Comparison

SessionBand Jazz 1 vs Open Studio Jazz

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SessionBand Jazz 1

Create professional-quality Jazz music using chord-based loops. This app offers a wide range of Jazz styles and features for songwriters and musicians of all levels. Generate royalty-free tracks quickly and easily.

Highlights
  • Chord-based loop creation
  • 15 diverse Jazz styles
  • Automated mixing
  • Auto-transpose
  • One-touch live recording
  • Real-time tempo shift
  • Audiobus compatibility
Read full description

Create professional quality Jazz tracks to your own chords in minutes with Volume 1 of the award-winning SessionBand Jazz app - the world’s only chord-based loop app. It's the ultimate Jazz play-along and the perfect tool for Jazz songwriters – wherever you are and whatever your level of ability. Jamie Cullum: "An extraordinarily useful tool for jazz musicians of any ability" James Tormé: “ Ridiculously useful. They seriously nailed it" With over 16,000 precision-cut, chord-based Jazz loops (included in the download) performed and produced for SessionBand by 4 of the world's leading jazz musicians, SessionBand Jazz instantly converts the chords you select into great-sounding Jazz audio - wherever you are and whatever your ability. Volume 1 comprises 15 diverse Jazz styles from Slow Swing, Medium Swing, Bossa Nova and Afro Jazz to Fast Latin, Up Swing and many more. And with a host of pro features like automated mixing, auto-transpose, one-touch live recording, real-time tempo shift and Audiobus compatibility, it has never been easier or quicker to create your own studio quality Jazz - even if you can't play a note! SessionBand Jazz Volume 1 is a professional app - essential for anyone learning Jazz and perfect for Jazz musicians looking for the ultimate play-along. But equally, it's simple and quick enough for non-musicians who love jazz to create their own great-sounding, royalty-free music and share it with the world. SessionBand Jazz Volume 1 has reached Top 5 in the paid music app charts in no fewer than 59 countries since launch. Watch the video at sessionbandapp.com The fastest way to create studio-quality Jazz... • Simply pick one of 15 Jazz styles • Choose your chords • Stretch or shorten loops in seconds • Build up your track in minutes • Instantly hear your track across other different Jazz styles and tempos • Auto-transpose your entire track (not electronic pitch shift!) • Mix your track (manual or automated) • Adjust track tempo (+/- 15%) • Record direct to audio • Copy straight to other music apps (if you want to) • Share with the world! SessionBand gets 4 of the world's top Jazz musicians playing on your tracks... Drums – Ralph Salmins (Wynton Marsalis, Burt Bacharach, Elton John, Madonna, Robbie Williams, Quincy Jones...) Saxes / Flutes – Andy Panayi (Peter Erskine, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Paul McCartney...) Bass - Geoff Gascoyne (Georgie Fame, Michel Legrand, Sting, Van Morrison...) Piano – Tom Cawley (Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Watts, Jane Monheit, Stacey Kent, Yaron Herman, Guy Barker, Peter Gabriel...) The ultimate mobile practice tool for Jazz students... • Practice with your very own world class Jazz quartet • Loop markers let you focus on specific sections • Mute/Solo instrument channels (manual and automated) • Transpose your whole track instantly But you don't have to be a musician to create seriously good Jazz tracks and release them royalty-free... • Simple, intuitive interface • Audition loops as you go • 'Track Builder' makes building a full track quick and easy • Intuitive mixing and record functions • Hugely educational Detailed Product Information • 15 diverse popular Jazz styles in tempo order: Ballad; 12/8; Slow Swing (2 feel); Slow Swing (4 feel); Medium Swing (2 feel); Medium Swing (4 feel); Bossa Nova; Shuffle; Medium 3 /4; Afro Jazz; Medium Up Swing (2 feel); Medium Up Swing (4 feel); Fast Latin; Up Swing (2 feel); Up Swing (4 feel) • Tempos from 60bpm to 220bpm • 10 chord variations for every root note in all 15 styles: maj7(9); maj7(#11); 7(13); 7(b9); 7(#5,#9); 7sus(13); m7(9); m7(b5); m(maj7); dim • The exclusive musical content in this app is not duplicated in any other SessionBand app • All loops are offered royalty-free and can be used freely in your own works

About

Open Studio Jazz

This platform offers guided jazz education for all skill levels, featuring weekly lessons on real jazz standards and pathways for practice. Learn from renowned jazz musicians and track your progress across devices.

