Comparison

PianoStream vs NS MIDI Player

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

Head to head
About

PianoStream

Experience high-quality piano performances on your player piano or digital piano. Enjoy curated stations, exclusive artist content, and seamless playback. Upload your own MIDI files and create custom playlists for a personalized musical experience.

Highlights
  • Live concert-quality piano performances
  • Curated music stations by genre and era
  • Universal compatibility with digital and analog pianos
  • Upload personal MIDI files
  • Create custom playlists
  • Exclusive artist content
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Turn your player piano or digital piano into a live concert — any song, any time, with no CDs or floppy disks. PianoStream streams thousands of real piano performances straight to your piano's keys. Pick a station, press play, and your piano plays itself all day long. NEW IN 5.0 - Gentle on your piano — built-in volume and note-strength limits help protect your player piano - Suggested volume settings for Yamaha Disklavier ENSPIRE, PianoDisc and QRS - Completely rebuilt — faster, cleaner, easier - Help & Support right in the app: questions, bug reports and song requests - iPad support with landscape mode MUSIC FOR EVERY MOOD - Exclusive performances by MauColi The Pianoman and other world-class pianists - Golden Hits from the '60s, '70s, '80s and '90s - Modern favorites and chart-toppers - Classical masterpieces, jazz, pop and more - Holiday Magic — our Christmas station is unmatched - Requested Songs — a station built from listener requests worldwide - Three brand-new songs recorded every Friday WORKS WITH YOUR PIANO - Yamaha Disklavier — Wagon Grand, Mark II/III/IV, e3, DKC-850/800, Enspire - PianoDisc — iQ, CD, Prodigy I & II, PDS-128+, PDS-228 - QRS - Pianocorder - Any digital piano or keyboard with MIDI or USB MIDI (Clavinova, Casio and more) EASY CONNECTION - Bluetooth MIDI: connect with a wireless MIDI receiver (WIDI Master or Yamaha MD-BT01) for pure solo-piano sound - Audio: use a Wi-Fi audio receiver (WiiM Mini) or Bluetooth receiver for PianoDisc iQ/CD, analog Disklaviers and Pianocorder - USB-only keyboards: use a USB-to-host MIDI adapter YOUR MUSIC, YOUR WAY - Save favorite songs and stations - Build your own playlists - Repeat and Shuffle remember your choice - Upload your own MIDI and PianoDisc MP3 files - Fully licensed: ASCAP-licensed, in-house productions and public-domain works REAL HELP FROM REAL PEOPLE Our support is the best in the business — just read our reviews. Join our Facebook group to share requests and hear new releases first. SUBSCRIPTION Unlock everything with a monthly ($24.99) or yearly ($179.99) plan. - Payment is charged to your Apple Account at purchase - Subscriptions renew automatically unless turned off at least 24 hours before the period ends - Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202039 Privacy Policy: https://api.balanceiq.com/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://api.balanceiq.com/terms/ Support: https://api.balanceiq.com/support/ Subscribe today and let your piano play itself!

About

NS MIDI Player

This application allows users to play MIDI files on their Apple devices. It supports various MIDI formats, custom sound fonts, and synchronized lyrics. Advanced features like audio export and MIDI output connection are available via a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Play standard MIDI files (.mid, .midi, .kar)
  • Support for custom SoundFonts (.sf2, .dls)
  • View time-synced lyrics
  • Connect to MIDI outputs
  • Export MIDI as audio
  • Queue multiple songs
  • Background audio and AirPlay support
Features
Read full description

NS MIDI Player is a simple MIDI player for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features include: - Free! - No ads, subscriptions, or data collection - Play standard MIDI files (SMF) with file extensions .mid, .midi, and .kar - GM and GS standards supported with the default SoundFont - Use custom SoundFonts with file extension .sf2 or .dls - View time-synced lyrics - Connect to MIDI outputs with Core MIDI* - Export MIDI files as audio* - Queue multiple songs to be played in order* - "Open with" from other apps, such as Safari - Integrated with the Files app (iOS and iPadOS) - Supports drag-and-drop - Supports Quick Look previews - Share MIDI files directly from the app - Supports background audio and AirPlay - Lock screen and Control Center controls with scrubbing - Gapless repeat mode - Playback speed control with tap tempo - Customizable reverb - Transpose* Note: Features marked with an asterisk (*) require upgrading to the full version before they can be used. This is a one-time purchase shared across all of your devices and helps support further development. All other features are free. Included FluidR3Mono GM SoundFont is licensed under the MIT License. Included Sample MIDI file is "Hard Times" from http://www.soundswell.co.uk/pages/swmids.htm and is in the public domain. This app and its creator are not affiliated with the creators of these files in any way.

