Pixound vs TAIL Sampler
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pixound
Transform any image into a musical instrument and create unique songs. Explore a deep musical experience with extensive controls, over 127 instruments, and various scales. It's a fun and educational tool for all ages, allowing you to play live video and record your performances.
- Turn any picture into music
- Play live video as an instrument
- Record performances with touch playback
- Over 65 scales and modes
- 127+ instruments for four voices
- Save and share creations
- MIDI export
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"Pixound Turns Photos into Musical Instruments, and It’s Better Than You Think" — Gizmodo "Pixound is a trippy music app for iOS that allows users to turn any snap into a song." — MTV Hive Enjoyed by top musical artists including: Herbie Hancock, David Byrne (Talking Heads), Mark Mothersbaugh (DEVO), Michael Shrieve (Santana) and many more. Have you ever jammed on Saturn's Rings with a whammy bar? Have you ever played the rainbow? What about you're dog's nose? What does it sound like? How about creating your own music just by dancing? With Pixound you can do all this and much more! Pixound is a revolutionary form of musical entertainment! Pixound provides a deep musical experience that lets YOU instantly create music using any picture. It's pure fun to play (at any age) and deep because it can be used to play music like you've never heard before. It's so much fun that artist Peter Max bought an iPhone just to have Pixound! Since there is no limit to what pictures you can play from art and graphics to photos and they can be combined with thousands of different musical settings, there is no limit to the music you can create and enjoy. You owe it to yourself to try Pixound!!! By the way, you will learn a lot about music just playing with Pixound so it's also an educational tool, sometimes referred to as a Deep Toy. Features: • Play any picture from snaps to outer space to art masterpieces • Play Live Video (in-app purchase) so that reality becomes a musical instrument • Record audio or use effects processors via Audiobus 2.1 or Inter-app Audio • Record performances including where you touched in the photo that plays back for others to see. • Play in any key or scale (over 65 scales/modes) • Add Bass and Drums from lots of choices • Tons of musical controls to create a huge variety of great music • Select from many different autoplay styles including device tilt • Add harmony voices • Add Song Progressions from basic to classical and more • Select from over 127 instruments for four voices R, B, G and bass • Import samples using AudioShare™ • Save your own settings to Banks and share with others via community or email • Built-in Reverb • Save MIDI files and go direct out to MIDI synthesizers (in-app purchase) • Access and share your creations with the Pixound Community
TAIL Sampler
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TAIL Sampler turns your phone into a fast, hands-on sampler and beatmaking instrument. Record a sound, chop it, map it across pads and play it back instantly — no complicated setup, no lag. Built on a low-latency audio engine, TAIL Sampler is made for spontaneous ideas: capture a sample the moment inspiration hits and start playing straight away. WHY TAIL SAMPLER • Ultra-low latency — play in real time with a tight, responsive feel. • Record anything — sample your voice, an instrument, or any sound around you. • Play your way — trigger samples from the on-screen pads or an external MIDI controller. • Made for mobile — a clean, focused interface designed for one-handed, on-the-go creation. • Runs in the background — keep your sound playing while you switch apps. FOR EVERY KIND OF MAKER Whether you're sketching a beat on the train, capturing a field recording, or performing live, TAIL Sampler keeps the workflow simple so you can stay in the creative flow. • Beatmakers — build grooves from your own one-shots and loops. • Producers — capture raw ideas anywhere and refine them later. • Sound designers — record and reshape real-world audio. • Performers — trigger samples live with MIDI. GET STARTED IN SECONDS 1. Record or import a sound. 2. Assign it to a pad. 3. Play, layer and jam. TAIL Sampler is designed to get out of your way. Fewer menus, more music. Download TAIL Sampler and start turning sounds into songs today.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TAIL Sampler at none against Pixound's 2. TAIL Sampler also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly). Pixound's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $3.99). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Pixound costs $0.99 and TAIL Sampler $3.99 up front. Pixound sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. TAIL Sampler asks for nothing beyond the download.
Pixound ships an update monthly, TAIL Sampler every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pixound | TAIL Sampler |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 4.1 (8 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 72.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 — better | 16.3 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.1 GB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Techné Media | Solid Grid Systems GmbH |
In-app purchases
Pixound
- Pixound Live Video$1.99
- Pixound MIDI Features$2.99
TAIL Sampler
No in-app purchases









