# CD Market - Music Label Sim — user reviews > 60 indexed App Store user reviews of CD Market by Joaquin Benito Vazquez, rated 4.80/5 from 221 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cd-market-music-label-sim/id6670562960/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cd-market-music-label-sim/id6670562960.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 206 · 4★ 6 · 3★ 3 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 4 ## What do users think of CD Market? Overall sentiment: positive **Pros** - 👍 Deep and detailed simulation - 💰 No microtransactions or ads - 🤩 Immersive and realistic gameplay - 💯 Worth the money - 🚀 Responsive developer - 💡 High replay value - ✨ Refreshing change from typical mobile games - 🌟 Feels like running a real company - 👍 Great for music industry enthusiasts - 💎 Hidden gem status - ✅ Good value for upfront cost **Cons** - 📉 Steep learning curve - 😵 Frustrating contract renewals - ⚖️ Balancing issues with events and difficulty - 🎶 No in-game soundtrack - 🤔 Some UI navigation can be improved - 📉 Difficulty in staying out of debt for some users - 😵 Managing multiple artists is tedious - 👴 Outdated graphics mentioned by one user **Commonly reported bugs** - PC demo needs work compared to mobile - Events are too punishing and unbalanced - Difficulty in staying out of debt - Managing multiple artists becomes a headache **Most requested features** - Add Korean language - Make contract renewal more user-friendly - Add in-game soundtrack - Allow buying venues - Add more random artist events (e.g., arrests) - Add more award shows - Allow signing artists back - Add more control over subsidiary labels and genre specialization - Implement artist residency options (e.g., Vegas) - Add an artist version of the game - Include diss tracks in an artist version - Organize songs as desired - Allow creating artists after game start - Enable artists to write/produce for others on the label - Allow artist collaborations - Implement automation for recording demos - Sign producers instead of hiring - Allow selling/using demos from songwriters for other artists - Concurrent PR efforts for multiple artists - Show expected tour demand - Allow moving artists in/out of groups or assembling solo artists into groups - Unlock CD Manufacturing earlier - Allow renegotiating distribution deals - Add more genres (e.g., K-pop, J-pop) - Add more countries for expansion (e.g., Africa) - Allow using gallery photos for album covers and artist profiles - Add a 'select all' tour button - Allow setting ticket prices more easily - Auto-restock for shirts and merch - Add automation for some artists - Add German language support - Add Portuguese language support - Add more award shows throughout the year - Add music video awards and countdown charts - Allow artists to ask to perform at award shows - Add a sandbox mode - Replace, fire, or hire new band members - Add new instruments and use different instruments on projects - Make it possible to make an artist after starting the game - Add more control over subsidiary labels and genre specialization - Add artist residency options (e.g., Vegas) - Add an artist version of the game - Include diss tracks in an artist version - Organize songs as desired - Allow creating artists after game start - Enable artists to write/produce for others on the label - Allow artist collaborations - Implement automation for recording demos - Sign producers instead of hiring - Allow selling/using demos from songwriters for other artists - Concurrent PR efforts for multiple artists - Show expected tour demand - Allow moving artists in/out of groups or assembling solo artists into groups - Unlock CD Manufacturing earlier - Allow renegotiating distribution deals - Add more genres (e.g., K-pop, J-pop) - Add more countries for expansion (e.g., Africa) - Allow using gallery photos for album covers and artist profiles - Add a 'select all' tour button - Allow setting ticket prices more easily - Auto-restock for shirts and merch - Add automation for some artists - Add German language support - Add Portuguese language support - Add more award shows throughout the year - Add music video awards and countdown charts - Allow artists to ask to perform at award shows - Add a sandbox mode - Replace, fire, or hire new band members - Add new instruments and use different instruments on projects - Make it possible to make an artist after starting the game ## Newest reviews (14 of 60) ### 5/5 — Love this *2026-03-15, version 1.7.3* This game is amazing. Obsessed ### 5/5 — Rich in Detail *2026-03-11, version 1.7.3* I’ve played probably like 10 hours now after buying this game on a whim. The price was definitely a commitment but when I saw no ads or micro transactions and an indie dev I was sold. It hasn’t disappointed either. It delivers exactly what the name of the game suggests with a tremendous level of detail and customization. It really feels like you are running a company and you can really make everything your own. The only gripe I can really think of is the difficulty but I guess you can so that’s just realistic lol. I plan to continue playing this game and have already been sharing it with others. This is undoubtedly one of the best and most in-depth sims I have played!!! ### 5/5 — Great game *2026-03-06, version 1.7.3* As a music professional myself I’m finding this game super fun. I’d love to be able to buy venues, also it would’ve good to add more random events from the artists. I dunno maybe they could get arrested or something? Anyways good job! ### 5/5 — Greatest game *2026-01-27, version 1.7.1* Greatest game ### 