Comparison

PianoRemote vs NS MIDI Player

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

PianoRemote4 screens
NS MIDI Player2 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. NS MIDI Player sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. PianoRemote asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
PianoRemote versus NS MIDI Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPianoRemoteNS MIDI Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.5 (43 ratings)4.5 (211 ratings) — better
Positive reviews16.4% of reviews83.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings43211 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size80 MB130 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.Nitin Seshadri

Customer experience

PianoRemote

All ratings43 ratings
Positive27.9%
Neutral9.3%
Negative62.8%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive16.4%
Neutral13.8%
Negative69.8%

NS MIDI Player

All ratings206 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews91 reviews
Positive83.5%
Neutral6.6%
Negative9.9%

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
Show 9 more
  • 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
Show 11 more
  • 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

None

PianoRemote

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

NS MIDI Player

One-time5
  • Thanks$0.99
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
Show 2 more
  • NS MIDI Player (Full Unlock)$7.99
  • Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is PianoRemote free?
PianoRemote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NS MIDI Player free?
NS MIDI Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PianoRemote or NS MIDI Player?
NS MIDI Player is rated higher. PianoRemote averages 2.5 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while NS MIDI Player averages 4.5 from 211 ratings.
Do PianoRemote or NS MIDI Player have ads?
Neither PianoRemote nor NS MIDI Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PianoRemote or NS MIDI Player?
PianoRemote ships an update every 4 months, and NS MIDI Player every 3 months. Most recently, PianoRemote was updated on November 3, 2026 and NS MIDI Player on November 7, 2026.

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