Tunepal HD vs NotationPlayer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tunepal HD
Identify traditional Irish, Scots, Welsh, and Breton music tunes by playing them. This iPad-optimized app searches a vast database of over 22,000 melodies, making it an essential tool for musicians.
- Identify traditional music tunes by playing
- Database of over 22,000 tunes
- Optimized for iPad
- Supports Irish, Scots, Welsh, and Breton music
- Search by playing melody
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Tunepal, the world's leading search engine for traditional music is now available in an iPad optimised version! In the top 500 apps of all times by the Sunday Times In the top twenty cultural apps for iPhone by the Sunday Times Winner of the best overall invention 2010 in the Dublin Institute of Technology. Tunepal was in the top 25 grossing apps on the app store (17-18 July 2010). The essential tool for all musicians playing traditional Irish, Scots, Welsh and Breton music! Ever sat in a trad session and wondered what was the name of that great tune someone just played? Well now you can search a database of over 22,000 tunes from your iPad BY PLAYING!
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: Tunepal HD at none against NotationPlayer's 2. Tunepal HD also leads on iOS requirement (10.3 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. Tunepal HD asks for nothing beyond the download.
Tunepal HD ships an update every 2 months, NotationPlayer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 17, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tunepal HD | NotationPlayer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.7 (9 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 9 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 10.3 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 53 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Bryan Duggan | ChorusLogic Ltd. |
In-app purchases
Tunepal HD
No in-app purchases
NotationPlayer
- NotationPlayer Monthly$0.991 Month
- Full Access$6.99





