# Popscene (Music Industry Sim)

> Music industry simulation game with band management, recording, and touring. (iPhone/iPad app by MDickie Limited.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popscene-music-industry-sim/id808129130 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [MDickie Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/498978165)
- Category: Games, Music, Music, Simulation
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 3.60/5 from 1,081 App Store ratings · 296 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 9+
- Requires: iOS 6.1 · 43 MB
- Languages: American English, Czech, Dutch, French (France), German (Germany), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, European Portuguese and 6 more
- Released: 2014-02-07
- Data updated: 2026-09-02
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popscene-music-industry-sim/id808129130/reviews.md

## What is Popscene (Music Industry Sim)?

Bring your music collection to life with animated performances as you embark on a career in the industry! Form your own band by recruiting talent from over 100 artists across 6 unique labels. Then record hits that will top the charts and take them on the road to over 20 different venues - complete with real reviews that scrutinize your strengths and weaknesses. With an endless schedule of possibilities before you, and an ever-evolving industry to immerse yourself in, Popscene captures the highs and lows of music in the palm of your hand!

* Please note that this game's use of MP3s may not be compatible with some devices. If this affects you, consider turning off MP3 music in the options.

PLAYING GUIDE:
Popscene divides the music making process into entertainment (represented by stars) and artistry (represented by hearts). As in real life, popular music is more likely to shoot up the charts and draw fans - but without substance, the success may be short-lived. Each of the game's many artists has the following attributes that influence this process:

- POPULARITY is the artist's ability to draw fans to entertaining content.
- REPUTATION is their ability to draw fans to artistic content.
- PERFORMANCE is their ability to perform entertaining songs live.
- TALENT is their ability to perform artistic songs live.
- PRODUCTION is their ability to compose entertaining music.
- WRITING is their ability to compose artistic music.
- HAPPINESS is the pleasure they currently get from their work.
- ATTITUDE indicates how likely they are to either contribute or cause trouble.

Each week, depending on the size of your team and their collective attitude, new songs may be recorded. Each member of the team contributes their score to a new song, and whoever scores the highest will be credited with making it. Members who are dedicated backstage staff will contribute twice instead of once - increasing the chances of a good song being written.

Once songs exist, it is the on-stage performers who must bring it to life. As with writing, each band member on stage contributes their score and the highest determines how well the song was received in each category. This time, it is the "frontman" who gets to contribute twice instead of once - so consider who is at the forefront.

The overall rating for a show is the average of all the songs performed - albeit slightly more generous so that perfection is not required. This is also true of album reviews. A 5-star performance may consist of consistent 4-star contributions. Reviews are where your performances feed back into the stats that produced them, because each attribute will rise or fall to reflect what just happened.

When booking venues, you must consider how much it will cost versus how much you are likely to recoup. Tickets are sold at $5 per song so it depends how long your set is. You will receive a percentage of this revenue, and must then use that to pay your employees and any other expenses. Singles are sold at $1 each whereas albums are sold at $1 per song for a maximum of $10. If you have a week of inactivity, you may find that you make a loss because of the expenses of your lifestyle (which reflects your wealth).

I regret there is more to this game than I could ever explain here, so enjoy figuring some things out for yourself!

## Key features

- Form a band with over 100 artists
- Record hit songs
- Tour to over 20 venues
- Receive real performance reviews
- Balance entertainment and artistry
- Manage artist attributes

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Backstage Pass | $2.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #136 in Top Free · Music (US App Store)
- #139 in Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

## What do users think of Popscene (Music Industry Sim)?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 💯 Great game
- 🎮 Addictive gameplay
- 🎶 Realistic music career simulation
- 👍 Customizable characters
- 🎉 Enjoyable overall experience

**Cons**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🤑 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🤖 Repetitive AI behavior
- 💰 Unbalanced economy and earnings
- 🤔 Lack of clear instructions

**Commonly reported bugs**

- MP3 integration issues
- Challenges and goals not working as intended
- Frequent crashes during cutscenes
- Glitches with chart positions and album sales

**Most requested features**

- Add ability to create own music
- Introduce more genres beyond pop
- Implement a tour/concert system
- Allow running your own record label
- Expand customization options
- Add more ways to earn and spend money

## Recent user reviews (10 of 296)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/popscene-music-industry-sim/id808129130/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Miss this game

*2026-08-25, version 1.13*

An update so the game is even playable with your own music would be awesome

### 1/5 — The worst game ever why this is for kids

*2026-08-20, version 1.13*

This game needs to have the accurate score of the music if I get one star in one heart and the music is a three and 4.5 that is terrible

### 5/5 — Itching for a comeback tour!

*2026-08-14, version 1.13*

Been wanting an updated remix or entirely new game for a while now. Loving that the games are making it on steam and nintendo switch 2.

