Comparison

MelodySlotMachine vs Pocket Looper

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

Head to head
About

MelodySlotMachine

Create new melody combinations by rearranging variations using slot dials. This AI-powered tool analyzes musical structure to generate new compositions, aiding composers in projects requiring many variations. Explore next-generation music production and consumption.

Highlights
  • Dial-based melody variation selection
  • Grid tile operation for timeline visualization
  • Melody shuffle via device shake
  • Song and part selection
  • AI-driven musical structure analysis
  • Next-generation music creation
Features
Read full description

Melody Slot Machine is an application developed by RIKEN towards the integration of music and AI. You can create new melody combinations by rearranging melody variations using slot dials. When the composer composes melody variations, the structure of the melody is analyzed using a theory of music known as generative theory of tonal music (GTTM). Even if the melody switches to another variation in the middle, the structure will not be disrupted. You can expand the possibilities of composition with Melody Slot Machine. - Dial operation By rotating the dials similar to a slot machine, you can select a melody from multiple variations. The dial scrolls to the left as the performance progresses, and the leftmost dial on the screen represents the score of the performance currently being played. - Grid tile operation The horizontal grid tiles below the dials show the dial changes throughout the song. Swipe up to expand and use the elongated grid tile. - Melody shuffle When you shake your iPhone, all the dials rotate simultaneously, similar to when you pull the lever on a slot machine and stop at a random combination. - Song selection / Part switching You can select a song by pressing the musical note button. For songs containing multiple parts, you can press the button to switch between parts. - Development history The Music Information Intelligence Team, part of the RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, is exploring potential new ways of creating and listening to music using AI. The Melody Slot Machine is an example of next-generation music production and consumption in which AI automatically analyzes the structure of a melody and resynthesizes a new melody using the obtained structure. We aim to support composers in projects that require many variations, such as in movies and games. The app is available to the public to gauge the overall interest in such a method of music creation. We ask that users the app who are prompted to fill out a questionnaire to please submit their responses. We plan to add songs in the future. If you are interested in the app and technology, please contact us at the support URL.

About

Pocket Looper

Features
Read full description

The phrase you just played becomes a loop. Pocket Looper is a loop station built for one thing: practising guitar and bass. Tap the big button in the middle to start recording. Tap it again and the phrase loops. Tap once more and you are overdubbing on top of it. That single button is the whole interface. ONE BUTTON FOR EVERYTHING Record, overdub, stop, resume. Every state change happens on the centre button, so you can drive it the way you would stomp a pedal on the floor. You never have to hunt for a small control while your hands are on the instrument. SEE WHAT YOU ARE LAYERING Your loop is drawn as a waveform with a playhead showing exactly where the playback is. You can see which beat you are overdubbing onto, which makes it much easier to come in on time. Undo and redo let you take back a bad take instantly. BE YOUR OWN BACKING BAND Record a chord progression, let it loop, and practise your solo over it. You get accompanied repetition without booking a rehearsal room or waiting for a band. It works just as well for writing riffs and for singer-songwriter practice. BUILT FOR DRILLING (PREMIUM) - Slow practice: drop the speed to 0.5x while keeping the original pitch, so you can take a fast lick apart and rebuild it - A-B section loop: mark A and B on the waveform and repeat only that stretch - Save and recall loops: name a phrase and come back to it tomorrow - Export your recordings to other apps - All in-app ads removed TEN LANGUAGES The interface follows your device language automatically: English, Japanese, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean. WHO IT IS FOR - Guitarists and bassists who drill the same phrase every day - Players who want to build their own backing track and improvise over it - Anyone who would rather just record and layer than learn a large app first Premium is a one-time purchase. There is no subscription and no expiry. The free tier lets you record and overdub loops of up to 30 seconds. https://tenmais.jp/?lang=en

Screenshots

MelodySlotMachine4 screens
Pocket Looper4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MelodySlotMachine at none against Pocket Looper's 1. MelodySlotMachine also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.4 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence 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. Pocket Looper sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MelodySlotMachine asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MelodySlotMachine ships an update weekly, Pocket Looper every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 11, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
MelodySlotMachine versus Pocket Looper: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMelodySlotMachinePocket Looper
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 6 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS11.4 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size192 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developernewforestar co,.ltdKenichi Ando

In-app purchases

None

MelodySlotMachine

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Pocket Looper

One-time1
  • Premium Unlock$2.99

Questions

Is MelodySlotMachine free?
MelodySlotMachine is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pocket Looper free?
Pocket Looper is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MelodySlotMachine or Pocket Looper have ads?
Pocket Looper shows ads; MelodySlotMachine does not.
Which is updated more often, MelodySlotMachine or Pocket Looper?
MelodySlotMachine ships an update weekly, and Pocket Looper every 6 days. Most recently, MelodySlotMachine was updated on October 11, 2026 and Pocket Looper on October 11, 2026.

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