# Beam Music vs Slide School

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Beam Music | Slide School |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (306 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-music/id1572856909/reviews) | **[5.0 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slide-school/id6499040931/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **306** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 36.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 159 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ultimate Drill Book](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455826723) | [Slide School LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1756338228) |

## What reviewers say

### Beam Music

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-music/id1572856909)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Centralized music library in one app
- 🎵 Convenient for marching band use
- ✍️ Annotation and note-taking features
- 📋 Setlist functionality for quick song switching
- 🔄 Live mode for synchronized performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- ⏱️ Severe lag and unresponsiveness
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain (40-90% per hour)
- 🌡️ Phone overheating during use
- 📝 Annotations randomly disappear or delete

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Slide School

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/slide-school/id6499040931)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*