PianoRemote vs NS MIDI Player
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PianoRemote
Control your Kawai digital piano with ease from your smartphone or tablet. Adjust settings, change sounds, and access built-in music with intuitive controls. Features include lesson modes and virtual technician adjustments.
- Control piano functions via smartphone/tablet
- Intuitive UI consistent with piano touch panel
- Music player with built-in songs
- Lesson and Concert Magic modes
- Adjust Metronome, Virtual Technician, Dual/Split
- Bluetooth MIDI connection
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PianoRemote is a control app developed for Kawai digital pianos, allowing players to change sounds, adjust settings, and enjoy the wide variety of built-in music.[*1] ■ Please note that PianoRemote requires Bluetooth permission in order to scan for Bluetooth MIDI devices. Please approve the Bluetooth permission request to ensure that PianoRemote functions correctly. ・ Easy operation of your Kawai digital piano using a smartphone or tablet PianoRemote allows various functions of the digital piano to be easily selected. ・ Consistent UI design with Kawai digital piano touch panel PianoRemote is designed to allow easy, intuitive operation via a smartphone or tablet. The user interface is standardised, meaning there is no need to learn new operations. ・ Music player feature that can be used like a music app PianoRemote includes a wide variety of songs and classical pieces that are built-in to Kawai digital pianos.[*2] This music can be controlled in the same way as regular music app. However, it’s also possible to change the sound used for playback, allowing songs and classical to be enjoyed with a different tonal character and atmosphere. ・ Interact with music using “Lesson” and “Concert Magic” modes In addition to listening to the built-in songs and classical pieces, the additional “Lesson” and “Concert Magic” modes allow musicians to practice the music, and non-musicians to enjoy playing pieces and learning rhythm with a single finger.[*3] ・ Control various built-in functions PianoRemote can be used to control various functions of the Kawai digital piano. For example, the Metronome is an essential aid for practise, the Virtual Technician allows the sound and other aspects of the piano to be adjusted to suit one’s person preference, while the Dual and Split functions allow different sounds to be combined for more engaging performances.[*4] ・ Straightforward connection using Bluetooth MIDI PianoRemote supports Bluetooth MIDI wireless communication, allowing immediate connection to the Kawai digital piano without the need for additional cables.[*5] *1 A compatible Kawai Digital Piano must be connected to a smartphone or tablet. *2 Copyrighted songs are not included among the piano’s built-in songs. *3 Some songs do not support “Lesson” and “Concert Magic” modes due to the composition of the data. *4 “Recorder” and “USB Memory Player” function control is not supported. *5 Connection via USB cable or a Bluetooth MIDI adapter such as the QuiccoSound mi.1 also supported.
NS MIDI Player
This application allows users to play MIDI files on their Apple devices. It supports various MIDI formats, custom sound fonts, and synchronized lyrics. Advanced features like audio export and MIDI output connection are available via a one-time purchase.
- Play standard MIDI files (.mid, .midi, .kar)
- Support for custom SoundFonts (.sf2, .dls)
- View time-synced lyrics
- Connect to MIDI outputs
- Export MIDI as audio
- Queue multiple songs
- Background audio and AirPlay support
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NS MIDI Player is a simple MIDI player for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features include: - Free! - No ads, subscriptions, or data collection - Play standard MIDI files (SMF) with file extensions .mid, .midi, and .kar - GM and GS standards supported with the default SoundFont - Use custom SoundFonts with file extension .sf2 or .dls - View time-synced lyrics - Connect to MIDI outputs with Core MIDI* - Export MIDI files as audio* - Queue multiple songs to be played in order* - "Open with" from other apps, such as Safari - Integrated with the Files app (iOS and iPadOS) - Supports drag-and-drop - Supports Quick Look previews - Share MIDI files directly from the app - Supports background audio and AirPlay - Lock screen and Control Center controls with scrubbing - Gapless repeat mode - Playback speed control with tap tempo - Customizable reverb - Transpose* Note: Features marked with an asterisk (*) require upgrading to the full version before they can be used. This is a one-time purchase shared across all of your devices and helps support further development. All other features are free. Included FluidR3Mono GM SoundFont is licensed under the MIT License. Included Sample MIDI file is "Hard Times" from http://www.soundswell.co.uk/pages/swmids.htm and is in the public domain. This app and its creator are not affiliated with the creators of these files in any way.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: NS MIDI Player at 84% against PianoRemote's 16%. NS MIDI Player also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (211 vs 43). PianoRemote's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.5). On price, update cadence, 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
Both are free to download. NS MIDI Player sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. PianoRemote asks for nothing beyond the download.
NS MIDI Player holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 211 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of PianoRemote's written reviews are positive against 84% of NS MIDI Player's.
PianoRemote ships an update every 4 months, NS MIDI Player every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PianoRemote | NS MIDI Player |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (43 ratings) | 4.5 (211 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 16.4% of reviews | 83.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 43 | 211 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 80 MB | 130 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd. | Nitin Seshadri |
Customer experience
PianoRemote
NS MIDI Player
Bugs and requests
PianoRemote
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
NS MIDI Player
Reported bugs
14 issues- App crashes frequently during normal use
- Settings menu causes crashes
- Export/conversion button force closes app
- Soundfont file picker fails to open
- Audio initialization errors with some soundfonts
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- App freezes after several minutes of use
- Some MIDI files only play with default soundfont
- Reverb and echo instruments play at incorrect volumes
- App stops playing when sent to background
- File extension case sensitivity (.mid vs .MID)
- Large MIDI files (1.2MB+) fail to load or load extremely slowly
- Soundfont compatibility issues with newer formats
- Audio output issues despite correct system settings
- App reappears on iPad after deletion from Mac
Requested features
16 requests- Playlist creation and management
- Instrument selection/replacement per channel
- Background playback with screen off
- Auto-play all files in folder
- Pitch adjustment capability
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- MIDI file browser within app
- Visual feedback (piano roll, notes, chords)
- Support for additional formats (MMF, MXMF, PMD, MLD)
- DLS level 1 support
- Drag and drop from Finder
- File deletion button
- Track history/recently played list
- Persistent soundfont loading
- Loop sections of MIDI files
- External control via Bluetooth
- Batch file processing
In-app purchases
PianoRemote
No in-app purchases
NS MIDI Player
- Thanks$0.99
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
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- NS MIDI Player (Full Unlock)$7.99
- Large Tip$9.99
Questions
Is PianoRemote free?
Is NS MIDI Player free?
Which has better reviews, PianoRemote or NS MIDI Player?
Do PianoRemote or NS MIDI Player have ads?
Which is updated more often, PianoRemote or NS MIDI Player?
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