5/5 — Fun game, worth the money! *2025-12-28, version 1.6.7* Love this game! Yes, it is $8, and a text only game, but it offers hours of fun play. Clearly, the programmer listens to players and updates appropriately. I would love to see. Few more awards shows sprinkled throughout the year, but other than that, this is a solid game! ### 5/5 — The best game in its genre *2025-12-26, version 1.6.7* I For many months have been searching for a record label game that is actually fun. Everything to me was mediocre but this one was special. It is one of the most in-depth mobile games on the market and has been great. I highly hope you guys make a game where your an artist because this has systems not in any other and I know it would be nothing short of amazing. ### 5/5 — The BEST there is! *2025-11-21, version 1.6.0* This is by far the best music simulation game on the App Store! The developer is great and regularly release new updates with large features that keep players coming back! This game is also so detailed and realistic! It is so refreshing to play a game with a dedicated developer and story! ### 5/5 — Very Excited App *2025-11-19, version 1.5.4* Very realistic and worth the play!! ### 5/5 — Add More Awards shows *2025-11-09, version 1.5.4* Love this game can’t play with it all day and night but the thing that I love have in the game is more and more award shows people add more award show like through out the months and years but please add more awards show ### 5/5 — Worth It!! *2025-10-21, version 1.5.4* This game is very in depth from sales, booking, and even customization. All I can hope is that the game is steady added to. Some things I thought of were getting ask to performance at the award show. maybe an award show for music videos and something like a music video countdown chart. ### 5/5 — One of my favorite mobile games *2025-09-18, version 1.5.4* With so many mobile games that bait and switch, flood you with ads, and/or push in-app purchases for meaningful progression, this game is a breath of fresh air. There is a learning curve with the game, so don’t be discouraged if it takes you a few play throughs to get it. I failed multiple times in the beginning, but with a “sandbox mode” that lets you play the game and not lose, you can experiment to find an approach that works for you with no frustrations. There are a good number of features, and the developer is very responsive to feedback and bug reports. You can keep it simple with a single artist, or expand into a multi-artist dynasty with touring and merchandising. While this has a higher up-front price tag than some mobile games, the replay value and lack of ads/in-app purchases make it reasonably priced and worth the cost. If you’re looking for a fun and engaging game that doesn’t shove ads or additional purchases down your throat, I hope you’ll consider this one. ### 5/5 — Muito bom *2025-09-13* Jogo muito bom, mais poderia ter a tradução para português ### 5/5 — Add More Awards shows *2025-09-10* Love this game can’t play with it all day and night but the thing that I love have in the game is more and more award shows people add more award show like through out the months and years but please add more awards show ### 5/5 — took a shot *2025-09-09, version 1.5.1* 8 dollars was a steep asking price. but in the end was very much worth it. the game is very deep and rich with content. I have played other label sims before, and this one is truly a step above. in that regard, I think it was money well spent - and time very much wasted. but hey, what’s 8 dollars worth anyways? a few hours of entertainment is good enough for me. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — Fake reviews *2025-12-21, version 1.6.7* Don’t buy. For some reason you can’t stay out off debt. ### 1/5 — 👎🏾👎🏾 *2025-06-23* I read a guy's comment on ytb who said not to buy it and he was right, it quickly becomes boring and these images are like we're still in the 90s, disappointed j'ai lu le commentaire d’un mec sur ytb qui disait de ne pas l’acheter et il avait raison devient vite ennuyants et ces images comme si on était encore dans année 90 déçu **Developer response:** Hi! Sorry you didn’t like it, I’ve put a lot of effort in it, and I suggest you to get into the discord server to get help or give feedback which is always welcome. The game is set in the 90s because that’s the theme of it. ### 2/5 — Want to like the game *2026-01-04, version 1.6.7* I really want to like it, but the events are tanking any chance of me playing. The events are making every campaign unbearable. Take for example my last campaign. First band had an alcoholic in the first three weeks. Next band had an alcoholic and partier four weeks in, and my third band broke up two months of them signing their two year contract followed up by a two million dollar lawsuit. Understand that I play in 1970s, where you start off with 110k. This has been what each campaign will be like. It shouldn’t cost me 10k weekly to treat alcoholism in 1970, but that’s what the game will do for you. I am losing my mind that every game is like that so far. There needs to be heavy balancing to make it playable ### 3/5 — Good game *2026-07-24, version 1.7.10* I enjoy the game but it seems I have accidentally purchased the game a few days after it has been ported over to pc and released with more features. I’ve accidentally purchased the original version here on my phone which is apparently the lesser product, thus making me feel short changed. There’s a big list greeting you after you purchase this app that proudly displays all the features that you won’t be