Beam Music vs Slide School
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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
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.
- Access all videos in one app
- Push notifications for news
- Password-free video access
- Save favorite posts
- Easy to use interface
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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
Verdict
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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
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.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Beam Music | Slide School |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (306 ratings) | 5.0 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 36.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 306 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 159 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ultimate Drill Book | Slide School LLC |
Customer experience
Beam Music
Slide School
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
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- 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
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- 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
Beam Music
No in-app purchases
Slide School
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Beam Music free?
Is Slide School free?
Which has better reviews, Beam Music or Slide School?
Do Beam Music or Slide School have ads?
Which is updated more often, Beam Music or Slide School?
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