Symphony Pro vs Crescendo Music
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Symphony Pro
Compose music notation on your iPad with intuitive handwriting recognition or traditional input methods. Create scores for various ensembles, import and export in multiple formats, and utilize a wide range of notational elements. Enjoy built-in instruments for playback and auditioning.
- Handwriting recognition for Apple Pencil and touch
- Compose for various ensembles
- Import/export MusicXML, MIDI, and more
- On-screen instrument input
- Real-time recording and transcription
- Wide range of notational elements
- Print via AirPrint
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Symphony Pro 6 is a complete and intuitive app for writing music notation on iPad. It allows you to compose music for just about any size ensemble, from piano, symphonies, band, lead sheets, chord charts, guitar tabs, and more. Starting Version 5, Symphony Pro now offers handwriting recognition as the only in-app purchase: Perfect with Apple Pencil, and works great with touch or capacitive stylus GETTING STARTED SP provides all of the key options to begin your work. Import a score via MusicXML, MXL, MIDI, or SP file from your computer, or from apps like Dropbox, Mail, iCloud Drive, or Safari. You can base your project on a template, or start a blank score and add additional parts later. EDITING To add notes, choose Pencil mode, and tap anywhere on a bar to begin editing right away. You can quickly specify note properties before or after placing notes. By switching to Select mode with one touch, you can also transpose, erase, cut, and paste multiple notes/tracks. With an on-screen instrument, a QWERTY keyboard, or Core MIDI compatible keyboard, you can quickly enter notes & chords in step entry mode. Record a part in real-time with on-screen instruments to transcribe into notation. Versions 4 & 5 take greater advantage of the iPad touchscreen. With shortcuts and contextual menus to edit note & bar properties, many of the commonly used editing commands are right at your fingertips. SP supports a wide range of notational elements for your composition. Including dynamics & articulations, time & key signature changes, clef changes, pedals, and repeat conventions. Edit chord symbols, lyrics, and annotations using the iPad’s standard keyboard. EXPORT & SHARE When you’re finished, print out your score with AirPrint, or export it as a PDF, MusicXML, AAC, MIDI, or Symphony file. Share files via email or directly to another computer or iPad via Dropbox/iCloud Drive. KEY FEATURES • Introducing Handwriting Recognition for Apple Pencil & touch • Starting Version 5, Handwriting is the only In-App Purchase to enable the complete app • Now download SP on your iPhone • 24+ professionally recorded and sound-designed acoustic instruments, free out of the box Earlier features offered free, to existing & new owners • 114 built-in instruments for playback, and auditioning the notes you entered • Create in standard music notation or tablature • Edit with an on-screen piano, QWERTY keyboard, or a MIDI input device • Dozens of shortcuts & gestures to edit & navigate • Reduce your score size, range, or combination of parts for viewing & editing* • Print directly to AirPrint • Up to 48 instruments, 100 staves, 4 voices/layers per score • Record a part in real-time with clicks at the beat with optional emphasis • Backup & sync your scores with iCloud* • Import MusicXML, MIDI, MXL, or Symphony files • Export as a PDF, MusicXML, MIDI, AAC, or Symphony file • Large selection of articulations & dynamics • Multi-measure rests, including automatic rests • Grace notes • Customizable noteheads & note colors • Chord symbol, lyric, and annotation tools • Edit the properties of multiple notes and rests simultaneously by multi-note select • Copy/Paste function supports partial & multi-bar/staff select • Unlimited undo/redo • Customizable stem directions & note beaming • Transposing & concert pitch score option • Change tempo or clef anywhere in score or bar • Stream audio or share your screen wirelessly with AirPlay • Advanced document management • Create your own custom project template or use a built-in one • Customizable part groupings for SATB and instrument families • Customizable chord symbol, lyric, and annotation font • Loop playback feature • Auto-save support * Previously paid, but now free upgrade in Version 5 For More information, please visit: • http://www.symphonypro.net • http://forums.symphonypro.net • Facebook page at www.facebook.com/symphonyapp • Learn about the iPhone-only app: bit.ly/symphonyiphone
Crescendo Music
Compose and arrange music with a free-form sheet music layout. Easily add notes, change musical elements like key and time signatures, and export your compositions in various formats. Supports VSTi instruments for playback.
- Free-form sheet music layout
- Adjust clef, time, and key signatures
- Add various note durations and rests
- Edit notes with accidentals, slurs, and more
- Write guitar tabs and lyrics
- Supports VSTi instruments for MIDI playback
- Print or save to MIDI, PDF
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Crescendo Music Notation is the perfect software to start composing your music today. Using a free form sheet music layout, you can write your song, score, or composition your way. Create your arrangements with a variety of notation tools, where you can change the Dynamics, Clef, Key Signature, Time Signature, and more. Notes are easy to add and can quickly be transposed by key or by interval. Once finished, you can easily print your sheet music or save your score to MIDI, PDF, and more. Music Writing Features include: • Change the cleft, time signature, and key signature on your sheet music • Add whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, and thirty-second notes and rests (semibreve to demisemiquaver) • Edit your notes with sharps, flats, accidentals, slurs and more • Write your own guitar tabs • Use text to specify tempo or dynamics, write lyrics, and create a title • Supports VSTi instruments for MIDI playback • Write percussion notation
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Crescendo Music at Free against Symphony Pro's $14.99. Crescendo Music also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.5). Symphony Pro's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 29%) and ratings volume (474 vs 15). On rating, update cadence, 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
Crescendo Music is free to download; Symphony Pro costs $14.99 up front. Symphony Pro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Crescendo Music sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.8 for Symphony Pro against 3.7 for Crescendo Music. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Symphony Pro has 474 ratings behind it against 15, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of Symphony Pro's written reviews are positive against 29% of Crescendo Music's.
Symphony Pro ships an update every 4 weeks, Crescendo Music every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Symphony Pro | Crescendo Music |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (474 ratings) — better | 3.7 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.9% of reviews — better | 28.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 474 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.5 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 365 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Xenon Labs, LLC | NCH Software |
Customer experience
Symphony Pro
Crescendo Music
Bugs and requests
Symphony Pro
Reported bugs
5 issues- Project menu disappears unexpectedly
- Ties and tuplets not working correctly
- Inconsistent behavior when zooming and panning
- Instruments not transposing properly
- Frequent crashes when editing complex scores
Requested features
5 requests- Add guitar metronome
- Improve text and lyrics handling
- Allow more customization of page layout
- Implement better transposition and chord features
- Provide more orchestral percussion instruments
Crescendo Music
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Symphony Pro
- Version 4: Complete Features BundleFree
- Handwriting Recognition Tool$9.99
Crescendo Music
- Access All Features (Monthly)$2.991 Month
- Access Transpose Feature$2.99
- All Current Features$9.99
Questions
Is Symphony Pro free?
Is Crescendo Music free?
Which has better reviews, Symphony Pro or Crescendo Music?
Do Symphony Pro or Crescendo Music have ads?
Which is updated more often, Symphony Pro or Crescendo Music?
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