# Mintzer Big Band Essentials vs Drum Notation by Beat Note

The clearest difference is price: Drum Notation by Beat Note at Free against Mintzer Big Band Essentials's $7.99. Drum Notation by Beat Note also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 19 months) and review sentiment (83% vs 58%). Mintzer Big Band Essentials's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Drum Notation by Beat Note is free to download; Mintzer Big Band Essentials costs $7.99 up front. Mintzer Big Band Essentials sells 9 one-off in-app purchases and Drum Notation by Beat Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.69 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drum Notation by Beat Note holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 87 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Mintzer Big Band Essentials's written reviews are positive against 83% of Drum Notation by Beat Note's.

Mintzer Big Band Essentials ships an update every 19 months, Drum Notation by Beat Note every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mintzer Big Band Essentials | Drum Notation by Beat Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mintzer-big-band-essentials/id1061261675/reviews) | **[4.6 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-notation-by-beat-note/id1539132475/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **87** |
| Positive reviews | 58.3% of reviews | **82.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 700 MB | 81 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fuzzy Music, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/534683214) | [Kick Snare Hat Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/945994325) |

## What reviewers say

### Mintzer Big Band Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mintzer-big-band-essentials/id1061261675)

This music app offers an immersive big band experience, allowing users to isolate or mute individual instrument tracks from a library of 10 tunes. Charts and parts can be printed or emailed directly from the application.

**Highlights:** Isolate or mute individual instrument tracks, Play along with a big band, Library of 10 tunes, Print or email charts and parts, Supports multiple instruments

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| El Caborojeño | $2.99 | one-time |
| Havin' Some Fun Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ellis Island Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Original People Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| New Rochelle Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Runferyerlife Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Latin Dance Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tribute Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| All Songs Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |


### Drum Notation by Beat Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drum-notation-by-beat-note/id1539132475)

Create, practice, and share drum music notation with ease. This app transforms sequenced beats into professional sheet music, offering tools for composition, transcription, and interactive teaching. Enhance your drumming journey with customizable practice sessions and high-quality export options.

**Highlights:** Sequencer to notation conversion, Compose and transcribe drum beats, Customizable practice sessions, Interactive teaching tools, High-quality PDF and image export, Multiple notation voicing options

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Educator Tier Monthly (No Trial) | $6.69 | per month |
| Creator Tier Monthly (No Trial) | $13.49 | per month |
| Educator Tier Annual (No Trial) | $59.99 | per year |
| Educator Tier Annual + Free Trial | $59.99 | per year |
| Creator Tier Annual + Free Trial | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and efficient notation
- 🎶 Great sound playback
- 💡 Excellent for teaching and learning
- ✍️ Simple to write exercises and ideas

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 💸 High annual cost
- 🆓 Limited free version
- 🚫 No one-time purchase option
- 🤔 Subscription model makes little sense to some

**Reported bugs**

- Preview rarely matches notes on staff
- Sometimes doesn't play any notes
- Sounds not always appropriate for instrument voicing
- Editing measures is inconvenient
- Free trial charged immediately

**Requested features**

- 7/8 time signature support
- Syncing between devices
- Web version
- Native Mac/Windows apps
- Add text or notes to notations


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mintzer Big Band Essentials free?

Mintzer Big Band Essentials costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Drum Notation by Beat Note free?

Drum Notation by Beat Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Mintzer Big Band Essentials or Drum Notation by Beat Note?

Drum Notation by Beat Note is rated higher. Mintzer Big Band Essentials averages 4.4 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Drum Notation by Beat Note averages 4.6 from 87 ratings.

### Do Mintzer Big Band Essentials or Drum Notation by Beat Note have ads?

Neither Mintzer Big Band Essentials nor Drum Notation by Beat Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mintzer Big Band Essentials or Drum Notation by Beat Note?

Mintzer Big Band Essentials ships an update every 19 months, and Drum Notation by Beat Note every 9 days. Most recently, Mintzer Big Band Essentials was updated on October 26, 2026 and Drum Notation by Beat Note on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*