Music Reader vs TuneLock
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- View and play sheet music
- Mark and annotate scores
- Import MusicXML and NotationPad files
- Supports dark mode
- Transposition (PRO)
- Change instrument parts (PRO)
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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
TuneLock
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Musicians don't need another tuner, another metronome, or another notebook. They need a reason to put the phone down and pick up the instrument. TuneLock locks the apps that distract you — Instagram, TikTok, whatever pulls you in — until you complete one daily musical ritual. Practice your instrument for a set time, verified by sound, or capture one composition idea. Either way, showing up unlocks your apps for a window you choose. Do it again tomorrow, and the day after, and you build a streak. Bank points for the days you do show up, and spend them on a rest day when you genuinely need one — no guilt, no broken streak. How it works • Pick the apps you want locked • Choose your ritual: Practice (timed, sound-verified) or Compose (one idea a day) • Complete it to unlock your apps for a window you set • Build a streak, bank points, protect it with rest days Built for musicians who don't need to be fooled The sound check confirms an instrument is being played near the phone — it's honest friction for someone building a habit, not proof of quality, and we say so plainly. If you're trying to beat the system, you can. This app is for people who aren't trying to. Privacy, on your device, always The microphone runs only during an active session. Nothing is recorded, stored, or uploaded — ever. There's no account, no server, no analytics. Everything happens on your phone. One purchase. No subscription. Ever. Free to download and try. A single one-time unlock adds rest days, full history and stats, custom unlock windows, and the Compose ritual. No subscription, no ads, no surprise renewal. If you've been meaning to practice and keep not doing it, this is the app that makes "later" a little harder to choose.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: TuneLock at none against Music Reader's shown. TuneLock also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 4 months). Music Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Music Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and TuneLock sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Music Reader ships an update every 4 months, TuneLock every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Music Reader | TuneLock |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (192 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 192 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 6 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 183 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 嵩 张 | Matthew Edwards |
In-app purchases
Music Reader
- Pro Access$2.991 Month
- Pro Access7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Pro Access$14.991 Year
TuneLock
- TuneLock Unlock$5.99









