Music By Numbers vs Composer Lab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Music By Numbers
This application simplifies complex post-tonal music calculations. It allows users to instantly compute matrices and pitch set collections, with options to view detailed set information, rotate, invert, and flip sets. Users can also save and edit their work for future reference.
- Instant matrix and pitch set calculations
- View pitch set information on matrix
- Rotate, invert, and flip sets
- Save and edit matrices and sets
- Customizable display for 10 and 11
- Customizable colors for PC selection and axis
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Music By Numbers is a modern toolkit for post-tonal and twelve-tone analysis. Build rows and pitch-class sets quickly with a dedicated pitch-class keypad, or generate a random row or set at the cardinality you choose. Create matrices from your rows, select pitch classes to explore their related sets, and view collections on the pitch-class circle. Set Explorer calculates normal form, prime form, Forte number, and interval vector, and provides tools to rotate, invert, complement, or flip a set across an axis you select. Save rows and sets to your Library with optional piece information and notes, then revisit or edit them whenever you need them. Music By Numbers accepts T or A for pitch class 10 and E or B for pitch class 11. Customize how those values are displayed, along with pitch-class selection, set-shape, and axis colors, in Settings.
Composer Lab
Explore harmonic structures, scales, and microtonal tuning systems. This app offers tools for organizing pitch material, crafting custom tunings, and managing rhythmic units for songwriting and composition.
- Harmonic structure exploration
- Custom tuning system creation
- Rhythmic unit management
- Microtonal scale playback
- DAW file export (.scl, .tun)
- Pitch set theory principles
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Set Module: The Set Module enables musicians to explore harmonic structures and scales of all kinds, and discover new ways of organizing pitch material. Built on the principles of pitch set theory, it offers an intuitive interface along with a rich set of practical tools. Features include fixed superset, fixed subset, invariance calculation, interval vector constraints, unfolding, and numeric recombination mode. The module is designed to make working with complex musical ideas easier and more intuitive, and can be used in songwriting, arranging, film scoring, and concert music composition. Tempo Module: The Tempo Module allows users to set a range for rhythmic units and define a tolerance for timing variations. It supports a system where up to six different tempos can be freely switched and converted. Tuning Module: Start at 1/1 and craft your own tuning system with cents or ratios. Map it onto a standard keyboard so you can transpose in 12ET or in precise cent steps. Hear your microtonal scales live, then export .scl and .tun files straight to your DAW—unlocking boundless realms beyond the twelve-tone limit. New Euclid and Orbit modules added! Detailed guide will be updated shortly.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Music By Numbers at Free against Composer Lab's $17.99. Music By Numbers also leads on ratings volume (7 vs 2). Composer Lab's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 days). On rating, review sentiment, 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
Music By Numbers is free to download; Composer Lab costs $17.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Music By Numbers against 5.0 for Composer Lab. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Music By Numbers ships an update every 8 days, Composer Lab every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Music By Numbers | Composer Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $17.99 |
| Rating | 5.0 (7 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 7 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 — better | 18.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 49 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Timothy Bausch | 笑一 杨 |
Customer experience
Music By Numbers
Composer Lab
In-app purchases
Music By Numbers
No in-app purchases
Composer Lab
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Music By Numbers free?
Is Composer Lab free?
Which has better reviews, Music By Numbers or Composer Lab?
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