Beam Music vs Elysian Marching
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
Elysian Marching
This platform empowers traditional show-style marching bands to exclusively license and monetize their content. It provides tools for building brands through social media, uploading performances for compensation, and creating podcasts or talk shows to engage with followers. The app also facilitates competition, scholarship opportunities, and student musician recruitment.
- Exclusive content licensing
- Monetize performances
- Brand building tools
- Social media structured rubric
- Podcast and talk show creation
- Audition portal for musicians
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ELYSIAN is a streaming and marketing tool made for Traditional Show-style marching bands. This application allows marching bands to exclusively license and monetize their content while building their brands through a social media structured rubric made for consumers to easily enjoy and navigate. ELYSIAN has created a structure that safely allows for marching bands to properly upload their performances and receive compensation. In addition to this function marching bands can also build their brands by creating their own podcasts or talk shows where they can take advantage of a space of addressing and interacting with their followers, sharing behind the scenes information, and promoting their involvement in events such as showcases, competitions and battles. ELYSIAN's structure enables marching bands to retain exclusivity of all of their content and likeness. This platform will increase the amount of competitions, scholarship opportunities and enable an audition portal for students musicians to be recruited.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Beam Music at 4.4 against Elysian Marching's 3.0. Beam Music also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (283 vs 4). Elysian Marching's advantage is review sentiment (50% vs 36%) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). 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. Elysian Marching sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Beam Music asks for nothing beyond the download.
Beam Music holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beam Music has 283 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 36% of Beam Music's written reviews are positive against 50% of Elysian Marching's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Beam Music ships an update every 3 weeks, Elysian Marching every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Beam Music | Elysian Marching |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (283 ratings) — better | 3.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 36.0% of reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 283 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 159 MB | 82 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ultimate Drill Book | Meticulous analytic creative kingdom core l.l.c. |
Customer experience
Beam Music
Elysian Marching
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
Elysian Marching
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Beam Music
No in-app purchases
Elysian Marching
- Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
- Yearly$59.991 Year
Questions
Is Beam Music free?
Is Elysian Marching free?
Which has better reviews, Beam Music or Elysian Marching?
Do Beam Music or Elysian Marching have ads?
Which is updated more often, Beam Music or Elysian Marching?
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