# Functional Ear Trainer vs Backline NYC

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Backline NYC at none against Functional Ear Trainer's 1. Backline NYC also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 7 months). Functional Ear Trainer's advantage is ratings volume (3.7K vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Functional Ear Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backline NYC asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Functional Ear Trainer against 5.0 for Backline NYC. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Functional Ear Trainer has 3.7K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 96% of Functional Ear Trainer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Backline NYC's.

Functional Ear Trainer ships an update every 7 months, Backline NYC every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Functional Ear Trainer | Backline NYC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (3.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backline-nyc/id6761860706/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.7K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 96.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 41 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Serhii Korchan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1088761925) | [Khadija Aslam](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891797500) |

## What reviewers say

### Functional Ear Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926)

Develop your musical ear by learning to recognize tones within the context of a specific musical key. This app helps you understand the function of each note, improving your ability to transcribe, improvise, and play music by ear. Suitable for all ages and skill levels, with just 10 minutes of daily practice.

**Highlights:** Recognize tones in musical key context, Understand note function, Improve transcription skills, Enhance improvisation, Develop perfect pitch, Daily 10-minute practice

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Functional Ear Trainer Plus | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Effective ear training
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Customizable exercises
- 🎉 Noticeable improvement with regular practice
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional audio glitches
- 💡 Lack of support for other instruments besides piano
- 💡 Desire for more advanced features (e.g. chord recognition)

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard display issues when selecting all chromatic notes
- Inconsistent note resolutions in some exercises

**Requested features**

- Add support for multiple notes/chords at once
- Implement a mode for training key recognition
- Provide more customization options for exercises
- Include voice input to play the notes
- Add support for German/Norwegian key names


### Backline NYC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/backline-nyc/id6761860706)

Connect with other musicians and creative professionals in New York City to find collaborators for gigs, sessions, and projects. Build your network and discover new opportunities for your music career.

**Highlights:** Location-based musician discovery, Profile creation with skills, Find bandmates and collaborators, Connect for sessions and projects, Discover creative professionals

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Functional Ear Trainer free?

Functional Ear Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Backline NYC free?

Backline NYC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Functional Ear Trainer or Backline NYC?

Backline NYC is rated higher. Functional Ear Trainer averages 4.9 out of 5 from 3.7K ratings, while Backline NYC averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Functional Ear Trainer or Backline NYC have ads?

Neither Functional Ear Trainer nor Backline NYC shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Functional Ear Trainer or Backline NYC?

Functional Ear Trainer ships an update every 7 months, and Backline NYC every 9 days. Most recently, Functional Ear Trainer was updated on October 19, 2026 and Backline NYC on October 10, 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.*