Drum Notation by Beat Note vs Metronome & Rudiment Practice
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Drum Notation by Beat Note
Create, practice, and share drum music notation with ease. This app transforms sequenced beats into professional sheet music, offering tools for composition, transcription, and interactive teaching. Enhance your drumming journey with customizable practice sessions and high-quality export options.
- Sequencer to notation conversion
- Compose and transcribe drum beats
- Customizable practice sessions
- Interactive teaching tools
- High-quality PDF and image export
- Multiple notation voicing options
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Beat Note — Drum Notation for Drummers, Teachers, and Content Creators The fastest way to write, hear, practice, and share drum notation. Built by a drummer, for drummers. FOR DRUMMERS — FROM YOUR HEAD TO THE PAGE IN SECONDS You have a groove idea. Beat Note gets it down before you lose it. Tap the sequencer grid to build beats. Watch them turn into clean, professional drum notation in real time. Hit play and hear exactly what you wrote — at any tempo, with a click track, on loop. - Transcribe songs to check your ear and lock in what you hear - Compose your own grooves, fills, and exercises from scratch - Count in with a visual on-screen "1, 2, 3, 4" so your eyes and ears are ready together - Use Beat Note as your in-ear metronome during rehearsals — your beats, not just clicks "Been waiting a long time for an app like this. Clearly built by a drummer." — App Store review FOR TEACHERS — WRITE IT, PLAY IT, SEND IT What used to take 30 minutes in a desktop notation program now takes 2 minutes on your phone or iPad. Write exercises on the fly — during the lesson, not after it. Play back the notation so students hear exactly how it should sound. Share a link so they can listen at home. Export a PDF they can print and bring to the kit. - Use the sequencer as a live music whiteboard, in person or online - Build a library of exercises organized by tag, ready for any student - Send a shareable link or export a high-quality PDF in one tap "What would normally take 30 minutes on a computer has become 2 minutes from my mobile device. My students love it." — App Store review FOR CONTENT CREATORS — PROFESSIONAL NOTATION VIDEOS, IN MINUTES Export your beat as an animated MP4 — portrait for Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, or landscape for YouTube and Vimeo. Choose 720p, 1080p, or 4K. Pick a color theme. Preview before you export. PDF, PNG, WAV or AAC audio, shareable link, and animated MP4 — all from one app. NOTATION THAT LOOKS RIGHT Professional drum notation, consistent across every format you export. What you see on screen is what your students get in the PDF, what your followers see in the video, and what you hear in playback. - All standard drums, cymbals, and articulations - Subdivisions from 8th notes to 32nd notes, plus triplets, quintuplets (5s), and septuplets (7s) - Common and compound time signatures, including 6/8, 9/8, and 12/8 - Linear, split hands/feet, or split drums/cymbals voicing - Sticking annotations (R, L) - Single-measure repeat symbol (%) — renders automatically when measures repeat ORGANIZE AND DISCOVER - Tags, search, and sort to manage your beat library - Discover tab: curated educational beats for all skill levels - Beat templates to get started fast - Customize tempo, click track, count-in, and timer MADE BY A DRUMMER, SHAPED BY THE COMMUNITY Beat Note was built by me — an independent developer with 35+ years behind the kit. But the direction comes from the community. Every major feature on the roadmap has been voted on, requested, and refined by drummers, teachers, and creators just like you. Join the conversation at roadmap.beat-note.app — vote on upcoming features, share ideas, and see what's coming next. I'm here to make sure it all comes together into something that actually works. Premium subscription required for full access. Educator and Creator tiers available. Free trial included. Payment is charged through your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period via iTunes Account Settings. Terms and Privacy Policy: https://www.beat-note.app/privacy-and-terms
Metronome & Rudiment Practice
This app provides drummers with a comprehensive practice tool. It features a customizable metronome with advanced options like gap training and auto-increment, alongside a full library of drum rudiments with notation and audio. Users can create structured practice sessions, track progress, and set goals to improve speed, control, and consistency.
