DRM vs Ableton Note
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DRM
This app emulates a vintage 1979 drum machine, offering a pure interface for creating beats on your device. It includes high-quality samples, preset patterns, and advanced audio features for music production.
- 8 original high-quality double-samples
- 32 preset patterns
- Selective instrument deletion modes
- Full machine state auto-save
- Background audio playback
- Audiobus V3 and InterApp audio support
- Built-in audio and global effects
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Holding the simplicity of a rare 1979 instrument and carrying its raw heritage to you, it turns your device into a pocket beat making companion. I believe that designing a pure interface, simply displaying your machine without any distraction, was the best way to reflect the spirit of the period it was born. Main caracteristics : - 8 Original high quality double-samples - 32 preset patterns - 3 Selective instrument deletion modes - Full machine state auto-save - Background audio playback enabled - Audiobus V3 - InterApp audio Bonuses accessible in your device settings : - Additionnal LED display for the tempo and the volume - Pattern selection LED indicators - Alternative « Rock » drum kit with integrated effects - Built-in intruments effects : « Stereo pan » and « Jungle tune » - Built-in audio effects : « Equalizer » and « Distortion » - Built-in global effects : « Delay » and « Reverb » - Mute any instrument I hope you will enjoy it as much as I love it ;-)
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: DRM at 5.0 against Ableton Note's 4.2. DRM also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and price ($1.99 vs $6.99). Ableton Note's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (676 vs 6). On 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
DRM costs $1.99 and Ableton Note $6.99 up front. Ableton Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DRM asks for nothing beyond the download.
DRM holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ableton Note has 676 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 57% of DRM's written reviews are positive against 73% of Ableton Note's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
DRM ships an update every 7 months, Ableton Note monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DRM | Ableton Note |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $6.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better | 4.2 (676 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | 72.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 6 | 676 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #7 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 1007 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | David Rochaix | Ableton AG |
Customer experience
DRM
Ableton Note
Bugs and requests
DRM
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
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- Ability to import samples from Ableton Live
In-app purchases
DRM
No in-app purchases
Ableton Note
- Drift In-App Purchase$3.99









