, or Beat Machines
- Digital Audio
- eScore Reader Apps: Readers and Play Along
- Notation Apps
- Hardware for Tablets
What's new for tablet music as of February 2013?[back to the top]
- Continued expansion of more iOS music apps (some now $20 to $50 range) & Android apps
- Commercial desktop music apps going to tablet versions: Cubase, FL Studio, Traktor DJ for iOS
- More hardware solutions integrating iPad (mixers, instruments, and more)
- HTML5 removing Flash constraint on accessing music web solutions (e.g., Noteflight 3.0). Web delivery of desktop apps thru HTML5 -- see MusicFirst.com.
- Audiobus for iOS: Audiobus is a standalone app and an API for other developers to include in their own apps. Audiobus allows live audio streaming between apps, providing for the ability to use apps together like modules in a studio. It's the virtual cabling that ties everything together.
- More musicians using tablets and apps like Forscore (iOS) for music in performance with or w.o. foot pedal controls. Music stands for tablets now available.
- Collaborative recording and music creation: SoundCloud (AD / iOS), Dr. Smith's Music Factory (AD / iOS), SMULE Magic Piano (AD / iOS), UberHype (AD), and GigBaby! (iOS)
Android Tablets for Music? (Samsung, Google, Asus, Acer, Lenovo, HP....)[back to the top]
Reasons why serious music apps haven't arrived for Android as of yet:
- Latency issues, especially audio-in (typically 200-300 ms and need to be <25 ms)
- Need 1 gHz processor or better
- Varied versions of Android OS (better with the latest Ice Cream Sunday (ICS) and Jelly Bean)
- USB port needs to be OTG (On The Go) compliant
- MIDI must be class ready (requiring no drivers)
- There is an expectation that apps should be free or cheap for Android
Few apps that will handle external audio or MIDI. Some exceptions: Grand Piano Pro (Keyboard synthesizer). Opus #1 Pro (Organ synthesizer), and IK Multimedia's USB Recorder Pro (and their hardware namely iRig MIC, MicCast, iRigPre, and iRigMIX)
Elementary/General Music [back to the top]
- The History of Jazz (iOS)
- CSO (iOS / AD) & LA Phil (iOS / AD), Bravo Gustavo (iOS)
- Genikids Orchestra ( iOS / AD )
- Oxford Music Dictionary (iOS)
- Dr. Smith's Music Factory (AD / iOS)
- explOratorium Sound Uncovered (iOS)
- SMULE Magic Piano (AD / iOS) and SMULE Glee (iOS)
- Let's Xylophone (AD) and Glitchamaphone (iOS)
- Spotify ( iOS / AD )
Music Theory [back to the top]
- Musical Ears ( iOS / AD )
- Karajan Pro (iOS)
- Ear Trainer (iOS)
- Scales Lexicon (iOS)
- myRhythm (iOS)
- Score Master (AD) & Music Tutor SightRead (AD)
- Interval Recognition (AD)
- My Piano Assistant (AD)
- Mapping Tonal Harmony Pro ( iOS / AD ) also Mac & PC desktop versions
- Theory Lessons (iOS) and Tenuto (Ricci Adams) (iOS)
Music Aids [back to the top]
- APS MusicMaster, MusicMaster Pro & Tuning Trainer (iOS)
- ClearTune ( iOS / AD )
- n-Track Tuner ( iOS / AD )
- Mobile Metronome (AD) or Practice Hub (AD) or Tempo (iOS)
- Soundbeam (iOS) or OsciPrime Oscilloscope (AD)
- Decibel (iOS) and Decibel-O-Meter (AD)
- Fingerings for Brass & Winds (iOS)
- Fingerings (Clarinet & Flute) (AD) & Bassoon (AD) and many more instruments
- DrumDizzle Sticking Notation (AD) and Rude (AD) for drum rudiments
- iHearIt (practice music, change speed adjusts pitch) (iOS), AnyTune Pro (iOS), Amazing Slow Downer (iOS), Practice Makes Perfect (AD)
Instruments Virtual (and many, many more!) [back to the top]
- 50 in 1 Piano (iOS)
- Grand PIano Pro & Opus #1 (AD) one of few Android apps with MIDI input on select devicies
- Musical Pro w/Piano (AD)
- Ukulele Chord (AD), Andser Bongos (AD), Gamelan DJ (AD)
- iBone & iTrump ( iOS / AD ) these are great fun!
