Comparison

Beat Station vs Beats Live!

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Beat Station

This app provides a versatile drum machine for musicians, offering realistic drum sets and extensive loop libraries. It allows for real-time control of song sections and hands-free operation via a Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard, enhancing practice, production, and live performance.

Highlights
  • Realistic drum sets
  • Extensive drum loop library
  • Multiple control modes (Loop, Pedal, Song)
  • Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard support
  • Inter-App Audio and background audio
  • Export songs as audio files
  • MIDI implementation and DAW integration
Features
Read full description

The Beat Station is a rhythm machine for practicing guitar, bass, keyboard, or any type of instrument, and also brings to production and live performance the ease of not requiring live drums and a drummer. You can control verse, chorus, transition, fill, intro, and outro sections using different modes of operation. Connect Bluetooth MIDI Pedalboard lets you control all sections hands-free. When you hear the rhythm patterns and start to control them live, it is truly like a versatile drummer playing along with you. LOOP MODE Easily play rhythm patterns with loop pads. Each rhythm style includes 12 rhythm patterns: intro, verse, chorus, six fills, two transitions, and outro. You can switch rhythm patterns in real-time as needed during your performance. PEDAL MODE You can use the Pedal mode to play rhythm patterns with four footswitches. By using a Bluetooth MIDI pedalboard, you can perform operational tasks without having to take your hands off of your instrument. SONG MODE You can connect rhythm patterns to create a complete drum track that's appropriate for your own song, and play it automatically. Features • 6 ultra-realistic drum sets • Over 1700 drum loops, 136 rhythm styles in 15 genres • Easily play rhythm patterns with three modes • Inter-App Audio support • Audio background mode • Export your songs as audio files • Full MIDI implementation • MIDI Controller support • MIDI Learn • Send MIDI to DAW or other apps • Ableton Link integration • Keep your projects up to date across all devices using iCloud -------- Beat Station Pro Subscription - Get All Genres of Rhythm (Over 1700 Drum Loops) - Unlimited Projects - Export Audio - MIDI Output • $2.99(USD)/Month  • $22.99(USD)/Year Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your account settings on the App Store after purchase. PRIVACY POLICY: https://sonarmusic.app/beatstation/privacy/ TERMS OF USE: https://sonarmusic.app/beatstation/terms/

About

Beats Live!

This app provides a rhythm section with over 400 live-recorded drum and percussion loops across various genres. It features a tempo slider, tap tempo, and unique 'listen' and 'live' modes for practicing, performing, or teaching.

Highlights
  • Over 400 live-recorded drum and percussion loops
  • Multiple genres and styles
  • Tempo slider and tap tempo
  • Listen mode for auditioning loops
  • Live mode for sequential loop playback
  • Background playback support
  • Landscape and portrait modes
Features
Read full description

Consider this app to be the metronome that you actually love to study and perform with! Not just a click but a rhythm section that performed live in one real recording room, no edits, no manipulation but raw, natural groove in many styles. Around 400 loops that you can study, jam, perform live or teach with! 250 loops (all 2 bars in length) in many genres performed by a live studio drummer and percussion player and another 150 performed on drums only (e.g., jazz and rock) Complete with tempo slider and tap tempo. Plus, a unique feature; 'listen mode' and 'live mode' for either quickly auditioning loops or having loops play after each other, maintaining the same tempo (live mode). Content of the app: POP/ROCK/FUNK/SOCA/TRAP: 70 bpm-10 loops 90 bpm-32 loops 110 bpm-48 loops 130 bpm-64 loops 140 bpm-6 loops (trap beats) 150 bpm-28 loops BRAZILIAN/CUBAN: 110 bpm-36 loops 130 bpm-32 loops 12/8 AND 12/8 AFRO: 100 bpm-14 loops 110 bpm-16 loops 120 bpm-14 loops 130 bpm-19 loops 140 bpm-16 loops JAZZ: 130 bpm-8 loops 160 bpm-8 loops 190 bpm-8 loops 220 bpm-11 loops 250 bpm-14 loops 280 bpm-14 loops Features: -the ultimate 'real human feel-metronome' for studying on your instrument -listen mode pages allow for auditioning of all loops and changing their tempo -listen mode page has auto reset to original tempo after switching to new loop -live mode page allows for long performances, teaching or studying -live mode page has unique tempo sync function that allows loops to follow each other..  -live mode follows the tempo set by user, all loops within chapter stay in tempo -easy to use interface with clear labeling and play button -chapters with different genres and styles -different styles within tempo pages are color coded for easy manoeuvring -plus or minus 30 bpm manipulation with tempo slider in each chapter -drums and percussion loops recorded live in the same room! -performed on top of the line instruments (adapted per style) -recorded in high end audio facility in the Netherlands -mixed and mastered to blend into your music -played by the most experienced session players in the Benelux -the app continues playing in the background enabling you to read charts.... -landscape and portrait mode available on iPad (combine with any pdf reader if you like) Goes without saying: sound quality always best with speakers or headphones :-) MISSING OUT ON ANY GENRE? SEND US AN EMAIL WITH SUGGESTIONS, WE WILL LIST YOUR REQUEST FOR FUTURE RECORDINGS AND UPDATES! :-) info@iosappsformusicians.com Made and produced by the company that knows how to make apps for musicians.  Please visit www.iosappsformusicians.com for all apps and youtube videos!

Screenshots

Beat Station4 screens
Beats Live!4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Beat Station at Free against Beats Live!'s $3.99. Beat Station also leads on ratings volume (498 vs 3) and review sentiment (64% vs 50%). Beats Live!'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Beat Station is free to download; Beats Live! costs $3.99 up front. Beat Station sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Beats Live! asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Beats Live! holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beat Station has 498 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Beat Station's written reviews are positive against 50% of Beats Live!'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Beat Station versus Beats Live!: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeat StationBeats Live!
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.5 (498 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings498 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionPaid — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.010.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size209 MB377 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSonar MultimediaGo Independent Records

Customer experience

Beat Station

All ratings496 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral6.3%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews144 reviews
Positive63.9%
Neutral13.9%
Negative22.2%

Beats Live!

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Bugs and requests

Beat Station

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Subscription issues (unable to restore purchases)
  • App freezing or closing unexpectedly
  • Blank tutorial screens
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between beats

Requested features

5 requests
  • More beat variety (Latin, jazz, waltz, etc.)
  • Ability to import custom drum samples
  • Tempo and style changes within a song
  • Midi export option
  • Better tutorial and customer support

Beats Live!

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Beat Station

Subscriptions2
  • Beat Station Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Beat Station Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$22.991 Year
One-time1
  • Beat Station Pro (Lifetime)$59.99
None

Beats Live!

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Beat Station free?
Beat Station is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Beats Live! free?
Beats Live! costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Beat Station or Beats Live!?
Beats Live! is rated higher. Beat Station averages 4.5 out of 5 from 498 ratings, while Beats Live! averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Beat Station or Beats Live! have ads?
Neither Beat Station nor Beats Live! shows ads.

Other comparisons