Comparison

Backing Track Builder vs JHG Backing Tracks

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

Head to head
About

Backing Track Builder

Create custom backing tracks for practice or songwriting. Choose chords, tempo, and style from a wide variety of genres. Features live instruments and suggested scales for guitarists.

Highlights
  • Create billions of unique jam tracks
  • Select chords, tempo, and style
  • Wide range of musical genres
  • Random chord progression generation
  • Uses live instrument sounds
  • Suggests scales and displays diagrams for guitarists
Features
Read full description

************************************ Create you own custom jam tracks. Pick your chords, tempo and style and let Backing Track Builder do the rest! FEATURES: CREATE LITERALLY BILLIONS OF POSSIBLE JAM TRACKS. It's like having your own personal backing band! BUILD YOUR TRACK YOUR WAY. Choose the perfect chords, tempo and style. WIDE RANGE OF STYLES IN A VARIETY OF GENRES. Rock, blues, jazz, metal, pop, country and more. GET PLAYING IMMEDIATELY WITH RANDOM CHORD SEQUENCES. Randomly generate chord progressions for rock, blues and jazz. ALL TRACKS USE LIVE INSTRUMENTS. Midi sequencers and drum machines are not used. SUGGESTED SCALES FOR EACH TRACK. Backing Track Builder will also suggest scales and display diagrams for guitar players. ---------------------------------------------------------- The custom tracks are great for improvising for guitarists, pianists, saxophonists and other instrumentalists. The tracks are also very useful for song writers. 20 STYLES CURRENTLY AVAILABLE: Moody Blues: Straight back beat guitar chops, organ chords and a low bass riff. Pop Strums: 16th note strummed guitar with a syncopated rhythm. Aussie Rock: Distorted guitar chords with an offbeat rhythm, powerful drums and a constant 8th note bass guitar pulse. Blues Swing: Muted swing guitar with a lead organ part. Metal Riffing: 16th note metal guitar riff with roots, thirds or fifths. Agressive drums. It's like having your own heavy metal band in a phone! Blues Rhoads: Rhythmic Fender Rhoads piano recorded with a DI box along with a straight rhythm and cross stick drums. Simple Jazz: Major, minor, 7 and a wide range of other piano chords with 2 beats per bar accompanied by a swing hihat. Piano Rock: Play-along with driving piano chords with solid drums. Slow and Heavy: Slow, heavy powerchords with a high harmony lead guitar. Piano Rock: Driving piano chords with solid drums. Funky Organ: Crunchy Hammond organ with a 16th note syncopated rhythm. Split Strums: Strums in 2/4 time. Great for creating tracks with split bars. Keys and Pad: Electric piano arpeggios over soft synth pad. Soft Picking: Slow muted arpeggios with a synth pad accompaniment. Ballad Arps: Soaring piano arpeggios with a subtle synth pad. Jazz Trio: Classic piano, drums and bass trio. Organ Rock: Distorted organ with a swing rhythm eigths rhythm. Slow Blues: Blues swing with piano and organ comping. Offbeat Pop: Offbeat strums with a funky bass line. Big Band Jazz: Fast swing with horns. Metal Groove: Palm muted power chord chugs with an eight note drum beat. Smooth Jazz: Muted guitar with a straight 16ths feel. 6/8 Ballad: Slow arpeggios in a 6/8 time signature. Blues Piano: Piano, upright bass and jazz brushes in a jazz blues style. Epic Rock: Slow rock ballad. Rock Arps: Clean electric guitar arpeggios with power chords. Simple Blues: Piano, organ, bass and drums with a slow shuffle beat. Fast Rock: Fast hard rock power chords. The chords used include major, minor, minor7, major7, dominant7, minor7b5, altered dominants, add9 and diminished 7th.

About

JHG Backing Tracks

Create personalized, professionally recorded backing tracks with customizable rhythm, length, key, and instrumentation. Includes a unique "Challenges" module for improvisation practice. All features require a paid subscription after a 7-day free trial.

