Tunebook vs NotationPlayer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tunebook
This app is a viewer for music written in the ABC format, a text-based notation popular for folk music. It allows users to import tunes from the web, organize them into collections, search by title, key, or time signature, and view them in musical notation. Users can also play the tunes with various voices.
- ABC music format viewer
- Import tunes from websites
- Search tunes by title, key, time signature
- Display musical notation
- Play tunes with various voices
- Organize tunes into tunebooks
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Tunebook is now identical to the Tunebook for iPad application - don't buy both! I keep both on the App Store because it's not possible to provide an upgrade path to a single app without forcing some users to pay twice. Tunebook is a viewer for music expressed in the ABC format. ABC is a simple text-based notation for music and many thousands of tunes are freely available in this format on the Web. ABC is also supported by many music applications. See http://abc.sourceforge.net/ for more details on the ABC format. The format is primarily geared towards traditional folk music where tunes fit on a single page. Tunebook allows you to import files in the ABC format from websites into its database. You can then list the tunes, search for tunes by words in the title, by key and by time signature. Selecting a tune will display it in musical notation and allow you to play it in a variety of voices. You can also create tunebooks to organize your tune collection. Tunebook is based on the well-known abc2ps and abc2midi applications, and licensed under the GPL. The source code is available from http://www.jhlabs.com/tunebook.
NotationPlayer
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NotationPlayer turns your sheet music into sound. Open any MusicXML or ABC file, choose from over 100 realistic instruments, and hear your music played back instantly — with full tempo control, transposition, and a built-in metronome. Built for trad and folk musicians, with full MusicXML support for classical, jazz, and any sheet music you read. PLAY YOUR MUSIC • Play MusicXML and ABC notation files with realistic instrument sounds • Adjust tempo from half speed to double speed without changing pitch • Transpose to any key with one tap • Built-in metronome with click, woodblock, and bodhrán sounds • Count-in option for a clean start • Auto-scroll follows the music as it plays FIND NEW TUNES • Search over 30,000 traditional tunes from The Session • Browse the ABC Notation archive and Henrik Norbeck's collection • Paste ABC or MusicXML notation directly into the app • 55 sample tunes included — Celtic, Classical, Bluegrass, and Jazz LEARN AND PRACTISE • Tap any note to set a cue point and play from there • Loop any section by selecting start and end notes — perfect for tricky passages • Show note names (C, D, E…) above or below every note — helpful for beginners and for unfamiliar clefs • Lyrics displayed and synced to playback • Swing control for jazz and traditional styles MULTI-TRACK MIXER • Assign different instruments to each voice or part 100+ instruments including fiddle, tin whistle, mandolin, piano, guitar, flute, and more • Volume, pan, mute, and solo controls per track • Guitar chord accompaniment from chord symbols ANNOTATE YOUR SCORES • Draw on your scores with pen and highlighter • Add text notes anywhere on the page • Multiple colours and tools • Your annotations are saved with each tune ORGANISE YOUR MUSIC • Build tune sets — group tunes into medleys that play seamlessly • Create playlists with sets and individual tunes • Ensemble mode — add backing instruments to your playlists • Speed control for playlist playback • Favourites and search across your library EXPORT AND SHARE • Export scores as PDF for printing or sharing with bandmates • Export audio as MP3 • Share with other musicians WORKS OFFLINE NotationPlayer works without an internet connection. Your tunes, instruments, and playlists are always available — perfect for rehearsals, sessions, and practice anywhere. Built for musicians who want their notation to do more than just sit on the page. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tunebook at none against NotationPlayer's 2. Tunebook also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). NotationPlayer's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). 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
Both are free to download. NotationPlayer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Tunebook asks for nothing beyond the download.
Tunebook ships an update every 2 months, NotationPlayer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tunebook | NotationPlayer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.0 (6 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 6 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | JH Labs | ChorusLogic Ltd. |
In-app purchases
Tunebook
No in-app purchases
NotationPlayer
- NotationPlayer Monthly$0.991 Month
- Full Access$6.99
Questions
Is Tunebook free?
Is NotationPlayer free?
Do Tunebook or NotationPlayer have ads?
Which is updated more often, Tunebook or NotationPlayer?
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