Comparison

DownBeat Mag vs Spintel

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

Head to head
About

DownBeat Mag

Explore the world of Jazz, Blues, and beyond with in-depth interviews, historical features, and expert reviews. Access back issues and future content through various subscription options.

Highlights
  • In-depth interviews
  • Historical music features
  • World-class reviews
  • Blindfold Test articles
  • Access to back and future issues
  • Subscription options
Features
Read full description

DownBeat is the granddaddy of American music magazines. Our editors, writers and photographers scour the world to bring back the best of Jazz, Blues & Beyond. From insightful interviews and historical gems to world-class reviews and iconic features like the Blindfold Test, DownBeat delivers an insider's guide to jazz, improvised music and all of its offshoots. Auto Renewing subscription: *Back issues and future issues are available for purchase within the App. You can purchase single issues for $3.99 (non-subscription). Future issues are also available through the following auto-renewing subscription(s): DownBeat Magazine subscriptions - 3-month subscription for $9.99, 6-month subscription for $15.99 and a 1-year subscription for $23.99 automatically renewed until canceled. Payment for all purchases will be charged to your iTunes account at the confirmation of your purchase. The subscription will include the current issue if you do not already own it, and subsequently published future issues. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. This subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period, your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. The cost of the renewal will match the initial subscription price. You may turn off auto-renewing subscriptions by going to your user’s Account Settings after purchase. No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during your active subscription period. Please find our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy here: https://downbeat.com/site/terms and https://downbeat.com/site/privacy

About

Spintel

This app provides data-driven insights for music professionals to track radio airplay and identify growth opportunities for artists and singles. It offers custom dashboards, intuitive visualizations, and team collaboration features to streamline promotion strategies.

Highlights
  • Actionable radio insights
  • Custom dashboards and filters
  • Intuitive data visualizations
  • Time-saving metric surfacing
  • Team collaboration tools
  • Track station additions and song rankings
Read full description

Unlock Radio Airplay Growth with Data-Driven Insights. Spintel is the next-generation analytics platform for music professionals. It transforms terrestrial radio airplay data into powerful insights, helping you pinpoint growth opportunities for singles and artists—faster than ever before. Key Features: ========== • Actionable Radio Insights Instantly see which stations aren’t playing your track and prioritize outreach where it matters most. • Custom Dashboards & Filters Build views that fit your workflow with pre-configured modules, filters, and sorting options. • Intuitive Data Visualizations Interactive charts, maps, and historical comparisons make trends clear and decisions easy. • Save Valuable Time Stop wrangling spreadsheets—surface key metrics in seconds and focus on promotion. • Built for Teams Manage tasks, track progress, and align your promotion strategy in one central hub. Designed for Music Professionals • Music promotion teams • Radio pluggers • Record labels • Artist managers • Independent artists launching singles Why Spintel? ========== Spintel was created by industry insiders who understand the challenges of radio promotion. Whether you’re looking to grow spins, identify gaps, or stay ahead of station changes, Spintel provides the clarity you need to maximize impact. Take Control of Your Airplay Strategy • See stations most likely to add your track • Compare title rankings station by station • Identify slipping songs to seize new openings • Track when stations may drop songs—so you’re ready to step in Start powering your radio strategy with smarter data today.

Screenshots

DownBeat Mag3 screens
Spintel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Spintel at 100% against DownBeat Mag's 7%. Spintel also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). DownBeat Mag's advantage is ratings volume (15 vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support 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. DownBeat Mag sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Spintel asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Spintel holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DownBeat Mag has 15 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 7% of DownBeat Mag's written reviews are positive against 100% of Spintel's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DownBeat Mag ships an update every 2 months, Spintel weekly. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
DownBeat Mag versus Spintel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDownBeat MagSpintel
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.5 (15 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews7.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB94 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperMaher Publications Inc.Daltboard LLC

Customer experience

DownBeat Mag

All ratings15 ratings
Positive6.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative86.7%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive7.1%
Neutral7.1%
Negative85.7%

Spintel

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

DownBeat Mag

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • 1-Year Subscription$23.991 Year
One-time8
  • DownBeat Mag May 2023 Issue$4.99
  • DownBeat Mag 2023-08$4.99
  • DownBeat Mag 2026-07$4.99
Show 5 more
  • DownBeat Mag 2026-09$4.99
  • DownBeat Mag 2026-10$4.99
  • DownBeat Mag 2026-11$4.99
  • DownBeat Mag 2025-01$4.99
  • DownBeat Mag 2024-12$4.99
None

Spintel

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DownBeat Mag free?
DownBeat Mag is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Spintel free?
Spintel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, DownBeat Mag or Spintel?
Spintel is rated higher. DownBeat Mag averages 1.5 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Spintel averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do DownBeat Mag or Spintel have ads?
Neither DownBeat Mag nor Spintel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DownBeat Mag or Spintel?
DownBeat Mag ships an update every 2 months, and Spintel weekly. Most recently, DownBeat Mag was updated on November 3, 2026 and Spintel on November 3, 2026.

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