# PlayScore 2 vs Beam Music

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Beam Music at none against PlayScore 2's 4. Beam Music also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). PlayScore 2's advantage is ratings volume (4.8K vs 306) and review sentiment (50% vs 36%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PlayScore 2 sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Beam Music asks for nothing beyond the download.

Beam Music holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PlayScore 2 has 4.8K ratings behind it against 306, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of PlayScore 2's written reviews are positive against 36% of Beam Music's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PlayScore 2 ships an update every 2 months, Beam Music every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PlayScore 2 | Beam Music |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playscore-2/id1449591118/reviews) | **[4.4 (306 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-music/id1572856909/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.8K** | 306 |
| Positive reviews | **50.3% of reviews** | 36.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#127** | — |
| Size | 93 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16 | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Organum Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1422471846) | [Ultimate Drill Book](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455826723) |

## What reviewers say

### PlayScore 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playscore-2/id1449591118)

**Currently charting:** #127 Top Grossing · Music, #169 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

Scan sheet music from photos or PDFs and have it played back. Adjust instruments, tempo, and transposition. Export your scores as MusicXML and MIDI for further editing.

**Highlights:** Scan music from photos and PDFs, Playback with scrolling notation, Adjust volume, instrument, and transposition, Smart metronome with time signature recognition, Export as MusicXML and MIDI, Create 'Playable Score' documents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PlayScore Productivity | $5.99 | per month |
| PlayScore 2 Professional month | $6.99 | per month |
| PlayScore Productivity | $34.99 | per year |
| PlayScore 2 Professional year | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent app for learning music
- 👍 User-friendly and easy to use
- 🎉 Impressive music recognition capabilities
- 💡 Helpful for practicing and isolating parts
- 🎨 Versatile playback options (tempo, instrument)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent note/rhythm recognition
- 🔢 Limitations on number of pages scanned
- 🔇 Issues with volume and audio quality
- 🤔 Struggles with complex or handwritten scores
- 💰 Subscription-based model

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and freezes when scanning/importing
- Playback issues with timing and note accuracy
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- Exporting to MIDI/MusicXML not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to import PDFs and multiple pages
- Improved support for transposition and clef changes
- Metronome functionality and count-in feature
- Annotation and score editing capabilities
- Organizational tools (folders, playlists)


### Beam Music

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-music/id1572856909)

Easily import, organize, and annotate music files for ensembles. Share access and collaborate with section leaders. Live Mode synchronizes music across all devices instantly without internet.

**Highlights:** Import PDFs from cloud storage and local files, Edit and crop music pages, Annotate with pencil, highlighter, and text tools, Collaborative notes for section leaders, Real-time music synchronization via Live Mode, Organize music into collections and set lists, Backup music library

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Centralized music library in one app
- 🎵 Convenient for marching band use
- ✍️ Annotation and note-taking features
- 📋 Setlist functionality for quick song switching
- 🔄 Live mode for synchronized performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- ⏱️ Severe lag and unresponsiveness
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain (40-90% per hour)
- 🌡️ Phone overheating during use
- 📝 Annotations randomly disappear or delete

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes constantly, especially when needed
- Lag makes page turning and note-taking difficult
- Annotations disappear after using live mode
- Zoom level resets when orientation changes
- Portrait mode activates unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Horizontal page lock (like FlipFolder)
- Ability to save zoom level with vertical scrolling
- Live session annotation capability
- Auto-select correct part for user
- Mass select parts instead of individual selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PlayScore 2 free?

PlayScore 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Beam Music free?

Beam Music is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PlayScore 2 or Beam Music?

Beam Music is rated higher. PlayScore 2 averages 4.2 out of 5 from 4.8K ratings, while Beam Music averages 4.4 from 306 ratings.

### Do PlayScore 2 or Beam Music have ads?

Neither PlayScore 2 nor Beam Music shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PlayScore 2 or Beam Music?

PlayScore 2 ships an update every 2 months, and Beam Music every 3 weeks. Most recently, PlayScore 2 was updated on October 29, 2026 and Beam Music on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*