# The Strad vs STAGE+ Classical Music Live

The clearest difference is update cadence: STAGE+ Classical Music Live at monthly against The Strad's every 7 months. STAGE+ Classical Music Live also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (311 vs 37). The Strad's advantage is review sentiment (52% vs 43%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Strad sells 24 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 3 months and STAGE+ Classical Music Live sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

STAGE+ Classical Music Live holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: STAGE+ Classical Music Live has 311 ratings behind it against 37, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 52% of The Strad's written reviews are positive against 43% of STAGE+ Classical Music Live's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

The Strad ships an update every 7 months, STAGE+ Classical Music Live monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Strad | STAGE+ Classical Music Live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (37 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-strad/id511856633/reviews) | **[4.6 (311 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stage-plus-classical-music-live/id1556819721/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 37 | **311** |
| Positive reviews | **52.0% of reviews** | 42.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Newsquest Specialist Media Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/511856637) | [Deutsche Grammophon – DG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1556819723) |

## What reviewers say

### The Strad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-strad/id511856633)

Access the world's leading string music magazine, featuring interviews, in-depth articles on instruments, and masterclass sheet music. Explore the latest news, commentary, and analysis for makers, musicians, and teachers.

**Highlights:** Interviews with star string players, In-depth articles on instruments, Masterclass sheet music section, News, comment, and analysis, Exclusive videos and audio clips, Interactive links

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (24)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Strad | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| The Strad | $59.99 | per year |
| June 2012 (id:736861) | $4.99 | one-time |
| September 2012 (id:736003) | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 2013 and De... (id:738002) | $4.99 | one-time |
| February 2014 (id:738506) | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2013 (id:736381) | $4.99 | one-time |
| November 2013 (id:735750) | $4.99 | one-time |
| March 2016 (id:738737) | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 2020 And De... (id:771419) | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2017 (id:757689) | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2024 (pp:1024896) | $4.99 | one-time |
| January 2019 an... (id:762634) | $4.99 | one-time |
| April 2016 (id:745918) | $4.99 | one-time |
| July 2017 (id:757679) | $4.99 | one-time |
| November 2017 (id:757687) | $4.99 | one-time |
| February 2019 (id:766008) | $4.99 | one-time |
| September 2020 (id:771411) | $4.99 | one-time |
| October 2018 (id:762640) | $4.99 | one-time |
| July 2024 (pp:1024926) | $4.99 | one-time |
| January 2025 a... (pp:1110854) | $5.99 | one-time |
| The Strad Magazine 2 back issue bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Great Instruments (id:810171) | $14.99 | one-time |
| The Strad | $179.99 | one-time |


### STAGE+ Classical Music Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stage-plus-classical-music-live/id1556819721)

Stream live 4K classical concerts, opera, and jazz performances. Access a vast library of audio albums and video releases, with new content added weekly. Enjoy offline playback and high-fidelity audio formats on all your devices.

**Highlights:** Live 4K concert streams, Extensive library of classical concerts and operas, Thousands of curated audio albums, Weekly new video and audio releases, Streaming in 4K, Dolby Atmos, and Lossless, Offline playback and viewing, CarPlay and SharePlay integration

**Features:** Siri integration, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $14.99 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $149.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Wealth of choices
- 🚀 Delightful discovery
- 👍 DG Qualidade de Programação e Som
- 👍 Bravo!
- 👍 My return to Stage plus

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Para cuando en español
- 🐛 Garbage App
- 🔊 MUY MALA CALIDAD DEL SONIDO
- 🔍 No Subtitles
- 🐛 ダウンロードが消える

**Reported bugs**

- Downloading content disappears
- Downloaded content disappears
- Audio stutters in videos
- App crashes on launch
- App doesn't work on Apple TV

**Requested features**

- Add Korean language support
- Add calendar integration for concerts
- Add subtitles for operas
- Add more offline listening options
- Add Chromecast support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Strad free?

The Strad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is STAGE+ Classical Music Live free?

STAGE+ Classical Music Live is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, The Strad or STAGE+ Classical Music Live?

STAGE+ Classical Music Live is rated higher. The Strad averages 4.3 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while STAGE+ Classical Music Live averages 4.6 from 311 ratings.

### Do The Strad or STAGE+ Classical Music Live have ads?

Neither The Strad nor STAGE+ Classical Music Live shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Strad or STAGE+ Classical Music Live?

The Strad ships an update every 7 months, and STAGE+ Classical Music Live monthly. Most recently, The Strad was updated on September 26, 2026 and STAGE+ Classical Music Live on September 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*