able to experience? Great. My entire playthrough I felt bummed out that I was playing a lesser version of a game, the B-product ### 3/5 — Fun game but…. *2026-01-25, version 1.7.1* Renewing contracts for artists is so frustratingly dumb ### 3/5 — Characters *2025-12-06, version 1.6.6* Can you make it to we’re we can sign our artist back ### 3/5 — Has Potential *2024-11-19, version 1.1.9* The potential is definitely there, but currently all you can really do is sign an artist and release their music, in my experience it is way too easy to make them a hit, and once they’re a hit you have plenty of money and there’s basically no game anymore, additionally i find myself never wanting more than one or two artists on my label because managing them becomes a headache, and any time spent not doing PR for my biggest artist is kind of a waste. Some features that would be nice: Automation - It would be nice if you could set your artists to record demos or songs automatically once you reach a certain size. Having 5 artists and managing every stage of their process is tedious, setting their project direction and then letting them record demos until you decide you have enough would be nice. Maybe only once you have your own studio? Producers - You should be able to sign producers instead of hiring the same one every time. Selling/Using demos - it would be nice if i could have a songwriter who could write songs for my other artists, this happens irl all the time and would incentivize you to build an actual label instead of keeping one artist. Concurrent PR - The current pr system makes it annoying to try to support multiple artists because you can only get events for one at a time. PR team should be able to split their effort between multiple, at least when you have 50 people on staff. Tours - you should really be able to see what the expected demand is for an artist’s tour, it’s annoying trying to guess how many shows they’ll sell. It doesn’t need to be perfectly accurate but a ballpark number would be nice. Groups - it would be nice if you could move artists in and out of groups or assemble solo artists into a group. CD Manufacturing - This is unlocked way too late. if I have an artist who just sold 4,000,000 copies of a record I should be able to get a manufacturing deal, it’s not until I have someone selling 500,000 first week that i unlock the worst manufacturing deal, and at that point I need more weekly capacity than those deals are offering. Distribution - it should be possible to renegotiate these deals. ### 4/5 — Fun but… *2026-04-10, version 1.7.4* It’s a great game, but I find it quite ironic (and bit disappointing) that a game about music has no soundtrack… it think it could make quite the difference! ### 5/5 — Insanely Good - Absolutely Worth It *2026-08-13, version 1.7.10* For anyone complaining about difficulty: You don’t have to use the default world state. This game is beyond awesome. There is so much more than just following one band’s career. You can create your own genres of music and plot their popularity thru the decades. Dev is always working on new ideas, taking feedback from players, polishing QoL. I found this game while searching for the 90s DOS game Rockstar! And i am so glad i did. ### 5/5 — Not bad *2026-07-27, version 1.7.10* Once I purchased it, I haven’t put my phone down ## Most praised reviews (8 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Extremely addictive *2026-07-21* Honestly one of the best game I played on mobile. The gameplay is simple but addictive because you to make more and more stats/money. Maybe it’s to répétitive, but overall a great game. ### 5/5 — Great Game! *2026-07-02, version 1.7.10* Honestly have put far too much time into this game since I bought it! It’s entertaining challenging and honestly so fun! Worth every penny and looking forward to playing the PC version soon! ### 5/5 — A truly great game *2026-06-10, version 1.7.6* The love that’s been poured into this game is apparent. Plus, with no microtransactions, you’re not left feeling like a pay pig for the developer. This game is genuinely good, deep, and shows a ton of potential. As it stands right now I’d give it an easy 9 out of 10, and I can see it becoming a perfect game if the dev keeps adding QoL changes, depth, and maybe even DLC one day. To the dev: THANK YOU! We need more game devs like you. I will also be gladly purchasing this game on steam when it comes out. I played the demo on PC and I feel like it definitely needs a lot of work compared to the mobile version, but after all; it is just a demo (on PC anyways) All in all, tremendous job done here and this game should stand as a reminder that devs should prioritize creating a legitimately GOOD game over some lame cash grab riddled with features locked behind pay walls. Thanks again! ### 5/5 — Sucked in from the first second. *2026-05-19, version 1.7.6* If you’re interested in the music industry like I am this game is just amazing. I am a little obsessed, it’s just so… real. Best new game in years, imo. ### 5/5 — Muito bom! *2026-05-17* Parabéns pelo jogo! muito divertido. ### 5/5 — good game but *2026-05-08* pls add korean language ### 5/5 — 10/10 I would recommend *2026-05-04, version 1.7.5* Super immersive, fun record label game. Literally what dreams are made of, live out your dream as a record executive, totally 100% worth the money, way more detailed than any record label simulation I’ve ever played! ### 5/5 — Great game *2026-04-17* Great game, make it a bit user friendly to renew contracts and to navigate. --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-09.*