Screenshots

PianoStream4 screens
NS MIDI Player2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: NS MIDI Player at free with in-app purchases against PianoStream's subscription. PianoStream's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and chart position (#172 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Both are free to download. PianoStream sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and NS MIDI Player sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PianoStream holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 217 and 211 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of PianoStream's written reviews are positive against 84% of NS MIDI Player's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PianoStream ships an update every 2 months, NS MIDI Player every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
PianoStream versus NS MIDI Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPianoStreamNS MIDI Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (217 ratings) — better4.5 (211 ratings)
Positive reviews93.9% of reviews — better83.5% of reviews
Number of ratings217 — better211
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#172 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB130 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperB&T Entertainment IncNitin Seshadri

Customer experience

PianoStream

All ratings217 ratings
Positive94.0%
Neutral1.4%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews131 reviews
Positive93.9%
Neutral0.8%
Negative5.3%

NS MIDI Player

All ratings206 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive83.5%
Neutral6.6%
Negative9.9%

User reviews

PianoStream

From 217 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy setup and use
  • 🚀 Seamless Bluetooth/MIDI connectivity
  • 💎 Extensive music library with frequent updates
  • 🔊 High-quality piano performances
  • 💯 Excellent customer support and responsiveness

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional technical issues with connectivity
  • 🔍 Lacking advanced search/filtering features
  • 📱 User interface could be more intuitive

NS MIDI Player

From 211 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
  • 🎵 Excellent sound quality with soundfont support
  • 💰 Free version available with core functionality
  • 🎧 Custom soundfont compatibility
  • 📱 QuickLook/QuickView integration for quick previews

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
  • ⏱️ Slow loading times for large MIDI files
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • ❌ Limited free version functionality
  • 💸 Premium features behind paywall ($7.99-$22)

Bugs and requests

PianoStream

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional app crashes or freezes
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between digital and analog modes

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to create and save custom playlists
  • Landscape mode support for better tablet experience
  • Expanded audio output options (e.g., integrating with home audio systems)

NS MIDI Player

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes frequently during normal use
  • Settings menu causes crashes
  • Export/conversion button force closes app
  • Soundfont file picker fails to open
  • Audio initialization errors with some soundfonts
Show 9 more
  • App freezes after several minutes of use
  • Some MIDI files only play with default soundfont
  • Reverb and echo instruments play at incorrect volumes
  • App stops playing when sent to background
  • File extension case sensitivity (.mid vs .MID)
  • Large MIDI files (1.2MB+) fail to load or load extremely slowly
  • Soundfont compatibility issues with newer formats
  • Audio output issues despite correct system settings
  • App reappears on iPad after deletion from Mac

Requested features

16 requests
  • Playlist creation and management
  • Instrument selection/replacement per channel
  • Background playback with screen off
  • Auto-play all files in folder
  • Pitch adjustment capability
Show 11 more
  • MIDI file browser within app
  • Visual feedback (piano roll, notes, chords)
  • Support for additional formats (MMF, MXMF, PMD, MLD)
  • DLS level 1 support
  • Drag and drop from Finder
  • File deletion button
  • Track history/recently played list
  • Persistent soundfont loading
  • Loop sections of MIDI files
  • External control via Bluetooth
  • Batch file processing

In-app purchases

6 purchases

PianoStream

Subscriptions6
  • Premium Trial Weekly3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription$9.997 Days
  • Premium Trial Monthly3 Days trial$19.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Monthly Subscription$24.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$179.991 Year
  • Premium Trial Yearly3 Days trial$179.991 Year
5 purchases

NS MIDI Player

One-time5
  • Thanks$0.99
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
Show 2 more
  • NS MIDI Player (Full Unlock)$7.99
  • Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is PianoStream free?
PianoStream is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NS MIDI Player free?
NS MIDI Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PianoStream or NS MIDI Player?
PianoStream is rated higher. PianoStream averages 4.8 out of 5 from 217 ratings, while NS MIDI Player averages 4.5 from 211 ratings.
Do PianoStream or NS MIDI Player have ads?
Neither PianoStream nor NS MIDI Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PianoStream or NS MIDI Player?
PianoStream ships an update every 2 months, and NS MIDI Player every 3 months. Most recently, PianoStream was updated on November 6, 2026 and NS MIDI Player on November 7, 2026.

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