# iTanpura Lite — The Original Pro Tanpura

> Electronic tanpura and Shruti box for Indian classical music drone. (iPhone/iPad app by Prasad Upasani.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itanpura-lite/id327862615 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Prasad Upasani](https://appshunter.io/developer/326115061)
- Category: Music, Lifestyle
- Price: Free
- Rating: 2.90/5 from 40 App Store ratings · 40 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.1 · 9 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2009-09-15
- Data updated: 2026-08-25
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itanpura-lite/id327862615/reviews.md

## What is iTanpura Lite?

Got tanpura? Well guess what, we have two for you, PLUS a Sur-Peti / Shruti box! Come listen to the beautiful, meditative sound of real Hemraj tanpuras, and get lost in the mysteries of Indian Classical music.
________________________________________

◆ Also check out iTablaPro which 
◆ includes ALL iTanpura features + tabla

NOTE: iTanpura Lite has most the features of the full version except the sound stops playing after 60 seconds, and it does not include the Swar Mandal or the Tuner.
________________________________________

◆ THE TANPURA ◆
The Tanpura is a musical instrument used in Indian classical music to provide a background "drone" against which the rest of the music is performed. It is a 4-stringed instrument with a base made from cured pumpkin gourd and a stem made from wood.
________________________________________

◆ AND NOW PRESENTING ◆
iTanpura Lite is an electronic Tanpura for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It uses stereo digital sound to simulate a set of two tanpuras each of which can be tuned with a different string combination. It uses sounds sampled from real Hemraj tanpuras to provide beautiful yet realistic sound in a pleasing design. The sound quality has to be heard to be believed!
________________________________________

◆ FEATURES ◆
√ Includes two 5-string tanpuras with independent pan and volume controls, plus a Sur-Peti / Shruti Box
√ Uses sounds sampled from actual male & female tanpuras for realistic tanpura sound throughout the pitch range
√ Adjust pitch by name (C#, G, etc.) using pitch up/down buttons
√ Wide range of pitch from lower A (A2) through upper E (E4) for one and a half octaves of tuning
√ Suitable for vocal or instrumental music
√ Fine-tune pitch in cents. The display shows the fine-tune value to allow exact recreation of any pitch
√ Tempo Control: use the pitch/tempo switch to change the function of the slider in the top section
√ Play one or two simultaneous tanpuras both controlled by the master pitch controls
√ Each tanpura's first string can be tuned to Pa, Ma or Ni, or any custom note such as Re, Ga, Dha, etc 
√ Or tune first string to any shruti in the octave using a slider
√ Each tanpura has its own pan and volume controls to allow precise placement within the stereo image. For example you can have a tanpura with Pa on your left and one with Ni on your right
√ PRESETS: Save your frequently-used combinations as named presets. Includes presets for the 100+ most popular raags. 
√ Turn the Sur-Peti/Shruti Box on or off and adjust its volume from the settings page
√ Can be used with speakers, headset, or the internal speaker (a high-quality speaker dock is recommended for maximum effect)

Still using your old electronic tanpura or shruti box? The future of the tanpura is here!
________________________________________

NOTE: iTanpura Lite has all the features of the full version except the sound stops playing after 60 seconds and it does not include the Swar Mandal or the Tuner. The full version has no time limits and keeps playing till the user turns it off.
________________________________________

## Key features

- Two 5-string tanpuras with independent controls
- Sur-Peti / Shruti Box functionality
- Realistic sounds sampled from real tanpuras
- Adjustable pitch and fine-tuning in cents
- Save custom presets for popular raags
- Stereo placement for precise sound imaging

## Recent user reviews (10 of 40)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itanpura-lite/id327862615/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Difficult to start

*2026-05-10*

Don’t know how to start the app

### 1/5 — TimeOut

*2026-02-03*

Version

### 1/5 — Useless app

*2025-11-29*

Don’t know why this app is even there in app store. It only plays for 1 min whatever the reason and ask to buy full version. If all the features are disabled and only allows to play one minute and ask to buy full version doesn’t even make sense of using it and calling it as lite indeed it’s lie.

### 1/5 — Why does this exist?

*2025-08-08*

It stops in a minute! What is the point of this?

### 1/5 — Waste of time

*2024-08-28*

If it’s unpaid it won’t even play for more than 2-3 minutes which is so frustrating. I just happily uninstalled it and installed dhwani instead.

### 3/5 — Can’t play in background

*2023-09-30*

We can’t play app in background

### 1/5 — Crap

*2022-07-21, version 9.2.0*

Doesn’t last more than 30 seconds

### 1/5 — Only Only Wastage of time

*2021-12-23*

Eww What a bad rubbish Rampura 
All of the scales are going wrong very bad I did not liked the app

### 1/5 — i tanpuralite wastage of time.

*2021-07-10*

This is not a Tanpura application when you cannot create the application which stops after half minutes do not work at all.

