Comparison

Tape It vs Ableton Note

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

Head to head
About

Tape It

Capture, organize, and share music ideas with this professional audio recording studio app. It offers features like mixtape organization, studio-quality collaboration, and instant recording from your lock screen. Never lose a song idea again and focus on your music.

Highlights
  • Mixtape organization
  • Studio-quality collaboration
  • Instant recording from lock screen
  • Photo integration for notes
  • Secure cloud backup
  • DAW integration
  • Lossless audio quality
Features
Read full description

The professional songwriting & recording studio app that helps musicians capture, organize & share music ideas. We are musicians who created the app we always wanted - straightforward, powerful, and built for how artists actually work. Join thousands of professional musicians who trust Tape It! Never lose song ideas, never waste time with songwriting hassles again. Focus on what really matters: your music. PACKED WITH FEATURES — ALL FREE, NO ADS Professional Mixtape Organization Group your song ideas, EP recordings, and instrument sessions into custom mixtapes. Find any recording instantly with smart organization built for musicians. Studio-Quality Collaboration Share and work on recordings with your bandmates, producer, or manager - all within the app. No more sending files back and forth through messages. Instant Recording from Lock Screen Capture ideas as fast as photographers capture moments - straight from your iPhone's lock screen. Never lose another song idea! Smart Photo Integration Save vocal notes, chord sheets, or synthesizer settings with photo attachments. Everything you need, right where you need it. Secure Cloud Backup Keep your recordings safe with EU-encrypted cloud storage. Save iCloud space while protecting thousands of your ideas. Professional DAW Integration Easily transfer files via AirDrop or drag&drop from Tape It's desktop client directly into your DAW. Turn ideas into production-ready tracks seamlessly! Smart Recording Notes Add chords, BPM, lyrics, or production ideas directly to your recordings. Full-Featured Audio Player Review your ideas anywhere - in your car, during workouts, or on your commute. Just like using your favorite music app! Intelligent Markers Mark specific parts during or after recording - perfect for jam sessions, song transitions, and music lessons. Time Paragraph Technology Navigate long recordings naturally with our innovative waveform view that wraps recordings into multiple lines that you can easily scroll through. Automatic Instrument Detection See what's in your recording before you hit play. Combined with photos and notes, you'll always know what you're listening to. TAPE IT PROFESSIONAL FEATURES Maximize your iPhone's recording capabilities: Professional Stereo Recording Combine multiple iPhone microphones for superior audio quality. Perfect for instrument recording, vocals, field recording, and podcasting. Lossless Audio Quality Get the highest possible mobile recording quality for professional results. External Audio Support Connect professional microphones and audio interfaces for next-level mobile recording. Non-destructive Editing Trim your recordings while keeping the original safe. Restore any edit at any time. MP3 and WAV Export Convert your audio files during export to make them work with any DAW - Ableton, Fruity Loops, ProTools, you name it. Support Independent Developers We're musicians building for musicians. No ads, no investors - just constant improvements for your needs. Tape It is 100% accessible for blind users. We understand music's importance to everyone. Questions? Contact us at support@tape.it Privacy policy: https://tape.it/privacy Terms of use: https://tape.it/eula

About

Ableton Note

Create musical ideas with curated sounds and effects. Build beats, melodies, and sample your surroundings. Seamlessly transfer your projects to Ableton Live for further development.

Highlights
  • Create beats and melodies
  • Sample sounds with phone microphone
  • MIDI Editor for sequencing
  • Transfer projects to Ableton Live
  • 76 Drum Sampler kits
  • 317 synth sounds
Read full description

Start new musical ideas with a curated selection of sounds and effects. Create beats and melodic parts, sample your world, and continue your tracks in Ableton Live. Note is a place to form ideas, explore new sounds and find direction. Get your ideas out or just experiment until inspiration hits, using a selection of Ableton Live’s drum kits, synths and melodic instruments. Create your own sound palette by sampling with your phone’s built-in microphone. And use Note’s built-in MIDI Editor to sequence notes, beats and chords or make tweaks as you listen back Follow your ideas wherever they lead by sending your projects to Live without leaving the app with the help of Ableton Cloud. Open projects from Live’s browser and keep working – you can edit all your MIDI notes, and all your samples and sounds from Note are exactly the same. Ableton Note users get a free license for Ableton Live Lite – simple, intuitive software used by musicians, producers and DJs around the world to write, record, and perform. For Ableton Move users, Note also offers the chance to keep working on a Set from your phone. Begin with a beat: • Choose from 76 Drum Sampler kits • Tap out a beat using the 16-pad grid, or sequence one with the MIDI Editor • Play each drum hit melodically using 16 Pitches mode • Quantize your beat or nudge notes to fix loose timing or mistakes • Add more layers of rhythm • Create beat repetitions with Note Repeat • Change parameters to shape your sound • Experiment with effects or apply swing for variations Start with a melody: • Choose from 317 synth sounds and 60 Melodic Sampler instruments • Play or program your melody or chord progression with the 25-pad grid, piano roll or MIDI Editor • Set a key and scale to get instantly harmonic results • Add more layers of harmony • Change parameters to shape your sound • Add effects to experiment with sound design Sample your environment: • Create your own kits by recording percussive sounds into Note’s Drum Sampler • Record tonal sounds to create your own Melodic Sampler instruments • Manipulate your samples by cutting, filtering or repitching them • Sequence samples into beats, melodies and chords using the MIDI Editor • Shape or transform your sounds with effects • Import your own samples or audio directly from videos Work with Audio • Add audio clips from the library • Warp tempo or adjust pitch of your clips • Record audio directly using your phone’s built-in microphone • Connect an audio interface to record external sources • Combine recorded and imported audio with your beats and melodies Capture improvisations: • Play something, then tap the Capture button to keep it • Play at a tempo that feels comfortable and Note will detect it • Note will recognize the length of the phrase and create a loop • Quantize it, add to it, or change the sound • Connect MIDI hardware to play keys and change the sound of your instruments Create variations: • Note features a grid-based Session View layout • Double your loops to create variation within clips • Duplicate your clips and create different versions of your ideas • Add, delete or adjust multiple notes at once with the MIDI Editor • Create eight tracks with up to eight clips on eight scenes • Try different clip combinations and song structures • Export your work as an audio file to listen and share

