djembeföla! vs Loopie Sessions
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
djembeföla!
Explore and learn traditional West African rhythms with this comprehensive drumming app. Features authentic recordings, customizable playback, and detailed cultural information. Perfect for students and enthusiasts aiming for certification.
- Dozens of traditional rhythms
- Djembe and dunun parts with individual controls
- Customizable tempo and volume
- Metronome with shekere/clave sounds
- In-depth rhythm information and maps
- Supports TTMDA curriculum for certification
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Inspired by Master Djembeföla, Mamady Keïta, and designed for students and enthusiasts worldwide, djembeföla! is the most comprehensive West African drumming app available today. Scroll through dozens of traditional rhythms, each with djembe and dunun parts, using sorting options such as Region, Ethnic Group, Cultural Purpose, and more. Press play and following the djembe signal, the selected rhythm plays in a continuous loop, as the cursor visually marks each beat. With master tempo and volume controls, as well as separate volume sliders and mute buttons for each djembe and dunun part (including the dunun bells) djembefola! is infinitely customizable. A Signal Repeat selector allows the user to hear the signal repeat, and choose between several different intervals. A selectable Metronome function keeps you in time with traditional shekere or clave sounds. Press the 'i' (info) button for more in-depth information about the rhythm, including maps -- information that is vital to the preservation of West African drumming culture. Play it through headphones for individual woodshedding, or through a home stereo or PA system via WiFi or BlueTooth to play as a group. Set the sorting function to 'LEVELS' and djembeföla! is uniquely set up to follow TamTam Mandingue Djembe Academy's curriculum for certification. With links to TTMDA and ClubTTM, djembeföla! is the perfect tool to help you achieve your TTMDA certification. In-app purchases mean you can go at your own pace -- start with the Beginner Levels Module, and when you're ready, explore the Intermediate and Advanced Modules. There's even a Dununba Rhythms Module with 21 Dununba Rhythms, and now modules with rhythms created by Mamady Keïta. Features: • over 120 rhythms available in Version 2.0, • multiple sorting groups - alphabetical, ethnic group, region, purpose, and TTM curriculum levels • actual recordings instead of samples - means it sounds organic and authentic instead of computer-generated. • single page interface - you don't have to switch pages to view the notation, or change the mix. • master tempo control - slide left or right for .75x to 1.5x the rhythm's default tempo, and simply tap the control to return the tempo to the rhythm's default value. • individual mute and volume controls - emphasize whichever parts you want to hear more clearly. • signal repeat option for repeating the signal at varying cycles • new metronome options including shekere & clave • in-app purchases - build your library of rhythms as you go, with available rhythm packs from Beginner to Advanced, and more *note: with initial purchase, 8 rhythms have full functionality: Abondan Balakulandjan Bao Denadon Kotedjuga Kuku Mendiani Takosaba • links to TTMDA and ClubTTM - one of the world's most in-depth resources for West African drumming culture, the TTMDA site lists all kinds of drumming events and workshops, as well as links to TTMDA Certified Teachers all over the world. There's an online store, and with ClubTTM, there are countless hours of video posted by both Mamady Keïta and TTM Certified Teachers.
Loopie Sessions
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Practice, create and share West African rhythms with a global drumming community. PLAY Practice your favourite West African rhythms and discover new ones, with a shared library from drummers around the world and options to visualise ballet-style duns. CREATE Build and save your own solos, accompaniments and variations with flexible time signatures and more control over parts. COLLABORATE Share rhythms, variations, and solos with the Loopie community, discover what others have published, and star and comment on other players’ creations. — CORE FUNCTIONALITY Loopie gives you everything you need to learn, practise and play West African rhythms with confidence: ● Play djembe, dundun, sangban, kenkeni and bell parts ● Follow clear, interactive notation as each rhythm plays ● Tap through variations, adjust tempos and loop rhythms for focused practice ● Enjoy high-quality, realistic percussive sound ● Explore a growing library of traditional rhythms ● Save favourites and your own rhythms for easy access ● Access the app and all its content free, with no subscriptions or paywalls ● Enjoy an ad-free experience with no third-party trackers or analytics.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Loopie Sessions at Free against djembeföla!'s $4.99. Loopie Sessions also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 weeks). djembeföla!'s advantage is iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On ads and device support 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
Loopie Sessions is free to download; djembeföla! costs $4.99 up front. djembeföla! sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Loopie Sessions asks for nothing beyond the download.
djembeföla! ships an update every 6 weeks, Loopie Sessions every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | djembeföla! | Loopie Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (35 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 35 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 158 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tom Taylor | Lukas Steiner |
In-app purchases
djembeföla!
- MK Originals Beginner Pack$9.99
- BEGINNER Rhythm Pack$9.99
- MK Originals Intermediate Pack$14.99
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- MK Originals Advanced Pack$14.99
- INTERMEDIATE Rhythm Pack$14.99
- DUNUNBA Rhythm Pack$14.99
Loopie Sessions
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is djembeföla! free?
Is Loopie Sessions free?
Do djembeföla! or Loopie Sessions have ads?
Which is updated more often, djembeföla! or Loopie Sessions?
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