Bloom vs AUM
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bloom
Create unique melodies and elaborate patterns by simply tapping the screen. This generative music player offers an infinite selection of compositions and accompanying visualizations, even when left idle. It's a musical instrument, composition, and artwork all in one.
- Create melodies by tapping
- Generative music player
- Visualizations
- 12 mood settings
- Adjustable delay
- Shake to clear
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Developed by ambient pioneer Brian Eno and musician / software designer Peter Chilvers, Bloom explores uncharted territory in the realm of applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. Part instrument, part composition and part artwork, Bloom's innovative controls allow anyone to create elaborate patterns and unique melodies by simply tapping the screen. A generative music player takes over when Bloom is left idle, creating an infinite selection of compositions and their accompanying visualisations. "Bloom is an endless music machine, a music box for the 21st century. You can play it, and you can watch it play itself." - Brian Eno Features - 12 different mood settings - Random mood shuffle - Adjustable delay - Shake to clear - Evolve when idle - Sleep Timer Recommended for headphones or external speakers. “Bloom Raises the Bar for Musical iPhone Apps… if you're a fan of ambient music or music in general, you'll be wanting to get it right now” - Gizmodo “A relaxing alternative to just about anything else you can do with an iPhone” Wired “Hypnotic and ludicrously addictive” - Guardian
AUM
This app is a versatile audio mixer, recorder, and connection hub for mobile devices. It allows users to connect various audio sources, route signals, apply effects, and record mixes with high fidelity. It supports advanced features like MIDI control, synchronization, and integration with other audio apps and hardware.
- Connect hardware inputs/outputs
- Route audio and MIDI
- Host Audio Unit extensions
- Record mixes and individual tracks
- Synchronize with Ableton Link
- Built-in processing nodes
- MIDI control and routing
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AUM is the flexible audio mixer, recorder, and connection hub for your iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Connect hardware inputs and outputs, Audio Unit extensions, Inter-App Audio apps, Audiobus, soundfile players, built-in signal processing and filters, in any configuration you want. Route anything to anywhere with mix-busses, effect sends, audiobus ports, and external multi-channel audio interfaces. Play hosted synths and instruments using the built-in keyboard or external MIDI controllers, or sequence them with AU MIDI plugins or from other apps using Virtual MIDI. Record mixes, individual tracks, or both, straight into the storage space of AudioShare (no copying of files needed), with synchronized start and end for perfect loops. Play back recordings, soundfiles and loops as channel sources in the mixer for backing tracks, further processing or mixing. Soundfiles can be opened from anywhere, including USB drives on iOS 13 and later. Route and filter MIDI in any way you like using the MIDI matrix. Combine and filter MIDI endpoints using MIDI buses. Synchronize everything with the transport clock and play in time with other apps or devices using Ableton Link. Connect external music machines and synchronize them with MIDI Clock. Includes built-in processing nodes for various stereo processing, Mid/Side balance and conversion, EQs and filters, limiting, clipping and saturation. Or use any 3rd party Audio Unit extension or Inter-App Audio effect. All controls in the mixer can be controlled via MIDI, including parameters of hosted and built-in plugins. "A brilliant idea that has been brilliantly executed. Top-notch technical stuff and highly recommended" - MusicAppBlog "Feature rich, powerful, intuitive, and simple to use" - DubSpot "Executes live mixing with surprising ease, with a load of extensive features under the hood, quick snappy response on the screen and audio" - AudioNewsRoom FEATURES • High quality audio up to 32-bit 192kHz • Clean and intuitive user interface with crisp vector graphics • Unlimited number of channels • Unlimited number of effect slots • Inserts and sends are configurable pre/post-fader • Internal busses for mixing, effect sends, signal splitting • Supports multi-channel audio interfaces for both inputs and outputs • Supports built-in speaker and mic, including stereo mic on devices that has it. • Supports Audio Unit extensions, Inter-App Audio and Audiobus • Route MIDI output from Audio Unit extensions • Supports Audio Unit multiple output and input busses (for side-chaining etc) • Highly accurate transport clock • Metronome with selectable output and optional pre-roll • Sends host sync to Audio Unit plugins and IAA apps • Play in time with Ableton Link, with Start/Stop support • Slave external hardware via MIDI Clock • FilePlayer with sync and looping with access to all your soundfiles • Records straight into AudioShare storage space • Record synchronized beat-perfect loops • Built-in nodes for stereo processing, filtering and dynamics • Latency compensation makes everything align at the outputs • Optional manual compensation using TimeOffset • Multiple Inter-App Audio / Audiobus output ports • Audiobus state saving • Built-in MIDI keyboard • Fully MIDI controllable • MIDI Matrix for routing MIDI anywhere • MIDI filtering for any MIDI destination • Combine MIDI sources or destinations using MIDI buses BUILT-IN SIGNAL PROCESSING • Stereo balance • Stereo to mono • Stereo panning • Mid/Side balance • Mid/Side - Stereo convert • Invert Phase • Parametric EQ • Low-shelf filter • High-shelf filter • Low-pass resonant filter • High-pass resonant filter • LP/HP combo filter • First order All-pass filter • Second order All-pass filter • Gain • Hard clip • Saturation • Lookahead peak limiter • System-provided Apple Audio Units
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Bloom at $3.99 against AUM's $24.99. Bloom also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4). AUM's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (534 vs 99). On rating, review sentiment, ads and chart position 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
Bloom costs $3.99 and AUM $24.99 up front. AUM sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Bloom asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Bloom against 4.7 for AUM. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AUM has 534 ratings behind it against 99, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Bloom's written reviews are positive against 82% of AUM's.
Bloom ships an update every 11 months, AUM every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.
| Parameter | Bloom | AUM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $24.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (99 ratings) — better | 4.7 (534 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 84.5% of reviews — better | 81.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 99 | 534 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Best chart rank | #110 — better | #171 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 13 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Opal Limited | Kymatica AB |
Customer experience
Bloom
AUM
User reviews
Bloom
From 99 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🌟 Fantastic
- 🎨 Beautiful
- 🧘♀️ Relaxing
- 👨🎨 Creative
- 🎶 Mesmerizing
Room to improve
- 🔇 High frequencies prevent relaxation
- 🔇 Harsh/imbalanced sounds
- 🔇 Limited sound variety
- 🔇 Lack of recording/export function
- 🔇 Crashes on iOS 8/11
AUM
From 534 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Excellent audio routing and mixing capabilities
- 🚀 Powerful and flexible workflow
- 💡 Seamless integration with AUv3 and IAA apps
- 👍 Intuitive and clean user interface
- 👍 Reliable and stable performance
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or stability issues
- 💡 Lack of MIDI clock sync receive functionality
- 💡 Limited visual customization options (e.g. channel sizes)
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with some hardware interfaces
Bugs and requests
Bloom
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes on iOS 8/11 updates
- Stops working in background
- High notes cause issues for some users
Requested features
7 requests- Add more sound options/instruments
- Implement recording and export capabilities
- Add sleep timer and background playback
- Improve low-end sound quality
- Introduce MIDI support
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- Expand sound manipulation options (pitch bending, sustain, etc.)
- Add visual customization (blurred edges, etc.)
AUM
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes or freezes when using certain plugin combinations
- Compatibility issues with iOS 15 and newer
- Inconsistent MIDI transport controls
Requested features
4 requests- Add MIDI clock sync receive capability
- Implement a timeline/sequencer view
- Provide more visual customization options
- Improve support for external hardware integration
In-app purchases
Bloom
No in-app purchases
AUM
- Small Tip$0.99
- Medium Tip$1.99
- Large Tip$4.99
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- Huge Tip$9.99









