Drum Notation by Beat Note vs OninFive
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
OninFive
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Stop wondering where the music is. OninFive puts your city's live music scene in one place - grassroots gigs, pub sessions, open mics, local venue nights, and surprise sets happening near you. Whether you're looking for something to do tonight or planning your next week of live music, OninFive makes discovery fast, local, and low-friction. HOW IT WORKS ◦ Open the map or list — see live music events happening near you ◦ Find your sound — browse by genre, artist, venue, or area ◦ Open the details — check the vibe, venue, lineup, and event info ◦ Save it, share it, or go — keep it for later or head straight there FOR MUSIC FANS ◦ Discover gigs happening nearby on a live map or location-based list ◦ Filter events by genre — jazz, rock, acoustic, electronic, and more ◦ Save events you're interested in and come back to them later ◦ View artist profiles, venue pages, and promoter pages ◦ Explore venues with upcoming and past events in one place ◦ Get directions to the venue in one tap ◦ Share events with friends who love live music ◦ Saved events sync when you're back online FOR ARTISTS ◦ Create your artist profile and showcase your sound ◦ Post your gigs so nearby fans can find you ◦ Build a local following that moves with you from stage to stage ◦ Get discovered by fans actively looking for live music nearby ◦ Apply for verification to build trust in the app WHAT MAKES ONINFIVE DIFFERENT Most music apps focus on arena tours and major ticketed events. OninFive is built for the grassroots scene - the pub gigs, the open mics, the late-night local sets, and the artists and venues that keep a city moving. We believe the best nights out are often the ones you didn’t plan. OninFive makes those nights easier to find. ◦ Grassroots focused — small gigs, real venues, local artists ◦ Discovery-first — built to help you decide where to go, fast ◦ Location-first — events shown based on where you are, not who you follow ◦ Free for fans — always BUILT FOR THE UK LIVE MUSIC SCENE OninFive is made in the UK for the UK's grassroots music scene. From intimate pub acoustics to packed basement sets, we're mapping the live music that matters. Real Music. Real Vibes. Right Now. — Have feedback or questions? We'd love to hear from you. Email: support@oninfive.app Website: https://oninfive.app Instagram: @on.in.five
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OninFive at none against Drum Notation by Beat Note's 5. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. OninFive asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Drum Notation by Beat Note | OninFive |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (87 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 82.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 87 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 81 MB | 53 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Kick Snare Hat Apps, LLC | Matthew Pearce |
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
OninFive
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
OninFive
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Drum Notation by Beat Note free?
Is OninFive free?
Do Drum Notation by Beat Note or OninFive have ads?
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