Comparison

Beam Music vs Slide School

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

Head to head
About

Beam Music

Easily import, organize, and annotate music files for ensembles. Share access and collaborate with section leaders. Live Mode synchronizes music across all devices instantly without internet.

Highlights
  • Import PDFs from cloud storage and local files
  • Edit and crop music pages
  • Annotate with pencil, highlighter, and text tools
  • Collaborative notes for section leaders
  • Real-time music synchronization via Live Mode
  • Organize music into collections and set lists
  • Backup music library
Features
Read full description

IMPORT AND ASSIGN FILES WITH EASE - Import PDFs from Dropbox, Google Drive, and Local Storage - Assign full files or single pages - Crop, cut, and edit parts - Give edit access to student leaders ANNOTATE YOUR MUSIC - Pencil tool: Draw on the music - Highlighter: Mark key areas - Text tool: Add important notes - Shared notes: Section leaders can add notes for the entire section STAY IN SYNC WITH LIVE MODE Activate Live Mode to automatically connect everyone in the ensemble to your device. When you select a piece of music, everyone’s individual parts for that song are instantly displayed on their personal device. All without the need for internet. ORGANIZE YOUR LIBRARY - Create a collection of songs - Add songs to a set list in a specific order - Add the duration of the song - Back up your library with Beam Backup

About

Slide School

Access all your educational videos in one convenient app. Receive timely notifications for news and updates, and easily save your favorite content for quick retrieval.

Highlights
  • Access all videos in one app
  • Push notifications for news
  • Password-free video access
  • Save favorite posts
  • Easy to use interface
Read full description

Inside the Slide School app, you can: Access all of your videos in one easy to use app Receive push notifications with the latest news and updates Access to all of your videos without having to remember your password Save your favorite posts so you can quickly find them later END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Beam Music4 screens
Slide School3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Slide School at 5.0 against Beam Music's 4.4. Beam Music's advantage is ratings volume (306 vs 8). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Slide School holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beam Music has 306 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Beam Music versus Slide School: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeam MusicSlide School
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (306 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings306 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size159 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUltimate Drill BookSlide School LLC

Customer experience

Beam Music

All ratings283 ratings
Positive83.0%
Neutral3.5%
Negative13.4%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive36.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative54.0%

Slide School

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Beam Music

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes constantly, especially when needed
  • Lag makes page turning and note-taking difficult
  • Annotations disappear after using live mode
  • Zoom level resets when orientation changes
  • Portrait mode activates unexpectedly
Show 9 more
  • Notes from other songs appear randomly
  • Search feature fails to work reliably
  • Music fails to load when switching between pieces
  • Auto-download feature doesn't work
  • App becomes unresponsive with frozen screen
  • Battery drains excessively fast
  • Phone overheats during rehearsal
  • Annotations won't save, erase, or stick properly
  • Screenshot returns white page instead of music

Requested features

12 requests
  • Horizontal page lock (like FlipFolder)
  • Ability to save zoom level with vertical scrolling
  • Live session annotation capability
  • Auto-select correct part for user
  • Mass select parts instead of individual selection
Show 7 more
  • Highlighter tool for dynamics
  • White pen/eraser for marking corrections
  • Screenshot capability for backup
  • Access to music files in Files app
  • Rotation lock that maintains landscape orientation
  • Better customization options
  • Improved search functionality

Slide School

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Beam Music

No in-app purchases

None

Slide School

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Beam Music free?
Beam Music is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Slide School free?
Slide School is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Beam Music or Slide School?
Slide School is rated higher. Beam Music averages 4.4 out of 5 from 306 ratings, while Slide School averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Beam Music or Slide School have ads?
Neither Beam Music nor Slide School shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Beam Music or Slide School?
Beam Music ships an update every 3 weeks, and Slide School every 3 weeks. Most recently, Beam Music was updated on October 29, 2026 and Slide School on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons