# Drillbook Next vs Beam Music

The clearest difference is price: Beam Music at Free against Drillbook Next's $9.99. Beam Music also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.4) and ratings volume (306 vs 19). Drillbook Next's advantage is review sentiment (69% vs 36%) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 16.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Beam Music is free to download; Drillbook Next costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Beam Music holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beam Music has 306 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of Drillbook Next's written reviews are positive against 36% of Beam Music's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Drillbook Next ships an update every 2 weeks, Beam Music every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drillbook Next | Beam Music |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.4 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drillbook-next-director-version/id547116306/reviews) | **[4.4 (306 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-music/id1572856909/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 19 | **306** |
| Positive reviews | **69.2% of reviews** | 36.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 9 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | **6.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Scott Rundell](https://appshunter.io/developer/324469546) | [Ultimate Drill Book](https://appshunter.io/developer/1455826723) |

## What reviewers say

### Drillbook Next

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drillbook-next-director-version/id547116306)

This app provides marching band and drum corps directors with a digital tool to visualize and manage marching show drills. It allows for the creation and import of coordinate sheets, enabling step-by-step playback and individual marcher tracking for enhanced rehearsal efficiency.

**Highlights:** Visualize marching show drills, Import coordinate sheets, Step-by-step show playback, Individual marcher tracking, Customizable set colors, Printable set cards

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Beam Music

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-music/id1572856909)

Easily import, organize, and annotate music files for ensembles. Share access and collaborate with section leaders. Live Mode synchronizes music across all devices instantly without internet.

**Highlights:** Import PDFs from cloud storage and local files, Edit and crop music pages, Annotate with pencil, highlighter, and text tools, Collaborative notes for section leaders, Real-time music synchronization via Live Mode, Organize music into collections and set lists, Backup music library

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 📱 Centralized music library in one app
- 🎵 Convenient for marching band use
- ✍️ Annotation and note-taking features
- 📋 Setlist functionality for quick song switching
- 🔄 Live mode for synchronized performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing
- ⏱️ Severe lag and unresponsiveness
- 🔋 Excessive battery drain (40-90% per hour)
- 🌡️ Phone overheating during use
- 📝 Annotations randomly disappear or delete

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes constantly, especially when needed
- Lag makes page turning and note-taking difficult
- Annotations disappear after using live mode
- Zoom level resets when orientation changes
- Portrait mode activates unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Horizontal page lock (like FlipFolder)
- Ability to save zoom level with vertical scrolling
- Live session annotation capability
- Auto-select correct part for user
- Mass select parts instead of individual selection


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drillbook Next free?

Drillbook Next costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Beam Music free?

Beam Music is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Drillbook Next or Beam Music?

Beam Music is rated higher. Drillbook Next averages 3.4 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Beam Music averages 4.4 from 306 ratings.

### Do Drillbook Next or Beam Music have ads?

Neither Drillbook Next nor Beam Music shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drillbook Next or Beam Music?

Drillbook Next ships an update every 2 weeks, and Beam Music every 3 weeks. Most recently, Drillbook Next was updated on October 23, 2026 and Beam Music on October 29, 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.*