Comparison

Cue Master vs Show Cues Lite

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

Head to head
About

Cue Master

This app allows performers to create and manage custom cue playlists for backing tracks. It offers flexible playback options like looping, stopping, or continuing to the next song, with per-song volume control. A full-screen mode provides easy stage access.

Highlights
  • Create cue playlists
  • Import from Music Library, Dropbox, Google Drive
  • Custom playback control (loop, stop, continue, skip)
  • Per-song volume adjustment
  • Full-screen mode for stage view
  • Central cue button for track control
Features
Read full description

Cue Master is a elegantly simple track player for iPad targeted towards theatrical productions, talent shows, choreographers, dancers or other performers using backing tracks by allowing you to create Cue Playlists from your music library, Dropbox™ or Google Drive folder. Unlike many cueing apps available, Cue Master is designed to be extremely easy to use and understand with the familiar layout of a standard music app. Unlike a music app, Cue Master allows for custom control over how songs are played back. Songs can be set to loop (repeat), stop at end, continue to the next song, or be skipped. Volume levels can also be easily set on a per song basis to fine tune your performance. Create multiple Cue Playlists from albums or playlists downloaded in your music library on your iPad, from Dropbox™ or Google Drive, add, delete and reorder your cues. For performers that need easy access from the stage, Cue Master provides a full screen mode to easily see the currently playing track and time, show run time as well as the next cued track. A central cue button also allows you to easily start your next track.

About

Show Cues Lite

This application allows entertainers to seamlessly integrate music into their live performances. It functions as a dedicated music player, enabling control via touchscreen or remote, and syncs directly with playlists created in Apple Music.

Highlights
  • Music playback for live shows
  • Touchscreen and remote control
  • Syncs with Apple Music playlists
  • Professional, user-friendly interface
  • Designed for entertainers
Features
Read full description

Show Cues Lite is the latest version of the popular Show Cues App. This App is used by entertainers worldwide to add music to their performances using the touch screen or Bluetooth remote control. Show Cues is not a music editor; it is a music player. Use the Apple Music app to create playlists, rearrange tracks, and delete or add tracks. Once you are done creating or editing in Apple Music, sync your playlist with your iPhone/iPad. Your created playlist will instantly be ready to load into Show Cues and play. "Perfect for magicians, jugglers, musicians—anybody who wants to run an entire show from an iPad or iPhone! By far THE BEST on the market." — Paul Romhany, Vanish International Magic Magazine Carl Andrews is not only a designer and programmer of iDevice apps, but he is also a professional magician. When his friend Shawn Popp suggested that he create an app to play music cues, he went at it with passion. The result is the most professional program I have ever seen called "Show Cues". There are so many features to this app I won't have enough time to go through them all. A wonderfully written manual and a professionally thought-out program make this a must for all performers. — Bruce Kalver, Tech Tricks column in MUM magazine "Designed as a simple, visual, user-friendly interface for the performer or the most experienced sound tech. It would be a challenge to make this program more convenient. Show Cues is music to my "i"s." — Francis Menotti, Magic Magazine "This app gives you or your sound technician quick, simple, and reliable control over the music and sound effects that support your show. It exceeded expectations, meaning it worked perfectly right out of the box. This is a professional tool designed by a professional, for professionals. But we part-time pros can like it, too." — Curtis Kam, MUM Magazine

Screenshots

Cue Master4 screens
Show Cues Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Cue Master at free against Show Cues Lite's paid. Cue Master also leads on ratings volume (61 vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). Show Cues Lite's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and review sentiment (100% vs 91%). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Cue Master costs $19.99 and Show Cues Lite $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Show Cues Lite holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cue Master has 61 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Cue Master's written reviews are positive against 100% of Show Cues Lite's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cue Master ships an update every 2 months, Show Cues Lite every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Cue Master versus Show Cues Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCue MasterShow Cues Lite
Price$19.99$19.99
Rating4.8 (61 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews91.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings61 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.4 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB19 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperKevin ArnoldCarl Andrews18795964936

Customer experience

Cue Master

All ratings61 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral3.3%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive91.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative4.3%

Show Cues Lite

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Cue Master

No in-app purchases

None

Show Cues Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cue Master free?
Cue Master costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Show Cues Lite free?
Show Cues Lite costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cue Master or Show Cues Lite?
Show Cues Lite is rated higher. Cue Master averages 4.8 out of 5 from 61 ratings, while Show Cues Lite averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Cue Master or Show Cues Lite have ads?
Neither Cue Master nor Show Cues Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cue Master or Show Cues Lite?
Cue Master ships an update every 2 months, and Show Cues Lite every 7 months. Most recently, Cue Master was updated on October 8, 2026 and Show Cues Lite on October 15, 2026.

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