Highlights
  • Customizable rhythm and genre styles
  • Adjustable track length up to 16 bars
  • Key and tonality customization
  • Add/remove bass and drums
  • Challenge Tracks module for improvisation
  • 7-day free trial
Features
Read full description

The JHG Backing Tracks app is an exciting and powerful tool that allows musicians to create personalized and professionally recorded backing tracks. With a range of customizable options, you can craft backing tracks tailored to your specific needs and musical preferences. Start by selecting your desired rhythm, choosing from a diverse collection of styles that span various genres. Next, easily determine the length of your backing track up to 16 bars, allowing you to create loops or full-length compositions to suit your practice or performance requirements. Customize the key and tonality of the backing track to match your instrument or preferred playing style. With the ability to add or remove bass and drums, you can tailor the backing track's instrumentation to suit your specific needs. For an added challenge, you can incorporate ""Challenges"" by using the Challenge Tracks module. In Challenge tracks, you will hear Jamie call out different challenges to you, and you would jump to find these challenges as quickly as possible while you play. There is, without question, no better way to become familiar with every aspect of soloing and improvisation. Please note that all features of the JHG Backing Tracks App require a paid subscription. Users can also access all features of the app free for 7 days by signing up for a free 7 Day trial within the app. Terms of Use: https://www.jamieharrisonguitar.com/terms-of-use

Screenshots

Backing Track Builder4 screens
JHG Backing Tracks3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Backing Track Builder at 2.4 against JHG Backing Tracks's 1.0. Backing Track Builder also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (37% vs 0%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Backing Track Builder sells 18 one-off in-app purchases and JHG Backing Tracks sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backing Track Builder holds the better App Store score, 2.4 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Backing Track Builder has 19 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Backing Track Builder's written reviews are positive against 0% of JHG Backing Tracks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Backing Track Builder versus JHG Backing Tracks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBacking Track BuilderJHG Backing Tracks
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.4 (19 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews37.2% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings19 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB202 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJonathan BellJamie Harrison Media Ltd.

Customer experience

Backing Track Builder

All ratings19 ratings
Positive31.6%
Neutral10.5%
Negative57.9%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive37.2%
Neutral23.3%
Negative39.5%

JHG Backing Tracks

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

In-app purchases

18 purchases

Backing Track Builder

One-time18
  • Unlock the Aussie Rock style$0.99
  • Unlock the Blues Swing style$0.99
  • Unlock the Metal Riffing style$0.99
Show 15 more
  • Unlock the Simple Jazz style$0.99
  • Unlock the Piano Rock style$0.99
  • Unlock the Slow & Heavy style$0.99
  • Unlock the Funky Organ style$0.99
  • Unlock the Ballad Arps style$0.99
  • Unlock the Jazz Trio style$0.99
  • Unlock the Organ Rock style$0.99
  • Unlock the Slow Blues style$0.99
  • Unlock the Big Band Jazz style$0.99
  • Unlock the Simple Blues style$0.99
  • Unlock the 6/8 Ballad style$0.99
  • Unlock the Epic Rock style$0.99
  • Unlock the Soft Picking style$0.99
  • Unlock the Smooth Jazz style$0.99
  • Unlock all styles$6.99
3 purchases

JHG Backing Tracks

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly Subscription$1.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$12.991 Year
  • 7 Day Free Trial7 Days trial$12.991 Year

Questions

Is Backing Track Builder free?
Backing Track Builder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is JHG Backing Tracks free?
JHG Backing Tracks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Backing Track Builder or JHG Backing Tracks?
Backing Track Builder is rated higher. Backing Track Builder averages 2.4 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while JHG Backing Tracks averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Backing Track Builder or JHG Backing Tracks have ads?
Neither Backing Track Builder nor JHG Backing Tracks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Backing Track Builder or JHG Backing Tracks?
Backing Track Builder ships an update monthly, and JHG Backing Tracks monthly. Most recently, Backing Track Builder was updated on October 21, 2026 and JHG Backing Tracks on September 29, 2026.

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