Comparison

ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 vs MuseCool

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1

Develop your music listening skills with interactive challenges designed around ABRSM aural tests for Grades 1-5. Improve your sense of rhythm, musical memory, and ability to describe musical elements. Track your progress and practice sight-singing with this comprehensive tool.

Highlights
  • Interactive aural challenges
  • Pulse and metre exercises
  • Musical memory training
  • Sight-singing practice
  • Dynamics, articulation, tempo, tonality learning
  • Progress tracking
  • Interval trainer
Features
Read full description

The OFFICIAL ABRSM Aural Trainer contains interactive challenges to help develop your music aural skills (listening skills). Anyone can use it, but it is designed around ABRSM’s aural tests for Grades 1 to 5. The app can be used in any order, however often you like, on your own or with your teacher. Use ABRSM Aural Trainer to: • Improve your sense of pulse and metre (feeling the beat). • Exercise your musical memory (remember how music sounds and be able to repeat it or spot differences and mistakes). • Develop your confidence and accuracy at sight-singing (reading and singing the music you see). • Learn to describe dynamics, articulation, tempo and tonality. • Practise identifying the features in music that make-up its style and character. • Develop the skills to know when a piece of music was written. The app covers the following ABRSM aural test content: • Pulse and Metre • Echoes • Differences • Melodic Repetition • Sight-singing • Musical Features • Rhythmic Repetition • Metre Tackle each element in stages using the preparation exercises. All exercises are fully interactive. Each one gives you the opportunity to repeat the question, or to compare your response to the correct answer and hear the music again. The app also features supporting tools including an interval trainer, progress tracker and guides to the aural tests in ABRSM graded music exams. Many exercises are automatically marked by the application. Self-review and critical listening are also key to successful development of the musical ear, which is why the app provides tools for you to review and evaluate your performance against sample responses in all cases. Your progress is logged whenever you use the app, so you can always see at a glance the areas you might want to revisit.

About

MuseCool

Features
Read full description

Designed as a lessons, payments, and events manager, MuseCool helps make the musical journey of students, parents, and tutors more convenient. MuseCool includes The Muse, a subscription-based feature providing lesson-specific insights, progress tracking, and personalised practice support. The Muse Insights – Monthly Subscription Lesson summaries, music lesson analytics, progress tracking with charts, and personalised views. The Muse Insights & Games – Monthly Subscription Everything in The Muse Insights, plus tailored practice games and music learning exercises. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://musecool.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 14 screens
MuseCool4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MuseCool at Free against ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1's $7.99. MuseCool also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). On ads, in-app purchases, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

MuseCool is free to download; ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 costs $7.99 up front. ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and MuseCool sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 ships an update every 4 months, MuseCool weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 versus MuseCool: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1MuseCool
Price$7.99Free — better
Rating3.2 (13 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews23.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size408 MB134 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (Publishing) LimitedMuseCool

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1

One-time1
  • Bonus bundle$1.99
3 purchases

MuseCool

Subscriptions3
  • The Muse Insights Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Muse Insights Monthly14 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • The Muse Monthly14 Days trial$6.991 Month

Questions

Is ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 free?
ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is MuseCool free?
MuseCool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 or MuseCool have ads?
Neither ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 nor MuseCool shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 or MuseCool?
ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 ships an update every 4 months, and MuseCool weekly. Most recently, ABRSM Aural Trainer Grades 1 was updated on November 6, 2026 and MuseCool on November 4, 2026.

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