Comparison

Beam Music vs Elysian Marching

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

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.

Highlights
  • Exclusive content licensing
  • Monetize performances
  • Brand building tools
  • Social media structured rubric
  • Podcast and talk show creation
  • Audition portal for musicians
Features
Read full description

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

Beam Music4 screens
Elysian Marching4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Beam Music versus Elysian Marching: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeam MusicElysian Marching
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (283 ratings) — better3.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews36.0% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings283 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size159 MB82 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUltimate Drill BookMeticulous analytic creative kingdom core l.l.c.

Customer experience

Beam Music

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

Elysian Marching

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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

Elysian Marching

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Beam Music

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Elysian Marching

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Beam Music free?
Beam Music is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Elysian Marching free?
Elysian Marching is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Beam Music or Elysian Marching?
Beam Music is rated higher. Beam Music averages 4.4 out of 5 from 283 ratings, while Elysian Marching averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Beam Music or Elysian Marching have ads?
Neither Beam Music nor Elysian Marching shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Beam Music or Elysian Marching?
Beam Music ships an update every 3 weeks, and Elysian Marching every 9 days. Most recently, Beam Music was updated on September 9, 2026 and Elysian Marching on September 7, 2026.

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