Screenshots

Tape It4 screens
Ableton Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Tape It at Free against Ableton Note's $6.99. Tape It also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). Ableton Note's advantage is chart position (#9 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). On review sentiment, ratings volume, 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

Tape It is free to download; Ableton Note costs $6.99 up front. Tape It sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $3.00 per month and Ableton Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tape It holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 886 and 696 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 72% and 72% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tape It ships an update fortnightly, Ableton Note every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Tape It versus Ableton Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTape ItAbleton Note
PriceFree — better$6.99
Rating4.7 (886 ratings) — better4.2 (696 ratings)
Positive reviews71.5% of reviews72.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings886 — better696
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#9 — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB1010 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTape It Music GmbHAbleton AG

Customer experience

Tape It

All ratings886 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral4.4%
Negative3.6%
Written reviews151 reviews
Positive71.5%
Neutral7.9%
Negative20.5%

Ableton Note

All ratings696 ratings
Positive78.4%
Neutral10.5%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews485 reviews
Positive72.2%
Neutral13.6%
Negative14.2%

User reviews

Tape It

From 886 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Elegant and highly usable UI
  • 🚀 Plays well with external mics
  • 🚀 Easy editing
  • 🚀 Reliable iCloud sync
  • 👍 Minimalist and intuitive design

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Subscription-based model
  • 💰 Expensive lifetime purchase option
  • 🐛 Buggy behavior, crashes, and glitches
  • 🐛 Unreliable recording and playback
  • 🐛 Difficult to delete or manage recordings

Ableton Note

From 696 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Intuitive workflow
  • 🎨 Great sound quality
  • 🤝 Seamless Ableton Live integration
  • 💰 Affordable price
  • 🔥 Inspiring for creativity

Room to improve

  • 🔇 No audio track support
  • 🎹 Limited note editing capabilities
  • ⏱️ Bluetooth latency issues
  • 🔢 Restricted to 4/4 time signature
  • 🔧 Lacking some advanced features

Bugs and requests

Tape It

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to sign in or create accounts
  • Incompatibility with certain iOS versions
  • Jittery scrolling and UI issues
  • Unreliable lock screen widget
  • Recordings stopping unexpectedly

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to pause/resume recordings
  • In-app audio editing tools
  • Improved organization and folder structure
  • Support for external audio interfaces
  • Metronome and looping functionality
Show 1 more
  • Video recording capabilities

Ableton Note

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional loss of unsaved work
  • Freezing issues when editing clips

Requested features

6 requests
  • Audio track support
  • Expanded note editing tools
  • Midi controller support
  • More effects and synth options
  • Time signature flexibility
Show 1 more
  • Ability to import samples from Ableton Live

In-app purchases

18 purchases

Tape It

Subscriptions14
  • Monthly Subscription2 variants$3.001 Month
  • Tape It Pro$4.491 Month
  • Tape It Pro$5.001 Month
Show 11 more
  • Monthly subscription$5.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription2 variants$6.001 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$15.001 Year
  • Yearly Subscription1 Month trial$19.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Tape It Pro7 Days trial$22.491 Year
  • Tape It Pro$24.001 Year
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$25.001 Year
  • Full version7 Days trial$30.001 Year
  • Yearly subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Full version7 Days trial$50.001 Year
One-time4
  • Full version$50.00
  • Tape It Pro$75.00
  • Tape It Pro$80.00
Show 1 more
  • Full version$100.00
1 purchases

Ableton Note

One-time1
  • Drift In-App Purchase$3.99

Questions

Is Tape It free?
Tape It is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ableton Note free?
Ableton Note costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Tape It or Ableton Note?
Tape It is rated higher. Tape It averages 4.7 out of 5 from 886 ratings, while Ableton Note averages 4.2 from 696 ratings.
Do Tape It or Ableton Note have ads?
Neither Tape It nor Ableton Note shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tape It or Ableton Note?
Tape It ships an update fortnightly, and Ableton Note every 5 weeks. Most recently, Tape It was updated on October 24, 2026 and Ableton Note on October 24, 2026.

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