### 5/5 — Question!

*2021-07-07, version 9.0.8*

How does the metronome turn on

## Frequently asked questions about iTanpura Lite

### What is iTanpura Lite?

iTanpura Lite is an electronic tanpura and Shruti box app designed to provide the drone sound essential for Indian classical music. It offers two tanpuras with adjustable tuning and stereo controls.

### Does iTanpura Lite have ads?

No, iTanpura Lite does not contain advertisements. It is a free application that provides an uninterrupted musical experience.

### What are the limitations of iTanpura Lite compared to the full version?

The sound in iTanpura Lite stops playing after 60 seconds. It also does not include the Swar Mandal or the Tuner feature found in the full version.

### What is the sound quality like in iTanpura Lite?

The app uses stereo digital sound sampled from real Hemraj tanpuras, aiming to provide beautiful and realistic sound quality. It is recommended to use a high-quality speaker dock for the best effect.

### Can I customize the tuning in iTanpura Lite?

Yes, you can adjust the pitch by name (e.g., C#, G) or fine-tune in cents for exact recreation of any pitch. The first string of each tanpura can be tuned to Pa, Ma, Ni, or any custom note.

### What devices is iTanpura Lite compatible with?

iTanpura Lite is supported on iPhone and iPod Touch devices. It is rated for ages 4 and up.

### How often is iTanpura Lite updated?

The app was last updated on January 19, 2025, with version 9.4.7. This indicates regular updates to maintain functionality and compatibility.

### What is the user rating for iTanpura Lite?

iTanpura Lite has a rating of 2.9 stars from 39 ratings. This suggests a mixed user reception, with some users finding value and others experiencing issues.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 9.4.7 — 2025-01-19

- Fixed issue in importing shared presets
- Minor enhancements & fixes

### 9.4.6 — 2024-10-22

- Added preset for raag Parmeshwari. Reload Original presets from presets screen to load new presets.
- Minor compatibility fixes for iPhone 16

### 9.4.5 — 2024-10-10

- Fixed issue in importing shared presets
- Improved preset for raag Sampoorna Bageshri / Bageshri Kanada
- Improved preset for raag Kaushik Ranjani
- Minor enhancements & fixes

### 9.4.4 — 2023-09-28

- Minor enhancements & fixes

### 9.4.3 — 2023-09-25

- Fix for AirPlay button not showing sometimes
- Minor enhancements & fixes

## Apps similar to iTanpura Lite

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Jalra - Carnatic Mridangam](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jalra-carnatic-mridangam/id1592789766) | 4.6 (299) | Free | Music |
| [Bandish - Music Riyaz App](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bandish-music-riyaz-app/id6443525889) | 4.7 (140) | Free | Music |
| [Rhythm with Tabla & Tanpura](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rhythm-with-tabla-and-tanpura/id932488056) | 4.6 (597) | Free | Music |
| [TaalMala](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taalmala/id900947127) | 4.3 (177) | Free | Music |
| [NaadSadhana \| Music. Evolved.](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/naadsadhana-music-evolved/id1348181386) | 4.7 (209) | Free | Music |
| [iSruthi-Tampura Sruthi box](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isruthi-tampura-sruthi-box/id669394303) | 4.0 (267) | Free | Music |

## More apps by Prasad Upasani

- [iTanpura](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itanpura/id326115058)
- [iLehra - Lehra Nagma Player](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ilehra-lehra-nagma-player/id333183750)
- [iTablaPro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itablapro/id337350026)
- [iManjira](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/imanjira/id356726404)
- [iTablaPro Lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/itablapro-lite/id919001492)

All apps by Prasad Upasani: https://appshunter.io/developer/326115061

## Related topics

[itanpura lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/itanpura-lite) · [tanpura droid](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tanpura-droid) · [itanpura](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/itanpura) · [bheema tanpura lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bheema-tanpura-lite) · [tanpura](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tanpura) · [tanpura free](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tanpura-free) · [prasad upasani](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/prasad-upasani) · [tampura app for carnatic music](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tampura-app-for-carnatic-music) · [itablapro lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/itablapro-lite) · [kithu bathi gee dahana](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/kithu-bathi-gee-dahana) · [i shruti](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/i-shruti) · [dhwani tanpura](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/dhwani-tanpura) · [ishala](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/ishala) · [itabla pandit lite](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/itabla-pandit-lite) · [shruti](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/shruti) · [tanpura sadhak](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/tanpura-sadhak) · [bheema tanpura](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/bheema-tanpura)

---

*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 2026-08-25.*