MIDI Opener vs Spectrolite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MIDI Opener
This app is a powerful and modern MIDI player designed for musicians, learners, and creators. It offers visual playback, tempo and key control, and advanced track management. Import custom soundbanks and enjoy features like synchronized lyrics and a 3D visualizer.
- Visual MIDI playback
- Tempo and key control
- Advanced track controls
- 128 General MIDI instruments
- Built-in effects
- Custom soundbanks
- Synchronized lyrics
- 3D visualizer
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MIDI Opener – Play, Practice & Export MIDI Files Open any MIDI file and take full control of your music. MIDI Opener is a fast, precise MIDI player built for musicians who want to practice smarter, isolate parts, customize arrangements, route playback to external gear, export their changes, and deeply explore songs without the complexity of a DAW. WHY MIDI OPENER • Instantly open and play standard MIDI files (.mid, .midi) • Ultra-responsive playback with zero clutter • Built for practice, learning, live performance, and musical exploration • Completely ad-free POWERFUL PLAYBACK CONTROL • Change tempo in real time (slow down or speed up) • Transpose key instantly to match your instrument • Mute, solo, and adjust volume for each track • Swap instruments using all 128 General MIDI sounds • Import custom SoundFont (.sf2) and DLS soundbanks • Apply reverb, delay, distortion, and EQ effects EXPORT YOUR CHANGES • Export audio as MP3, M4A, or WAV • Export modified MIDI files with your changes • Save customized practice mixes and arrangements • Perfect for backing tracks, sharing, and rehearsal prep PRACTICE WITH PRECISION • Loop any section with A–B looping • Isolate difficult passages and repeat them • Break down complex songs into manageable parts • Save and instantly restore full practice setups with Snapshots Perfect for pianists, guitarists, producers, singers, music directors, and students. MIDI OUT & EXTERNAL DEVICES • Send MIDI playback to external keyboards, synths, drum machines, and sound modules • Connect over USB, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi • Compatible with Logic Pro, Ableton Live, GarageBand, and CoreMIDI apps • Use premium external instrument sounds and studio hardware SING AND PRACTICE • View embedded lyrics when available • Real-time word highlighting synced to playback • Great for karaoke and vocal practice SEE YOUR MUSIC • Clean, readable note timeline • Beautiful full screen Focus Mode with ambient visuals, auto hiding controls, and optional synchronized lyrics • Track based visual layout • Retro 3D visualizer • Multiple visual themes ORGANIZE YOUR MIDI LIBRARY • Import from Files, AirDrop, Mail, and other apps • Create playlists • Queue songs for continuous playback UPGRADE OPTIONS Free — The Player & Customizer Open and play MIDI files with powerful built-in customization tools. Includes instrument swapping with all 128 General MIDI sounds, custom SoundFont and DLS support, synchronized lyrics, audio effects, song section looping, visual themes, saved mixes with Snapshots, playlists, queue support, and a complete MIDI song library experience—all in a fast, focused, ad-free player. Practice Pack — The Musician’s Upgrade Unlock advanced practice and arrangement tools including real-time tempo control, key transposition, per-track mute, solo, and volume controls, plus MP3 audio and MIDI export for creating custom practice mixes, backing tracks, and arrangements. MIDI Out — The Producer’s Upgrade Route MIDI playback to external keyboards, synths, drum machines, DAWs, and professional music hardware over USB, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi using CoreMIDI. All Access — Everything, Once Get the complete MIDI Opener experience with every upgrade included, plus discounted upgrade pricing if you already own another product. FAST. FOCUSED. NO DISTRACTIONS. Made for musicians who want control—not complexity.
Spectrolite
This app visualizes sound in real-time using various spectrogram types. Explore detailed audio data with intuitive touch controls and adjustable parameters. An optional purchase unlocks advanced measurement tools.
- Real-time spectrogram visualization
- Constant-Q, linear, and mel frequency scales
- Full human hearing frequency range
- Intuitive touch panning and zooming
- Adjustable gain, Q, and other parameters
- Pro version: grids, scales, spectrum view, tap-to-measure
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Spectrolite visualizes sound as spectrograms in real time. Spectrolite supports constant-Q spectrograms, which use a logarithmic frequency scale for a display where musical notes are evenly spaced. Spectrograms based on linear and mel frequency scales are also supported. The display covers the full frequency range of human hearing. Intuitive touch panning and zooming lets you dive in and explore the spectrograms in detail. Gain, Q, and other parameters can be adjusted in real time and instantly apply to the display of past signals as well as future ones. The Pro in-app purchase adds grids and scales for time, frequency, and amplitude, as well as a spectrum view and a tap-to-measure function. This expands Spectrolite into an audio measurement tool that you can use to measure frequencies, musical pitches, amplitudes, and durations.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Spectrolite at 4.8 against MIDI Opener's 3.9. Spectrolite also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (83% vs 64%). MIDI Opener's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 8 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. MIDI Opener sells 13 one-off in-app purchases and Spectrolite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Spectrolite holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 85 and 51 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of MIDI Opener's written reviews are positive against 83% of Spectrolite's.
MIDI Opener ships an update every 10 days, Spectrolite every 8 months. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.
| Parameter | MIDI Opener | Spectrolite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (85 ratings) | 4.8 (51 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.5% of reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 85 — better | 51 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 8 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 334 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MartianRover, LLC | Waxing Wave |
Customer experience
MIDI Opener
Spectrolite
Bugs and requests
MIDI Opener
Reported bugs
15 issues- Sustained notes are treated as staccato notes.
- Cuts off the beginning of the song.
- Kicked out of the app when clicking on another SoundFont.
- Crashes when changing SoundFonts (iOS 26).
- Bass drum is too quiet for metal music.
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- Changing key option breaks songs.
- App crashes on startup.
- Randomly playing a single track only.
- Skipping individual notes when too many are playing.
- New update not working, won't play audio or understand certain instruments.
- Google Drive method does not work.
- Download button does nothing.
- Skips a lot of notes.
- No sound, plays silence.
- Scrolling bar with no sound.
Requested features
18 requests- Adjust individual track volumes
- Zoom in/out
- Select region to play
- Export features (WAV, MP3, FLAC)
- Playlist functionality
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- Library structure with nested folders
- AUV3 plug-in support
- IAA with audio hosts
- Switchable color schemes
- Spectrum editor/video export
- Save MIDI soundfiles as MP3
- More SoundBanks
- Tempo control
- Transpose option
- Custom SoundFont support
- Local storage/in-app folder
- Background play
- Option to play once (no loop)
Spectrolite
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
MIDI Opener
- Tip$0.99
- Full Upgrade Discount$0.99
- Remove Ads$1.99
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- Change Tempo$1.99
- Change Tempo and Key$1.99
- All Access Upgrade$2.99
- Track Controls$2.99
- Super Tip$4.99
- MIDI Out$4.99
- Practice Pack$4.99
- Full Upgrade$4.99
- Premium Upgrade$4.99
- All Access$7.99
Spectrolite
- Pro$4.99
Questions
Is MIDI Opener free?
Is Spectrolite free?
Which has better reviews, MIDI Opener or Spectrolite?
Do MIDI Opener or Spectrolite have ads?
Which is updated more often, MIDI Opener or Spectrolite?
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