- Customizable metronome with tap tempo
- Gap training and auto-increment BPM
- Full drum rudiment library with notation
- Structured practice session creation
- Progress tracking and practice streaks
- Live Activity and Dynamic Island support
- Background practice mode
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The metronome built for drummers — not just timekeepers. Whether you're working on your first paradiddle or pushing your double stroke roll to 200 BPM, Metronome & Rudiment Practice gives you the tools to practice smarter and build real speed, control, and consistency. METRONOME A clean, distraction-free metronome with everything you actually need: - Tap tempo to set your BPM instantly - Customize time signatures, subdivisions, and per-beat accents - Gap Training — mute bars at set intervals to test if your internal clock is solid - Auto Increment — automatically raise the BPM every few bars to build speed without thinking about it - 15 click sounds, from classic quartz to sticks, claps, and electronic kits - Volume boost for loud practice rooms - Flashlight visual cues for timing - Live Activity on Lock Screen and Dynamic Island - Background mode for uninterrupted practice - iCloud sync across all your devices RUDIMENT LIBRARY All 40 essential drum rudiments with notation, sticking, and audio playback: - Singles, doubles, paradiddles, flams, drags, hybrid rudiments - Accent variations and left/right hand lead options - Star your favorites for quick access STRUCTURED PRACTICE Turn rudiments into real practice sessions: - Pre-built speed training programs that ramp BPM over time - Gap training and accent variation workouts - Build your own sessions with custom rudiments, BPM ranges, and bar lengths - Practice Packs based on Stick Control and Accents & Rebounds - Track your progress and monitor improvement over time STAY CONSISTENT - Set weekly practice goals and receive reminders - Track your sessions and streaks - iCloud sync keeps everything in step across your devices GET STARTED FREE — The core metronome and full rudiment library are free. Upgrade to Premium for advanced metronome features, unlimited practice sessions, custom session creation, and all Practice Packs. Built by drummers, for drummers. Privacy Policy: https://metronome.much.coffee/metronome/pp.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
Drum Notation by Beat Note and Metronome & Rudiment Practice both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Metronome & Rudiment Practice's written reviews are positive against 83% of Drum Notation by Beat Note's. Drum Notation by Beat Note's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Drum Notation by Beat Note sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.69 per month and Metronome & Rudiment Practice sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Drum Notation by Beat Note against 4.6 for Metronome & Rudiment Practice. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 88 and 32 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Drum Notation by Beat Note's written reviews are positive against 100% of Metronome & Rudiment Practice's.
Drum Notation by Beat Note ships an update every 9 days, Metronome & Rudiment Practice weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Drum Notation by Beat Note | Metronome & Rudiment Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (88 ratings) | 4.6 (32 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 82.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 88 — better | 32 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kick Snare Hat Apps, LLC | cougnes |
Customer experience
Drum Notation by Beat Note
Metronome & Rudiment Practice
Bugs and requests
Drum Notation by Beat Note
Reported bugs
8 issues- Preview rarely matches notes on staff
- Sometimes doesn't play any notes
- Sounds not always appropriate for instrument voicing
- Editing measures is inconvenient
- Free trial charged immediately
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- iCloud data sync issues for subscription confirmation
- Not stable in loopings, slow delay on first note
- Measure lines on PDFs too thick and close
Requested features
27 requests- 7/8 time signature support
- Syncing between devices
- Web version
- Native Mac/Windows apps
- Add text or notes to notations
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- Cowbell instrument
- More drum samples and pitch control
- Ability to work on spaces longer than a measure
- Add 32nd notes
- Duplicate multiple bars at once
- Copy/paste large sections
- Option to drag duplicated bars to the end
- Add melody track
- More instrument options
- Ability to manage volumes of different instruments
- Add quintuplets and sextuplets to a bar
- Add repetition options for measures
- Add text to music sheets
- Improve loop stability and reduce delay
- Allow monthly subscription option
- More free beats/unlimited free version
- Add sticking for grace notes
- More advanced editing options for multiple bars
- Improve PDF export readability
- Add virtual drum kit for accessibility
- AI-powered automatic notation
- Auto-sync to track
Metronome & Rudiment Practice
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Drum Notation by Beat Note
- Educator Tier Monthly (No Trial)$6.691 Month
- Creator Tier Monthly (No Trial)$13.491 Month
- Educator Tier Annual (No Trial)$59.991 Year
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- Educator Tier Annual + Free Trial7 Days trial$59.991 Year
- Creator Tier Annual + Free Trial7 Days trial$119.991 Year
Metronome & Rudiment Practice
- Premium - One Month7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Premium - One Year7 Days trial$24.991 Year
Questions
Is Drum Notation by Beat Note free?
Is Metronome & Rudiment Practice free?
Which has better reviews, Drum Notation by Beat Note or Metronome & Rudiment Practice?
Do Drum Notation by Beat Note or Metronome & Rudiment Practice have ads?
Which is updated more often, Drum Notation by Beat Note or Metronome & Rudiment Practice?
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