Comparison

Music Reader vs Melody

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

Head to head
About

Music Reader

This app is a comprehensive tool for sheet music. It allows users to view, learn, listen, mark, and play musical scores. It supports various music genres and instruments, acting as a portable songbook and powerful player.

Highlights
  • View and play sheet music
  • Mark and annotate scores
  • Import MusicXML and NotationPad files
  • Supports dark mode
  • Transposition (PRO)
  • Change instrument parts (PRO)
Features
Read full description

Music Reader provides all you need about sheet music. You could view, learn, listen, mark and play music notes and notations as you want. it is your portable songbook and a powerful sheet music reader & player. A easy-to-use painting system for you to draw any marks on sheets. From classic to popular, from rock to country, from piano to symphony, all kinds of music played well in Music Reader. *Compatible with dark mode *Supports importing MusicXML(.xml) and NotationPad(.ecz) file PRO ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION - No Ads - Transposition - Change instrument for parts - Support layers for painting marks - The subscription price is $4.99/monthly, $14.99/yearly - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that service, where applicable - Terms of use: https://service.notationpad.com/sheetmusicplus/terms_service.html

About

Melody

Record and visualize songs played on your digital piano. Connect your device via USB to capture performances and export them as videos. Ideal for musicians looking to share their playing.

Highlights
  • Record digital piano performances
  • Visualize songs
  • Export as video
  • USB connection for iPhone/iPad
  • Free to download
Features
Read full description

Melody allows you to record and visualise songs played on your digital piano and export them as videos. Plug your iPhone or iPad to the piano via a USB cable, tap record, and play. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/.

Screenshots

Music Reader4 screens
Melody3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Music Reader at 4.5 against Melody's 3.4. Music Reader also leads on ratings volume (192 vs 7) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). Melody's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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. Music Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Melody sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Music Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Music Reader has 192 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Music Reader's written reviews are positive against 50% of Melody's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Music Reader ships an update every 4 months, Melody every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Music Reader versus Melody: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMusic ReaderMelody
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (192 ratings) — better3.4 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews51.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings192 — better7
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size183 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer嵩 张Andrey Ufimcev

Customer experience

Music Reader

All ratings188 ratings
Positive88.3%
Neutral2.7%
Negative9.0%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive51.0%
Neutral4.1%
Negative44.9%

Melody

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Music Reader

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Access$2.991 Month
  • Pro Access7 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Pro Access$14.991 Year
1 purchases

Melody

Subscriptions1
  • Melody Pro7 Days trial$0.991 Month

Questions

Is Music Reader free?
Music Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Melody free?
Melody is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Music Reader or Melody?
Music Reader is rated higher. Music Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 192 ratings, while Melody averages 3.4 from 7 ratings.
Do Music Reader or Melody have ads?
Music Reader shows ads; Melody does not.
Which is updated more often, Music Reader or Melody?
Music Reader ships an update every 4 months, and Melody every 3 months. Most recently, Music Reader was updated on November 3, 2026 and Melody on November 3, 2026.

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