# PercussionTutor vs Mintzer Big Band Essentials

The clearest difference is rating: PercussionTutor at 4.9 against Mintzer Big Band Essentials's 4.4. PercussionTutor also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 9) and review sentiment (90% vs 58%). Mintzer Big Band Essentials's advantage is price ($7.99 vs $14.99). On ads, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

PercussionTutor costs $14.99 and Mintzer Big Band Essentials $7.99 up front. Mintzer Big Band Essentials sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. PercussionTutor asks for nothing beyond the download.

PercussionTutor holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PercussionTutor has 267 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of PercussionTutor's written reviews are positive against 58% of Mintzer Big Band Essentials's.

PercussionTutor ships an update every 5 months, Mintzer Big Band Essentials every 19 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PercussionTutor | Mintzer Big Band Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **$7.99** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (267 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/percussiontutor/id518086179/reviews)** | [4.4 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mintzer-big-band-essentials/id1061261675/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **267** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | **90.1% of reviews** | 58.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 19 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 440 MB | 700 MB |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FunkyDrumTutor](https://appshunter.io/developer/518086182) | [Fuzzy Music, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/534683214) |

## What reviewers say

### PercussionTutor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/percussiontutor/id518086179)

Explore a vast library of world percussion rhythms and instruments. Learn through standard notation, videos, and practice tools like time-stretching and a metronome. Ideal for musicians, dancers, and rhythm enthusiasts seeking authentic global drumming traditions.

**Highlights:** Extensive library of world rhythms, Individual drum track control, Audio time-stretching, Integrated metronome, Standard notation and descriptions, Instructional videos, Authentic instrument sounds

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Authentic recordings by real musicians, not MIDI sequences
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 🎓 Excellent educational resource with detailed sheet music and videos
- 🔊 High-quality sound and professional production
- 🎯 Ability to mute individual instruments for focused practice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Timing misalignment with metronome in some rhythms
- 🔊 Audio distortion when tempo is increased moderately
- 🎵 Pitch changes when adjusting tempo (no time-stretching)
- 📱 Crashes when using external USB audio interfaces
- 🔇 No individual volume control for instruments

**Reported bugs**

- Metronome timing is 2 clicks ahead of actual rhythm
- Audio distortion when moderately increasing tempo
- Crashes with external USB audio interfaces (RME Babyface, RME Babyface Pro, Motu 828es)
- No audio output with some USB interfaces despite no crash
- App crashes when opening other apps

**Requested features**

- More Colombian rhythms (Cumbia, Bullerengue, Vallenato, Porro, Currulao, Mapale)
- Brazilian genres expansion (Choro, Forró, and variations)
- Individual volume controls for each instrument
- Visual playhead/bar indicator moving through sheet music in real-time
- Count-in before rhythm starts


### Mintzer Big Band Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mintzer-big-band-essentials/id1061261675)

This music app offers an immersive big band experience, allowing users to isolate or mute individual instrument tracks from a library of 10 tunes. Charts and parts can be printed or emailed directly from the application.

**Highlights:** Isolate or mute individual instrument tracks, Play along with a big band, Library of 10 tunes, Print or email charts and parts, Supports multiple instruments

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| El Caborojeño | $2.99 | one-time |
| Havin' Some Fun Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Ellis Island Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Original People Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| New Rochelle Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Runferyerlife Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Latin Dance Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tribute Package | $2.99 | one-time |
| All Songs Bundle | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PercussionTutor free?

PercussionTutor costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mintzer Big Band Essentials free?

Mintzer Big Band Essentials costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PercussionTutor or Mintzer Big Band Essentials?

PercussionTutor is rated higher. PercussionTutor averages 4.9 out of 5 from 267 ratings, while Mintzer Big Band Essentials averages 4.4 from 20 ratings.

### Do PercussionTutor or Mintzer Big Band Essentials have ads?

Neither PercussionTutor nor Mintzer Big Band Essentials shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PercussionTutor or Mintzer Big Band Essentials?

PercussionTutor ships an update every 5 months, and Mintzer Big Band Essentials every 19 months. Most recently, PercussionTutor was updated on October 29, 2026 and Mintzer Big Band Essentials on October 26, 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.*