# Music Spectrograph — A Transcription Assistant

> Real-time visual sound and music analysis with MIDI pitch display. (iPhone/iPad app by HotPaw Productions.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-spectrograph/id432044946 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [HotPaw Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/285074853)
- Category: Music, Utilities
- Price: $9.99
- Rating: 2.50/5 from 4 App Store ratings · 8 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 12.4 · 1 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2011-04-22
- Data updated: 2026-09-06
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-spectrograph/id432044946/reviews.md

## What is Music Spectrograph?

Music Spectrograph allows you to visually reverse engineer sound and music, in real-time.  See a live MIDI piano roll showing pitch and frequency.  When playing music files, you can slow down, and even stop sound in time.

Music Spectrograph is being using in college music programs to aid in learning music transcription.

The Hotpaw Music Spectrograph presents a high-resolution scrolling spectrogram as you listen, so that you can see these patterns in sound and music, as well as how sound corresponds to notes on a piano keyboard.  This piano alignment makes it far easier to spot which frequencies in sounds correspond to which musical notes. 

Features include:
- 12th-octave MIDI-pitch-centered spectrograph (also called a sonogram)
- Usable with live audio, tunes from your iOS device's music library, or a file downloaded via a URL (web address)
- Records up to a 4 minute spectrograph history you can stop, scroll back and review
- Slow Down music files by up to 8X, or speed music up by 3X to skip sections faster
- Stop music in time, and still hear the music frequencies present via re-synthesis (scroll back a little in time to bring up the ReSynth switch).
- Play tunes in mono, left or right channel only, or with center-panned vocals reduced
- Color the pitch graph to see if notes are in-tune or out-of-tune
- Color the spectrograph for loudness, or graph in black-and-white or with Pastel colors
- Mid-pitch filtering to remove some of the higher overtones

Use the Input? button to select a tune from your library (DRM protected iTunes files not supported).  Use the Gear button to select among several viewing modes.  There's a volume control to manually set the sensitivity threshold.  Stop playing or recording to scroll back and review or resynthesize sound.  Touch the keyboard during resynthesis to isolate one note.   

For many musical sounds, this app will show you many overtones and harmonics, not just the fundamental pitch of notes.  Some musical experience is required to tell musical notes from their overtones and harmonic frequencies.

## Key features

- Real-time MIDI piano roll
- Pitch and frequency visualization
- Slow down and stop audio
- Music transcription aid
- Adjustable playback speed
- Color-coded pitch graph

## Recent user reviews (8 of 8)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-spectrograph/id432044946/reviews.md

### 1/5 — No piano roll

*2018-05-03*

I was unable to get piano roll to work. 
Interface is klunky. 
Some buttons appear to do nothing, such as the mic button. 
Strongly recommend another app. I use Transcribe! on my computer but they don't have an iPhone app. I was hoping to be more portable to work on music while I commute. Keep looking...

### 3/5 — Decent app

*2017-10-15*

But quite expensive for what it does

### 1/5 — Scam. Stay away from this product!

*2017-02-16*

This product does not work as advertised. Complete waste of my money. Sloppy programming doesn't properly close windows and won't analyze songs in my library. Save your money, don't buy this scam

### 5/5 — Great! Here is a suggestion for next update.

*2014-12-26*

This app is awesome. I love it. Here is a suggestion that would help a lot. I think the keyboard should be at the bottom of the screen. That way, it's a lot easier to process the notes than trying to process them sideways. Anyway, GREAT APP.

### 5/5 — Good transcription tool.

*2014-02-19*

This is good transcription tool. The developer has put a feature in the app to slow down the music without changing pitch while also being able to see the pitch on a keyboard. It makes a good tool for transcribing those difficult solos.

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2013-01-03*

This is an excellent app, with a beautiful acoustical display and well implemented functionality.  Makes learning a new song much easier.  Absolutely love it, thanks!

### 1/5 — Not good

*2012-12-21*

Doesn't work. Try to play a song, and it doesn't do anything

### 5/5 — Excellent program

*2011-04-23*

Aways fun to see the overtones! Students can "see" the affect that voicing does to their sound.

## Frequently asked questions about Music Spectrograph

### What is Music Spectrograph?

Music Spectrograph is a paid application that allows users to visually analyze sound and music in real-time. It displays a live MIDI piano roll showing pitch and frequency, and enables users to slow down or stop audio for detailed study.

### How much does Music Spectrograph cost?

Music Spectrograph is available for a one-time purchase price of $9.99. There are no in-app purchases or subscription fees associated with this application.

### Does Music Spectrograph have ads?

No, Music Spectrograph does not contain advertisements. It is a paid application that offers an ad-free experience for its users.

### What devices is Music Spectrograph compatible with?

Music Spectrograph is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices. It is designed for iOS operating systems.

### How often is Music Spectrograph updated?

The latest version of Music Spectrograph, 1.9.5, was last updated on October 5, 2023. Updates typically include bug fixes and performance improvements.

### Can I use Music Spectrograph with DRM-protected music files?

No, Music Spectrograph does not support DRM-protected iTunes files. You can use tunes from your device's music library or files downloaded via a URL, provided they are not protected.

### What is the age rating for Music Spectrograph?

Music Spectrograph has an age rating of 4+. This indicates it is suitable for a wide range of users, including children, though some musical experience is recommended for full comprehension of its features.

### What are the main features of Music Spectrograph?

Key features include a 12th-octave MIDI-pitch-centered spectrograph, live audio analysis, the ability to slow down music files up to 8X, and stopping music in time for frequency analysis via re-synthesis.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.9.5 — 2023-10-05

Bug fixes and stability improvements.

### 1.9.3 — 2020-05-14

Bug fixes for iPad graphics and music library selection issues

### 1.9.2 — 2020-04-15

Bug fixes to better support newer iOS devices

### 1.9.1 — 2017-11-17

Updated for iOS 11 and the iPhone X

### 1.8.4 — 2017-10-05

Updated for iOS 11.  Improved support for AirPods.  Bug fixes and performance enhancements.

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## More apps by HotPaw Productions

- [inTuna Strobe Guitar Tuner](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/intuna-strobe-guitar-tuner/id285074850)
- [Sing-inTuna](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sing-intuna/id294767812)
- [HotPaw Basic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotpaw-basic/id295464266)
- [MorseTest](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/morsetest/id297010360)
- [XOCubed (3D Tic Tac Toe)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xocubed-3d-tic-tac-toe/id303500525)
- [iAutoharp](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iautoharp/id304091719)

All apps by HotPaw Productions: https://appshunter.io/developer/285074853

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*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 2026-09-06.*