Samplr vs GM MIDI Player
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Samplr
This app offers a unique multitouch interface for exploring and manipulating audio samples. Create music through various play modes, record gestures for sequencing, and experiment with audio effects. It's designed for audio experimentation, composition, and live performance.
- 8 distinct play modes (Slicer, Looper, Granular, etc.)
- Gesture recorder for sequencing
- Audio input recording and resampling
- 6 sample slots with 16 voices each
- 5 per-sample effects (Distortion, Reverb, etc.)
- Import audio from cloud storage and other apps
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The app used by renowned musicians like Fred again.., Richard Devine, Apparat, Weval or Matmos live and in the studio. Samplr introduced a brand new way to make music, only possible on multitouch devices. Explore the samples melody and texture using the different play modes and create compositions with the gesture recorder. Samplr is the ideal tool for audio experimentation, music composition and live performance. USER REVIEWS “The most profound audio manipulation tool on iOS” 5 stars “There is NOTHING on the market hardware or software like this” 5 stars “Stunningly beautiful interface and exceptionally easy to use” 5 stars “This is the most musical app I've ever used. It's polished, it's musical, it's fun, it's inspiring” 5 stars “It’s the best realization of what touch screen sampling should be” 5 stars FEATURES • 8 play modes: Slicer, Looper, Granular, Tape, Scratch, Arpeggiator, Keyboard and Loop Player • Gesture recorder for sequencing • Audio input recording and resampling • 6 sample slots (x16 voices) • 5 effects per sample: Distortion, Filter, Amplitude Modulator, Feedback Delay and Reverb COMPATIBILITY • Ableton Link • MIDI Keyboard, Controller and Sync input • IAA (Inter-App Audio) • Audiobus Input and Output • WAV and AIFF file support • Import files from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, AudioShare, etc Learn more and see how it works on samplr.net. For feedback or support please reach out to support@samplr.net
GM MIDI Player
Play standard MIDI files on your iOS device with a built-in software synthesizer. Organize your music into playlists and share them seamlessly with other apps. Enjoy background playback and AirPlay support for a versatile listening experience.
- Plays standard MIDI files (.mid)
- Built-in software synthesizer
- Create and manage playlists
- Seamless iOS file manager integration
- Background Audio playback
- AirPlay support
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MIDI Still Lives! (Note: This is one of the first iOS apps we ever made and we still use it very often and want to share this pleasure with you. MIDI files remain fascinating and must never die!) GM MIDI Player is a free app for playing standard MIDI files (SMF) with the file extension *.mid, which integrates seamlessly into the iOS operating system (version 11 and higher). A software synthesizer in GM / GS standard is built-in. Play all the MIDI files from the Internet or the file system of your iOS device and create and manage your own collections and share these with other apps and people. - seamlessly integrated into the iOS file manager (files app) - iCloud and file sharing supported - "Open with" and "Send to" integrated - plays nearly all MIDI files in SMF format 0 and 1 - contains already hand-picked MIDI files in different styles - integrated software synthesizer with sequencer - 16-times mutitimbral, 128-part polyphonic - Over 300 'instruments' and various drum maps - GM / GS standards supported - Background Audio playback and Notification Center Support - AirPlay support of audio playback - supports connected remote controls for pause / resume - Help file and integrated connection to other Internet resources - Creation and management of own playlists possible Note: GM MIDI Player can NOT output MIDI signals via CoreMIDI or somehow interact with other audio apps (IAA). Also, to create and edit GM compatible files, please use an external MIDI sequencer or editor that is specialized for this. For questions and suggestions or problems, please contact support: support@digitster.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: GM MIDI Player at $9.99 against Samplr's $19.99. GM MIDI Player also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Samplr's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 52 months). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Samplr costs $19.99 and GM MIDI Player $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Samplr holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Samplr has 149 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Samplr's written reviews are positive against 78% of GM MIDI Player's.
Samplr ships an update every 3 months, GM MIDI Player every 52 months. The most recent releases landed on July 25, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Samplr | GM MIDI Player |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | $9.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (149 ratings) — better | 4.1 (19 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 79.5% of reviews — better | 77.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 149 — better | 19 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 52 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marcos Alonso | Jens Guell |
Customer experience
Samplr
GM MIDI Player
Bugs and requests
Samplr
Reported bugs
3 issues- Recording functionality not working as expected
- Dropbox integration causing crashes
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Implement Ableton Link for better sync
- Add support for more audio file formats
- Improve sample import/export workflow
- Introduce a more robust sequencing and automation system
- Provide multi-channel audio output
GM MIDI Player
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Samplr
No in-app purchases
GM MIDI Player
No in-app purchases








