# NS MIDI Player vs Busker Stage

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Busker Stage at none against NS MIDI Player's 5. Busker Stage also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

NS MIDI Player ships an update every 3 months, Busker Stage fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | NS MIDI Player | Busker Stage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (210 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ns-midi-player/id1514225088/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **210** | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 130 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nitin Seshadri](https://appshunter.io/developer/1241696993) | [Eico Publishing LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1824655025) |

## What reviewers say

### NS MIDI Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ns-midi-player/id1514225088)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thanks | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| NS MIDI Player (Full Unlock) | $7.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 🎵 Excellent sound quality with soundfont support
- 💰 Free version available with core functionality
- 🎧 Custom soundfont compatibility
- 📱 QuickLook/QuickView integration for quick previews

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- ⏱️ Slow loading times for large MIDI files
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- ❌ Limited free version functionality
- 💸 Premium features behind paywall ($7.99-$22)

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Playlist creation and management
- Instrument selection/replacement per channel
- Background playback with screen off
- Auto-play all files in folder
- Pitch adjustment capability


### Busker Stage

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/busker-stage/id6748222343)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is NS MIDI Player free?

NS MIDI Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Busker Stage free?

Busker Stage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do NS MIDI Player or Busker Stage have ads?

Neither NS MIDI Player nor Busker Stage shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, NS MIDI Player or Busker Stage?

NS MIDI Player ships an update every 3 months, and Busker Stage fortnightly. Most recently, NS MIDI Player was updated on November 3, 2026 and Busker Stage on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*