Comparison

UpNext vs stem player

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

Head to head
About

UpNext

This app connects independent music artists and industry professionals. Discover collaborators, share your work, and promote your music through playlist placements and social ad campaigns. Grow your network and advance your music career.

Highlights
  • Network with artists and professionals
  • Discover collaborators via video
  • Run playlist placement campaigns
  • Launch social ad campaigns
  • Build a curated feed
  • Get feedback on music
Read full description

UpNext – The Independent Artist Network UpNext is the network for independent music artists and industry professionals to connect, collaborate, and build real momentum together. Built for the new generation of artists, producers and industry pros, UpNext helps you discover people in your lane, form genuine creative relationships, and unlock new opportunities. Whether you're looking to collaborate, get feedback, grow your network, or professionally promote your music, UpNext brings everything into one platform. Key Features: Network Follow artists, share posts, and build a curated feed around your sound and style. Studio Take collaboration further with group rooms to create tracks together. Marketing Get submitted to independent curators to professionally promote your music and reach new listeners. Built for Independent Artists From emerging creators to fast-growing artists, UpNext is designed to help you build real connections, grow consistently, and move your career forward on your terms. Ready to be UpNext? Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

stem player

This music app allows you to deconstruct any song into its core components like vocals, drums, bass, and melody. You can then remix these stems by simply typing your desired changes. Access is currently invite-only as the app is under development.

Highlights
  • Deconstruct songs into stems
  • Mix vocals, drums, bass, melody
  • Remix by typing desired changes
  • Invite-only access
  • Subscription-based
Read full description

stem player is coming soon. We're rebuilding the app, from the creators of the Stem Player. It turns any song into stems (vocals, drums, bass and melody) and lets you mix them by typing what you want to hear. Entry is invite-only while we finish the new release. Request an invite from the sign-in screen. stem player requires a paid subscription, with no contract, and you can cancel any time. Follow us for the launch date: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stemplayer TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stemplayer X: https://x.com/stemplayer Terms and Conditions: https://stem.fm/terms Privacy Policy: https://stem.fm/privacy

Screenshots

UpNext4 screens
stem player4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: UpNext at free against stem player's subscription. UpNext also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). stem player's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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

Both are free to download. UpNext sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $29.99 per month and stem player sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.9 for UpNext against 3.8 for stem player. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 34 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 68% of UpNext's written reviews are positive against 70% of stem player's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

UpNext ships an update every 3 weeks, stem player every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
UpNext versus stem player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUpNextstem player
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (41 ratings) — better3.8 (34 ratings)
Positive reviews67.9% of reviews69.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings41 — better34
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB160 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperPSounds LimitedStem US Inc.

Customer experience

UpNext

All ratings41 ratings
Positive65.9%
Neutral7.3%
Negative26.8%
Written reviews28 reviews
Positive67.9%
Neutral7.1%
Negative25.0%

stem player

All ratings34 ratings
Positive64.7%
Neutral5.9%
Negative29.4%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive69.7%
Neutral6.1%
Negative24.2%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

UpNext

Subscriptions1
  • UpNext Manager Monthly$29.991 Month
6 purchases

stem player

Subscriptions2
  • StemFM Monthly Premium7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • StemFM Yearly Premium7 Days trial$199.991 Year
One-time4
  • 1 Stem Set$0.99
  • 6 Stem Sets$4.99
  • 15 Stem Sets$9.99
Show 1 more
  • 40 Stem Sets$21.99

Questions

Is UpNext free?
UpNext is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is stem player free?
stem player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, UpNext or stem player?
UpNext is rated higher. UpNext averages 3.9 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while stem player averages 3.8 from 34 ratings.
Do UpNext or stem player have ads?
Neither UpNext nor stem player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, UpNext or stem player?
UpNext ships an update every 3 weeks, and stem player every 5 days. Most recently, UpNext was updated on November 4, 2026 and stem player on November 6, 2026.

Other comparisons