# Oriental Music Academy — أكاديمية الموسيقى الشرقية

> Educational app for learning Arabic maqams, rhythms, and oriental music theory. (iPhone/iPad app by Golden Pages.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oriental-music-academy/id491995897 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Golden Pages](https://appshunter.io/developer/412406642)
- Category: Education, Music
- Price: $14.99 (on sale, was $19.99)
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 738 MB
- Languages: American English, Arabic, French (France), European Spanish
- Released: 2012-01-10
- Data updated: 2026-08-19
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oriental-music-academy/id491995897/reviews.md

## What is Oriental Music Academy?

Discover the beauty and depth of Arabic maqams through an all-in-one educational app designed for musicians, students, and lovers of oriental music.

The maqam system — the modal framework of Arabic, Turkish, and other Middle Eastern music — is the heart of this learning platform. Each maqam is explained with clarity, accuracy, and musical depth, supported by audio examples, visual tools, and contextual insights to help you truly understand its structure and emotional character.

WHAT'S INSIDE EACH MAQAM
• Full breakdown of notes, intervals (in cents), and characteristic degrees
• Authentic audio examples for real-world listening
• Famous songs that use the maqam
• Interactive quarter-tone keyboard for practice and experimentation
• Transpositions, modulation paths, and melodic behavior

TRAIN YOUR EAR
• Ear Training studio: match sung degrees, tell two maqams apart, practice over a sustained drone, and build rhythm precision with slow-practice tempo ramps
• Voice Analysis: sing into the mic and see instantly how close you land to the maqam, in cents
• Smart review: maqams you confuse come back at the right moment, so recognition sticks

PRACTICE WITH PURPOSE
• A daily Practice Coach builds a session plan around your weakest maqams
• Adaptive quizzes that focus where you struggle
• Performance tracking by scale, plus a practice calendar with streak tracking

CREATE AND COMPARE
• Maqam Composer: assemble scales from ajnas and hear your creation
• Compare any two maqams side by side, degree by degree
• 100 traditional rhythms (iqa'at) with clear notation and real audio
• A rich, verified glossary of maqam theory, forms, instruments, and history

You can explore both foundational maqams (Rast, Bayati, Hijaz, Saba, Nahawand, 'Ajam…) and rare or complex ones (Bastanikar, Suznak, Husayni, and more). Available in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish, with full right-to-left support.

Whether for performance, composition, or curiosity — this app is your key to mastering the sound of the East. Download now and start your journey through the rich landscapes of maqam music.

## Key features

- Maqam breakdowns with notes and intervals
- Authentic audio examples
- Interactive virtual keyboard
- Traditional oriental rhythms (iqa‘at)
- Interactive quizzes
- Performance level tracking
- Practice calendar with streak tracking

## Recent user reviews (7 of 7)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/oriental-music-academy/id491995897/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Can improve a lot

*2025-05-26*

Some things don’t work well like going up and down the maqam - which should really work given the purpose of the app. Please add a feature to read things in English for non Arabic speakers, and a tempo setting in the rhythm section. Also, information about the structure of the maqam like which notes are important for the feeling of the maqam

**Developer response:** Thank you a lot for your valuable review.
Please check our new version 3.1.

### 1/5 — Doesn't work

*2013-09-27*

There is no functionality under iOS 7 for this app. It only crashes when I click any button.

### 1/5 — Only ajnas,from 3-5.

*2013-01-01*

Where are the Maqams? I can only find Ajnas and not even all of them,only the sets from 5-3,can't scroll up to 1 and 2.

This is a shame since it seems like a great app but I can't access everything in Ajnas and I can't scroll up to the Maqams even though I bought it

### 4/5 — Good pocket reference

*2012-12-06*

A good quick reference for learning structure and pitch in mid-eastern music. Will require a fundamental understanding of the music to make since, but is still good for beginners. My only real issue is that occasionally only Arabic is shown with no English translation, but it does not really affect the usability of the app.

### 1/5 — Ne marche pas

*2012-06-28*

L'initiative est salutaire le dysfonctionnement aussi impossible à démarrer plante systématiquement avec l'iphone 4S

**Developer response:** Merci Beaucoup pour la remarque. Merci de faire la mise a jour de l'application.

### 5/5 — Translate please

*2012-05-13*

Very good app,please translate menu app in english

**Developer response:** Thanks

### 4/5 — Thank you

*2012-04-05*

What a fantastic app! Essential for those learning Arabic/Oriental music. There are a few bugs and a few mistakes but overall its a fantastic app :) thanks

## Frequently asked questions about Oriental Music Academy

### What is Oriental Music Academy?

Oriental Music Academy is an educational app designed to teach users about Arabic maqams, oriental music theory, and rhythms. It provides detailed explanations, audio examples, and interactive tools for learning and practice.