Highlights
  • Weekly new jazz standard lessons
  • Guided practice pathways
  • Courses by legendary jazz musicians
  • Progress tracking across devices
  • Beginner to advanced levels
  • Full library of technique, theory, and improvisation courses
Read full description

Living a musical life is not a finish line, it is something you build into your days. Open Studio is the jazz education platform for players who want to play better and enjoy the process, wherever they are: beginner, intermediate, or advanced, on any instrument. A clear home for wherever you are in your playing Open Studio gives beginner, intermediate, and advanced players their own dedicated learning dashboard. Instead of guessing where to start or what comes next, you open the app and see your path laid out in front of you. New piano lessons every week, built around real jazz standards - Our instructors add new lessons every week, built around the songs jazz musicians actually play. You are learning through real repertoire from day one, not abstract exercises disconnected from the music you love. Guided practice, without the overwhelm - Jazz has a lot to learn: theory, technique, repertoire, improvisation. Open Studio's guided pathways solve the question every player asks: "What should I practice next?" Each lesson connects to the next, so your practice time has direction instead of guesswork. Learn from real jazz musicians - Our courses are taught by professional jazz musicians and educators, covering everything from foundational technique to advanced improvisation, including Ron Carter (bass), Emmet Cohen (piano), Peter Martin (piano), Adam Maness (piano), Aaron Parks (piano), Larry Goldings (piano), Fred Hersch (piano), Sean Jones (trumpet), Dianne Reeves (vocals) and more. Practice on your schedule, wherever you are - The Open Studio app puts your lessons, courses, and practice pathways in your pocket. Pick up a session on the train, before a gig, or during a quiet ten minutes at home. Your progress travels with you. Built for the long term - We do not believe in shortcuts or overnight mastery. Jazz is a lifelong pursuit, and Open Studio is built to support you at every stage of it, from your first chord voicings to your first solo you are proud of. Open Studio membership includes: - Weekly new lessons built around real jazz standards - Guided Practice Sessions and Skill Pathways for beginner, intermediate, and advanced players - A full library of courses across technique, theory, and improvisation - Specialized courses taught by legendary jazz musicians - Progress that stays with you across devices Whether you are picking up an instrument for the first time or you have been playing for decades, Open Studio is here to help you live a musical life, one practice session at a time. START YOUR FREE TRIAL Start your 14-day free trial today and get full access to piano, bass, guitar, drums and more. Try it risk free. If Open Studio isn't right for you, you're covered by our 90-day satisfaction guarantee. Download the app and start today. Terms of Use: https://www.openstudiojazz.com/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://www.openstudiojazz.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

SessionBand Jazz 14 screens
Open Studio Jazz4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Open Studio Jazz at Free against SessionBand Jazz 1's $8.99. Open Studio Jazz also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 70%) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 4 months). SessionBand Jazz 1's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (69 vs 9). On rating, ads and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Open Studio Jazz is free to download; SessionBand Jazz 1 costs $8.99 up front. Open Studio Jazz sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $39.00 per month. SessionBand Jazz 1 asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Open Studio Jazz holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SessionBand Jazz 1 has 69 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 70% of SessionBand Jazz 1's written reviews are positive against 100% of Open Studio Jazz's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SessionBand Jazz 1 ships an update every 4 months, Open Studio Jazz every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
SessionBand Jazz 1 versus Open Studio Jazz: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSessionBand Jazz 1Open Studio Jazz
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (69 ratings)4.6 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews69.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings69 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size860 MB51 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUK Music Apps LtdOpen Studio Network LLC

Customer experience

SessionBand Jazz 1

All ratings69 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral2.9%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews166 reviews
Positive69.9%
Neutral7.8%
Negative22.3%

Open Studio Jazz

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

SessionBand Jazz 1

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes frequently, especially in edit mode
  • Stuttering and jerky playback on iPhone
  • Audio lag after tempo changes
  • Screen freezes and becomes unresponsive
  • Cannot access fill style options on iPhone (below page)
Show 6 more
  • Chord data lost when switching styles
  • Compatibility issues with older iOS devices
  • Audiobus feature doesn't work
  • App stuck on single chord with no controls displayed
  • Erratic starting behavior and background mode issues
  • Performance degradation with many saved tracks

Requested features

15 requests
  • Add missing chord types (m7, m6, 7, m11, maj7+, aug, dom9, dom7#11, dom7b5, slash chords)
  • Play/stop button in edit screen
  • Custom time signatures (especially 5/4)
  • MIDI export functionality
  • Import/export between app versions
Show 10 more
  • Ability to loop sections for set number of times
  • Larger hit boxes for chord insertion
  • Guitar chord charts
  • More looper markings
  • Sustain button with stop functionality
  • Smoother tempo shifting
  • More tunes and song selections
  • Audiobus integration
  • GarageBand compatibility
  • Larger chord selection overall

Open Studio Jazz

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

SessionBand Jazz 1

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Open Studio Jazz

Subscriptions4
  • Open Studio (Monthly)14 Days trial$39.001 Month
  • Open Studio Pro (Monthly)$97.001 Month
  • Open Studio (Annual)14 Days trial$390.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Open Studio Pro (Annual)$559.991 Year

Questions

Is SessionBand Jazz 1 free?
SessionBand Jazz 1 costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Open Studio Jazz free?
Open Studio Jazz is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SessionBand Jazz 1 or Open Studio Jazz?
Open Studio Jazz is rated higher. SessionBand Jazz 1 averages 4.4 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while Open Studio Jazz averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.
Do SessionBand Jazz 1 or Open Studio Jazz have ads?
Neither SessionBand Jazz 1 nor Open Studio Jazz shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SessionBand Jazz 1 or Open Studio Jazz?
SessionBand Jazz 1 ships an update every 4 months, and Open Studio Jazz every 5 days. Most recently, SessionBand Jazz 1 was updated on November 6, 2026 and Open Studio Jazz on October 30, 2026.

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