AstroLab Connect vs SoftWork Beats
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AstroLab Connect
This music companion app allows remote control of hardware, playlist management, and sound browsing. Discover and preview new sounds from a dedicated store to enhance your performance workflow.
- Remote hardware control
- Playlist building and editing
- Sound browsing and discovery
- Sound preview before purchase
- Expand sound library
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AstroLab Connect is a companion mobile app for AstroLab that brings the convenience of modern technology to your performance workflow. Control sounds and settings remotely, manage your playlists and find new inspiration in the Sound Store. Prepare a playlist right before a gig, search and select sounds with the ease and fluidity of a mobile interface and expand your library. • Control AstroLab remotely • Browse sounds by type, instrument, artist and style • Build and edit playlists • View saved sounds • Get more sounds from the Sound Store • Preview sounds before you buy them
SoftWork Beats
Stream original, ad-free instrumental music licensed for public performance in businesses. Customize your audio experience with genre selection, curated trivia, and automated scheduling. Supports multiple devices and languages.
- Original, ad-free instrumental music
- Licensed for public performance
- Curated trivia and custom notes display
- Automated start and stop times
- Siri and Shortcuts integration
- Multi-device and multi-room support
- Multiple language options
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Pick a vibe, fill the room, and put your own words on the screen. SoftWork Beats is original, ad-free instrumental music for the places you work — and it's licensed so you can play it in public. Twelve genres, one tap: • Lo-Fi Jazz • Chill Electronic • Deep Focus • Energetic Focus • Classical Focus • Acoustic Mornings • Cinematic • Island Time • Retro Drive • Game Mode • Lullabies • Pop WHAT IT DOES • Put your words on the screen — curated trivia for your type of business, plus your own notes between tracks: hours, specials, Wi-Fi, whatever the room should know • Opens and closes with you — set a start and stop time and the music keeps your hours on its own • Hands free — "Hey Siri, play Deep Focus on SoftWork Beats." Every control is a Siri phrase and a Shortcuts action • One room or twenty — add a seat per room and each plays on its own • Original music, no ads — every track is ours, instrumental, with no vocals to talk over and new albums every week • On every screen you own — iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV and Apple Watch, plus the web player and CarPlay • Speaks your team's language — the whole app in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Romanian, Japanese, Hindi and Chinese LICENSED FOR PUBLIC PERFORMANCE This is the part most music apps can't offer. Consumer streaming services are licensed for personal listening only — playing them in your business isn't covered. SoftWork Beats is different: your subscription includes a public performance license for your place of business. That means you can play it out loud, in public, wherever you work — reception, waiting rooms, lobbies, treatment rooms, salons, cafés, gyms and studios. No PRO fees. No per-song royalties. No paperwork to file. Hear a track you love? Tap "Listen on Apple Music" to find it. Great for: offices and coworking spaces, dental and medical waiting rooms, therapy and chiropractic clinics, salons and spas, cafés, gyms — and focus sessions at home. Start listening free. Sign in to sync your subscription across devices and remove promo tracks for uninterrupted play. Manage your subscription at softworkbeats.com.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SoftWork Beats at 100% against AstroLab Connect's 9%. SoftWork Beats also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.4) and update cadence (every 11 days vs every 5 months). AstroLab Connect's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ratings volume (17 vs 1). On price and ads 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
Both are free to download. SoftWork Beats sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. AstroLab Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.
SoftWork Beats holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AstroLab Connect has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 9% of AstroLab Connect's written reviews are positive against 100% of SoftWork Beats's.
AstroLab Connect ships an update every 5 months, SoftWork Beats every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AstroLab Connect | SoftWork Beats |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.4 (17 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 8.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 17 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Arturia | Dawson Toth |
Customer experience
AstroLab Connect
SoftWork Beats
In-app purchases
AstroLab Connect
No in-app purchases
SoftWork Beats
- 1 Seat$9.991 Month
- 2 Seats$19.991 Month
- 3 Seats$29.991 Month
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- 4 Seats$39.991 Month
- 5 Seats$49.991 Month
Questions
Is AstroLab Connect free?
Is SoftWork Beats free?
Which has better reviews, AstroLab Connect or SoftWork Beats?
Do AstroLab Connect or SoftWork Beats have ads?
Which is updated more often, AstroLab Connect or SoftWork Beats?
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