Comparison

GM MIDI Player vs Ableton Note

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

Head to head
About

GM MIDI Player

Play standard MIDI files on your iOS device with a built-in software synthesizer. Organize your music into playlists and share them seamlessly with other apps. Enjoy background playback and AirPlay support for a versatile listening experience.

Highlights
  • Plays standard MIDI files (.mid)
  • Built-in software synthesizer
  • Create and manage playlists
  • Seamless iOS file manager integration
  • Background Audio playback
  • AirPlay support
Features
Read full description

MIDI Still Lives! (Note: This is one of the first iOS apps we ever made and we still use it very often and want to share this pleasure with you. MIDI files remain fascinating and must never die!) GM MIDI Player is a free app for playing standard MIDI files (SMF) with the file extension *.mid, which integrates seamlessly into the iOS operating system (version 11 and higher). A software synthesizer in GM / GS standard is built-in. Play all the MIDI files from the Internet or the file system of your iOS device and create and manage your own collections and share these with other apps and people. - seamlessly integrated into the iOS file manager (files app) - iCloud and file sharing supported - "Open with" and "Send to" integrated - plays nearly all MIDI files in SMF format 0 and 1 - contains already hand-picked MIDI files in different styles - integrated software synthesizer with sequencer - 16-times mutitimbral, 128-part polyphonic - Over 300 'instruments' and various drum maps - GM / GS standards supported - Background Audio playback and Notification Center Support - AirPlay support of audio playback - supports connected remote controls for pause / resume - Help file and integrated connection to other Internet resources - Creation and management of own playlists possible Note: GM MIDI Player can NOT output MIDI signals via CoreMIDI or somehow interact with other audio apps (IAA). Also, to create and edit GM compatible files, please use an external MIDI sequencer or editor that is specialized for this. For questions and suggestions or problems,  please contact support: support@digitster.com.

About

Ableton Note

Create musical ideas with curated sounds and effects. Build beats, melodies, and sample your surroundings. Seamlessly transfer your projects to Ableton Live for further development.

Highlights
  • Create beats and melodies
  • Sample sounds with phone microphone
  • MIDI Editor for sequencing
  • Transfer projects to Ableton Live
  • 76 Drum Sampler kits
  • 317 synth sounds
Read full description

Start new musical ideas with a curated selection of sounds and effects. Create beats and melodic parts, sample your world, and continue your tracks in Ableton Live. Note is a place to form ideas, explore new sounds and find direction. Get your ideas out or just experiment until inspiration hits, using a selection of Ableton Live’s drum kits, synths and melodic instruments. Create your own sound palette by sampling with your phone’s built-in microphone. And use Note’s built-in MIDI Editor to sequence notes, beats and chords or make tweaks as you listen back Follow your ideas wherever they lead by sending your projects to Live without leaving the app with the help of Ableton Cloud. Open projects from Live’s browser and keep working – you can edit all your MIDI notes, and all your samples and sounds from Note are exactly the same. Ableton Note users get a free license for Ableton Live Lite – simple, intuitive software used by musicians, producers and DJs around the world to write, record, and perform. For Ableton Move users, Note also offers the chance to keep working on a Set from your phone. Begin with a beat: • Choose from 76 Drum Sampler kits • Tap out a beat using the 16-pad grid, or sequence one with the MIDI Editor • Play each drum hit melodically using 16 Pitches mode • Quantize your beat or nudge notes to fix loose timing or mistakes • Add more layers of rhythm • Create beat repetitions with Note Repeat • Change parameters to shape your sound • Experiment with effects or apply swing for variations Start with a melody: • Choose from 317 synth sounds and 60 Melodic Sampler instruments • Play or program your melody or chord progression with the 25-pad grid, piano roll or MIDI Editor • Set a key and scale to get instantly harmonic results • Add more layers of harmony • Change parameters to shape your sound • Add effects to experiment with sound design Sample your environment: • Create your own kits by recording percussive sounds into Note’s Drum Sampler • Record tonal sounds to create your own Melodic Sampler instruments • Manipulate your samples by cutting, filtering or repitching them • Sequence samples into beats, melodies and chords using the MIDI Editor • Shape or transform your sounds with effects • Import your own samples or audio directly from videos Work with Audio • Add audio clips from the library • Warp tempo or adjust pitch of your clips • Record audio directly using your phone’s built-in microphone • Connect an audio interface to record external sources • Combine recorded and imported audio with your beats and melodies Capture improvisations: • Play something, then tap the Capture button to keep it • Play at a tempo that feels comfortable and Note will detect it • Note will recognize the length of the phrase and create a loop • Quantize it, add to it, or change the sound • Connect MIDI hardware to play keys and change the sound of your instruments Create variations: • Note features a grid-based Session View layout • Double your loops to create variation within clips • Duplicate your clips and create different versions of your ideas • Add, delete or adjust multiple notes at once with the MIDI Editor • Create eight tracks with up to eight clips on eight scenes • Try different clip combinations and song structures • Export your work as an audio file to listen and share

Screenshots

GM MIDI Player4 screens
Ableton Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GM MIDI Player at none against Ableton Note's 1. GM MIDI Player also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). Ableton Note's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 52 months) and ratings volume (695 vs 19). On rating, review sentiment, 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

GM MIDI Player costs $9.99 and Ableton Note $6.99 up front. Ableton Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. GM MIDI Player asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for GM MIDI Player against 4.2 for Ableton Note. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ableton Note has 695 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of GM MIDI Player's written reviews are positive against 72% of Ableton Note's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GM MIDI Player ships an update every 52 months, Ableton Note every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
GM MIDI Player versus Ableton Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGM MIDI PlayerAbleton Note
Price$9.99$6.99 — better
Rating4.1 (19 ratings)4.2 (695 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews — better72.3% of reviews
Number of ratings19695 — better
Update frequencyEvery 52 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#7 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB1010 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJens GuellAbleton AG

Customer experience

GM MIDI Player

All ratings19 ratings
Positive73.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative26.3%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%

Ableton Note

All ratings695 ratings
Positive78.4%
Neutral10.6%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews481 reviews
Positive72.3%
Neutral13.7%
Negative13.9%

Bugs and requests

GM MIDI Player

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Ableton Note

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional loss of unsaved work
  • Freezing issues when editing clips

Requested features

6 requests
  • Audio track support
  • Expanded note editing tools
  • Midi controller support
  • More effects and synth options
  • Time signature flexibility
Show 1 more
  • Ability to import samples from Ableton Live

In-app purchases

None

GM MIDI Player

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Ableton Note

One-time1
  • Drift In-App Purchase$3.99

Questions

Is GM MIDI Player free?
GM MIDI Player costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ableton Note free?
Ableton Note costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, GM MIDI Player or Ableton Note?
Ableton Note is rated higher. GM MIDI Player averages 4.1 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Ableton Note averages 4.2 from 695 ratings.
Do GM MIDI Player or Ableton Note have ads?
Neither GM MIDI Player nor Ableton Note shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GM MIDI Player or Ableton Note?
GM MIDI Player ships an update every 52 months, and Ableton Note every 5 weeks. Most recently, GM MIDI Player was updated on October 16, 2026 and Ableton Note on October 16, 2026.

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