### 4/5 — Can’t lint to mp3 on my iPhone

*2026-08-03, version 1.13*

I’ve playing in Samsung and I switched to iPhone but when I try linking to my mo3 the games disconnects and I start over please do u have any suggestions

### 3/5 — This needs an update

*2026-07-28, version 1.13*

If we can’t use music from our own music library then take it out of the game, because every time I try to, it glitches me out of the game. Other than that I do like the game.

### 4/5 — Please Remake in 3D!!!!!!

*2026-07-23, version 1.13*

i love this game and it sucks how it’s for the meantime stuck in the 2d format i know with all the new features in the 3d version would make this game so good please gives us a 3d version

### 3/5 — Needs updates

*2026-07-21, version 1.13*

CLASSIC game but it needs refreshing. I’m in agreement with all the other reviews

### 4/5 — MP3 issue

*2026-07-08, version 1.13*

The game is still good, but there’s an MP3 import issue on the game I got an iPhone 17e and the mp3 is not working I want to be able to import my music to the app can you please fix it

### 3/5 — Made me cry

*2026-06-30, version 1.13*

They literally make you swap instruments and clothing whatever button you choose they’re going to force you to use different stuff game was good though

### 3/5 — Feedback

*2026-06-25, version 1.13*

The game is really fun. You have a lot of varieties of to choose from and that’s in terms of customizing your character and stats and abilities but if you can change one thing or add one thing, it would be to actually be able to buy something with the money that you make as you have like all this when you’re making all these all this money selling all these records, then it’ll be no point to have the money if you can’t buy anything.

## Frequently asked questions about Popscene (Music Industry Sim)

### What is Popscene (Music Industry Sim)?

Popscene is a mobile game that simulates a career in the music industry. Players form bands, record music, perform live, and manage their artists' careers, balancing popularity and artistic merit.

### What are the key features of this music simulation game?

Key features include recruiting over 100 artists from 6 labels, recording hit songs, touring over 20 venues with animated performances, and receiving detailed reviews that impact artist stats. The game also focuses on balancing entertainment (stars) and artistry (hearts).

### Is Popscene (Music Industry Sim) free to play?

The application is free to download and play, but it does offer in-app purchases. This allows players to enhance their experience or progress through the game with optional purchases.

### What devices is Popscene compatible with?

The game is designed for mobile devices. However, it notes that its use of MP3s may not be compatible with some devices, and suggests turning off MP3 music in the options if this issue arises.

### How does the game simulate the music industry?

The game simulates the music industry by allowing players to manage artist attributes like popularity, reputation, performance, and talent. Decisions made during recording and live shows directly influence reviews and artist development, mirroring real-world industry dynamics.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.13 — 2017-03-29

This update from Apple will improve the functionality of this app. No new features are included.

- Smoother breathing animations.
- New faces and hairstyles from the survival sim, "Wrecked".
- Lower lifetyle costs, higher profit margins.
- Enhanced compatibility with the latest hardware and operating systems.

### 1.12 — 2014-12-02

- Enhanced compatibility with iOS 8.
- Fixed bug that may have caused commercial breaks to crash.

### 1.1 — 2014-11-03

- Enhanced compatibility with iOS 8 (specifically in-app purchases which may have failed previously).

### 1.04 — 2014-07-13

- Fixed an issue that may have caused generated universes to crash.
- Fixed an issue that may have caused some MP3 themes to play for too long.

### 1.02 — 2014-02-18

- Red crosses on the "Change Project" screen allow you to delete old albums to make room for new ones (this can also be used on the "Release Single" screen to delete individual tracks).
- Contract sums now accelerate for quicker changes.
- Better balancing on earnings to make success more gradual.
- Stat reminders help you make informed decisions in meetings.
- Disputes can now go to court.
- New dance moves include the moonwalk!
- Improved character generation extends to headwear and accessories.
- VIP players can now edit their career characters as well as everybody else.

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## More apps by MDickie Limited

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All apps by MDickie Limited: https://appshunter.io/developer/498978165

## Related topics

[singer games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/singer-games) · [concert games](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/concert-games)

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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 2026-09-02.*