### How does Oriental Music Academy teach maqams?

It offers a full breakdown of notes, intervals, and characteristic degrees for each maqam. This is supplemented with authentic audio recordings, famous songs that use the maqam, and an interactive virtual keyboard for experimentation.

### What new features were added in the latest version?

The latest version includes over 100 traditional oriental rhythms with notation and audio, interactive quizzes, performance level tracking, a practice calendar with streak tracking, and a redesigned user interface.

### Is Oriental Music Academy suitable for beginners?

Yes, the app is designed for both beginners and advanced learners. It condenses years of study into a portable, interactive, and clear format, focusing on active listening, practical playing, and cultural context.

### What languages is Oriental Music Academy available in?

Oriental Music Academy offers full multilingual support and is available in English, French, and Arabic, making it accessible to a wider audience.

### How much does Oriental Music Academy cost?

Oriental Music Academy is a paid application, priced at $14.99. This one-time purchase grants access to all its features and content.

### Does Oriental Music Academy have ads?

No, Oriental Music Academy does not contain advertisements. It is a paid application that offers an uninterrupted learning experience.

### What devices is Oriental Music Academy compatible with?

Oriental Music Academy is compatible with iPhone and iPad devices, running on iOS. It is suitable for users who own Apple mobile devices.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 4.0 — 2026-07-09

Your biggest update yet — the app now trains your ear, not just your knowledge:

• Practice Coach: a daily plan built around the maqams you find hardest
• Ear Training studio: intonation drills, same-or-different listening, drone practice, and slow-practice tempo ramps
• Voice Analysis: sing and see how close you land to the maqam — live, in cents
• Maqam Composer: build scales from ajnas and hear them instantly
• Compare Maqams: two scales side by side, degree by degree
• Smart review: spaced repetition for maqam recognition
• Redesigned home dashboard and a richer, fact-checked glossary
• New: full Spanish localization, improved Arabic right-to-left experience

### 3.51 — 2026-04-09

Expanded and refined the Quiz, Performance, and Rhythms experience with better responsiveness, improved flow, and more consistent behavior across the app.

### 3.5 — 2026-03-19

This update brings a more authentic maqam experience with improved microtonal playback, a refined keyboard and staff interface, and better instrument guidance.
Highlights:
New Oriental Dual playback engine for clearer and more stable quarter-tone rendering
Improved keyboard and staff views with better note visibility, accidental notation, and live playback feedback
Cleaner instrument picker with recommended presets and stronger visual organization
Practice recording improvements with optional mic input, looping, and note playback highlighting
Full 30-maqam source integration with better consistency across the app
Also includes stability, layout, and readability improvements for iPhone and iPad in landscape.

### 3.1 — 2025-08-09

Enhanced performance and resolved bugs on legacy iOS devices.

### 3.0 — 2025-08-06

•	All-in-One Learning Platform: The app has evolved into a comprehensive educational platform for oriental music—offering structured learning, practice, and performance tools in one place.
	•	Interactive Quizzes: Sharpen your skills with new quizzes that test your knowledge of notes and songs, now featuring performance level tracking for each scale.
	•	Enhanced Maqam Library: Discover richer content for each maqam, including more examples, contextual information, and guided listening support.
	•	Massive Rhythm Expansion: Over 100 authentic oriental rhythms have been added to help you master iqa‘at with accuracy and variety.
	•	Practice Calendar: Build consistency with the new calendar feature that tracks your daily streaks and practice habits.
	•	Multilingual Support: The entire interface and content are now available in French and English, welcoming more learners worldwide.
	•	Complete Redesign: Experience a smoother, more immersive journey with a full UI overhaul and a refined dark theme for focused learning.

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## More apps by Golden Pages

- [Arabic Grammar Academy](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arabic-grammar-academy/id412406639)
- [Words and Letters كلمات وحروف](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/words-and-letters/id426845416)
- [ABC Arabic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/abc-arabic/id642159713)
- [Read & Glow: Kids Stories](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-and-glow-kids-stories/id1560631142)
- [العناصر](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id1568919650)

All apps by Golden Pages: https://appshunter.io/developer/412406642

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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 2026-08-19.*