# Talking Drum vs PlayBack

The clearest difference is chart position: PlayBack at #126 against Talking Drum's unranked. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Talking Drum sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $11.99 per year and PlayBack sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.00 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Talking Drum ships an update every 10 days, PlayBack fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Talking Drum | PlayBack |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.3 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playback-music-challenge/id6754441388/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **22** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | — | **#126** |
| Size | 163 MB | 115 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Giuseppe Garassino](https://appshunter.io/developer/413661935) | [Ensemble Education](https://appshunter.io/developer/1746859300) |

## What reviewers say

### Talking Drum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/talking-drum/id6745146897)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Subscription | $11.99 | per year |


### PlayBack

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playback-music-challenge/id6754441388)

**Currently charting:** #126 Top Free · Music, #149 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Test your musical instincts daily in this competitive ear training game. Answer questions within a time limit and with limited strikes to climb the leaderboards. Perfect for musicians preparing for exams or looking to sharpen their skills.

**Highlights:** Daily competitive sessions, Leaderboard rankings, Progress tracking, Timed challenges, Strike-based gameplay, Ear training for musicians

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.00 | per month |
| Yearly | $12.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Talking Drum free?

Talking Drum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PlayBack free?

PlayBack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Talking Drum or PlayBack have ads?

Neither Talking Drum nor PlayBack shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Talking Drum or PlayBack?

Talking Drum ships an update every 10 days, and PlayBack fortnightly. Most recently, Talking Drum was updated on October 28, 2026 and PlayBack on November 5, 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.*