Comparison

Violin by Ear vs Musa

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

Head to head
About

Violin by Ear

Master the violin by ear in weeks, not years, with a unique method that deepens your understanding of chords and scales. Practice with your phone or a real instrument to rapidly develop musical fluency and expressiveness.

Highlights
  • Learn violin by ear
  • Ear training tool
  • Understand chords and scales
  • Practice with smartphone or real violin
  • Rapid musical fluency development
  • Enhance music reading and memory
Features
Read full description

Learn to express yourself with this beautiful instrument in DAYS and WEEKS instead if YEARS. With our unique learning method you will accomplish just that! This is a very powerful ear training and learning tool for musicians who want a shortcut to fluency on the violin. With this tool you will be able to play the violin it is meant to be played by ear, any melody, solo or arpeggio, you will gain a very deep understanding of chords, scales and the notes they consist of and are surrounded by, they tell you all about this in lessons, but you never actually get to ingrain it. Yet this is the most important skill there is for mastering the violin and play any music by ear. The app allows you to practice with just the smartphone or with your real violin. This exercise might look a little bit tedious, but trust us, you will see very powerful results in your music within days of using the app. You could call it hacking the violin. You will learn to play the violin by ear in DAYS with Violin by Ear, something other musicians struggle for YEARS for and still not everyone gets there. You will. During the first month. How much money would you pay to obtain such a skill? Consider this your lucky day, because you are on your way for real musicianship whether it is your hobby or you want to pursue career in music, this app sets you up for the best results. If you prefer to play looking at the notes, this app provides a new musical way of thinking about playing the instrument and will greatly enhance your ability to see music, hear the written music in your mind, understand music more easily and even remember music much more easily.

About

Musa

This game makes learning musical notes engaging for children aged 7-12. It features a story-driven adventure with mini-games, a virtual piano, and collectible characters, all designed to prepare young musicians for exams and practice between lessons.

Highlights
  • Treble and bass clef learning
  • 30 levels with story
  • Name the Note quiz
  • Virtual piano
  • Falling Notes speed challenge
  • Collectible characters
  • Boss exams
Features
Read full description

Musa came home from her piano lesson upset - she had forgotten all the notes on the treble clef. And the music school exam was coming soon. That's how "Musa" - a music notes learning game - was born. To make learning notes fun, not boring textbook drilling. WHAT'S INSIDE - Treble and bass clef - 30 levels across two islands - 3 mini-games: - "Name the Note" - staff quiz - Virtual Piano - play melodies on the keyboard - "Falling Notes" - speed arcade challenge - Boss exams: drag-and-drop notes onto the staff - 14 collectible Notiki characters: Do-bunny, Re-fox, Mi-cat, Fa-owl, Sol-dolphin, La-butterfly, Si-firefly - Storyline: Musa saves Notlandia from the villain Cacophony WHO IT'S FOR - Kids ages 7-12 - Beginning piano, violin, or guitar students - Music school students (grades 1-3) - Practice between music lessons - Solfege exam preparation KIDS SAFETY - Completely free - No ads - No in-app purchases - No data collection - No internet required after download - COPPA compliant VISUAL STYLE Vintage music book aesthetic - parchment pages, hand-drawn illustrations, warm sepia tones. No flashy cartoon visuals. LANGUAGES English and Russian. Full localization of interface and learning content. TECHNICAL - Works offline after initial download - iPhone and iPad support - Haptic feedback - High-quality audio (real-time note synthesis) Made by a father for his daughter and her classmates at music school. Development driven by feedback from parents and music teachers. Channel: t.me/musa_notlandia Web version: musa.mddt.tech

Screenshots

Violin by Ear3 screens
Musa4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Musa at Free against Violin by Ear's $12.99. Musa also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). Violin by Ear's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Musa is free to download; Violin by Ear costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Violin by Ear ships an update every 4 months, Musa every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Violin by Ear versus Musa: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViolin by EarMusa
Price$12.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size174 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOleg SokolovAleksandr Volkov

In-app purchases

None

Violin by Ear

No in-app purchases

None

Musa

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Violin by Ear free?
Violin by Ear costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Musa free?
Musa is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Violin by Ear or Musa have ads?
Neither Violin by Ear nor Musa shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Violin by Ear or Musa?
Violin by Ear ships an update every 4 months, and Musa every 2 months. Most recently, Violin by Ear was updated on October 30, 2026 and Musa on October 28, 2026.

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