- Ethnic Instruments: Infinite Kalimba (iOS), Janggu Drums (iOS) , AirHarp ( iOS / AD ) and Harmonica ( iOS / AD )
- RealDrum (AD) & DrumKit (AD)
- Ukulele for Dummies interactive book (iOS) Nice example of an interactive music teaching app from a book
Instruments Electronic (and many more!) [back to the top]
- iKaossilator (Korg) and more (iOS) many powerful Korg synth devices in virtual app form
- Sampletank (comes with IK Multimedia iRig) (iOS)
- nLogSynth Pro analog synthesizer (iOS)
- WI Guitar and WIVI Band 15-in-1 (Wallender Instrument) (iOS) Try the WIVI Band you won't believe how cool it is turning your iPhone into a wind instrument!
- Theremin (iOS) & Pocket Theremin (AD)
Sequencers & Generators [back to the top]
DAWs and more [back to the top]
- GarageBand (iOS)
- Cubase (iOS)
- FL Studio Mobile (iOS / AD)
- Traktor DJ (iOS)
- Auria (Wavemachine Labs) (iOS)
- Music Studio (iOS)
- MultiTrack DAW (iOS)
- Meteor Multitrack Recorder (iOS/WinMobile)
- AudioTool Sketch (AD)
- FourTracks Pro (AD)
- Audio Evolution Mobile (AD)
Looping, Matrix, or Beat Machines [back to the top]
- MusicGrid (AD)
- TonePad (iOS) and Beatwave (iOS)
- Happy Notes Music Composer (AD)
- ReLoop (AD)
- GarageBand (iOS)
- Groovemaker (iOS) many different music genres to choose from the IK Multimedia library
- SPC Music SketchPad 2 (AD)
- Chordbot Pro (AD)
- Electum Drum Machine/Sampler (AD)
- The Drum Machine (DM1) (iOS)
Digital Audio Editing [back to the top]
- AudioShare (iOS) organize all your sound files on your iPhone or iPad
- AudioBus (iOS) now route your audio streams between iPhone or IPad music apps
- iRig Recorder ( iOS / AD )
- PocketWave Pad (iOS)
- Hokusai (iOS)
- SoundCloud ( iOS / AD )
- SoundHound ( iOS / AD ) and Shazam ( iOS / AD )
eScore Readers: Play along [back to the top]
- Home Concert Xtreme (iOS)
- iReal b ( iOS / AD )
- Fakebook (AD)
- Jammit (iOS)
- Yamaha NoteStar and other Yamaha apps (iOS)
- forScore (iOS) I personally use this for performing; best of the lot!
- Sibelius AVID Scorch (iOS)
- Finale SongBook (iOS)
- MusicReader PDF (iOS) just one component to across platform solution for e-scores
- Musicnotes ( iOS / AD ) based on access to large library of scores for purchase
- Mobile Sheets (AD)
- Noteflight (Web HTML5) Noteflight 3.0 now HTML 5 and accessible from iPad and Android tablet web browsers (still in beta or "preview" mode)
-
Symphony Pro (iOS)Sadly, especially for those of us who purchased this app, it is now defunct. Version 2.4 will run until it dies if installed.
- Notion for iPad (iOS)
- ThinkMusic Kickstarter Program (iOS) A new music notation app for the iPad inviting preorders of $25 to help fund
- Ensemble Composer Pro (AD)
- iRig MIDI Recorder (iOS) Placed this hear since it could be used to generate MIDI files for notation as well as sequencing
Hardware for Tablets [back to the top]
See my other helpful websites for low budget music software and web-based music applications for the music classroom.