Comparison

NoteHound vs NBS Player

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

Head to head
About

NoteHound

Features
Read full description

NoteHound is the music practice app for musicians who learn by ear. Slow any song to 0.1× without dropping the key. Loop the trickiest bar with sample-accurate A-B markers and a count-in click. Transcribe what you hear onto a piano roll, a 4-to-8-string guitar tab, or a live fretboard. Export to MIDI, PDF, MusicXML, plain-text tab, or a ZIP bundle for your teacher. No subscription. No account. Your audio and your transcriptions stay on your device. FEATURES SLOW DOWN MUSIC • 0.1× to 3.0× variable speed • Pitch-preserving time-stretch — the key never changes, even at the extremes • Speed ramp: automatically walk a loop from slow to performance tempo over n repetitions • Tap tempo and BPM detection • Tempo-map aware — handles songs that change tempo A-B LOOPING & PRACTICE TOOLS • Sample-accurate loop boundaries on the waveform • Count-in beats and pre-roll bar so you join the loop on the downbeat • Per-loop speed settings • Named sections (verse / chorus / solo / bridge) painted onto the waveform • Audio notes — pin a voice memo anywhere on the waveform (a fingering cue, a practice reminder, a note from a teacher) and the recording auto-plays when the playhead reaches that point • Practice tracking with mastery stages: learning → practising → up-to-speed → mastered • Per-loop attempt history with max-speed-reached PIANO ROLL EDITOR • Tap notes onto a quantised grid; drag, multi-select, group, draw • Audio sync — your transcription follows the recording bar by bar • Independent display transpose so you can read in any key • Plays through nine built-in synth voices LIVE FRETBOARD VIEW • Tap a note, see exactly where it lives on the neck • Multi-string highlighting for chord shapes • Adapts automatically to the project's tuning (standard, drop D, drop C, DADGAD, baritone, 7- and 8-string) • Full-fingerboard or focused-range display • Pairs with the tab editor — every note tapped on the tab lights up on the fretboard, and vice versa GUITAR TAB EDITOR • 4 to 8 strings, any tuning • 25+ articulations: bends, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, harmonics, palm mutes, ghost notes, dead notes, vibrato, trills, grace notes, tied notes, let-ring • Automatic fret-position suggestions based on the previous and next notes • Audio sync with the recording so the tab cursor tracks playback • Works for guitar, bass, baritone guitar, 7- and 8-string electric, ukulele 9-INSTRUMENT MULTI-TOUCH KEYBOARD • Acoustic piano, electric piano, Rhodes, organ, synth pad, strings, bass, guitar, vibraphone • Velocity-sensitive on supported devices • Doubles as a real-time MIDI-input target MIDI • Class-compliant USB and Bluetooth MIDI controllers — plug in, no drivers, no setup • Learn-mode mapping for any control to any parameter (foot pedal → play/pause, knob → speed, pad → loop toggle) • Real-time note input straight to the piano roll • MIDI file import preserves notes, tempo map, and section markers EXPORT • MIDI, PDF, MusicXML, plain-text tab, .tab, or a ZIP bundle of all of them • Hand a transcription to any DAW or notation app: Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Sibelius, Dorico, MuseScore, Finale, Guitar Pro FREE vs PRO Free includes two starter projects, basic A-B looping, the on-screen keyboard, and the 0.25× to 1.5× speed range. NoteHound Pro is a one-time $4.99 unlock — no subscription, restore on every device with the same Apple ID. Pro adds: • Unlimited projects • Full 0.1× to 3.0× speed range • Piano roll editor • Guitar tab editor + live fretboard view • MIDI input and MIDI file import • Every export format • Speed ramp, named sections, audio notes per section DESIGNED FOR Self-taught guitarists, pianists, and bassists. Music students. Music teachers preparing materials. Producers reverse-engineering a sample. Drummers learning fills. Anyone who learns songs by ear. Requires iPhone or iPad on iOS 17 or later. No account needed.

About

NBS Player

This app allows you to play Note Block Studio songs on your iPhone and iPad. Import .nbs files, organize them into playlists, and enjoy your note block music on the go. It provides a simple way to listen to community creations or test your own compositions.

Highlights
  • Play .nbs song files
  • Import songs into library
  • Create and manage playlists
  • View song details
  • Shuffle and repeat playback
  • Background playback
  • Apple Watch support
Features
Read full description

NBS Player lets you play your Note Block Studio songs on iPhone and iPad. Import .nbs files, create playlists, view song details, and keep your note block music with you wherever you go. Whether you are testing your own creations or listening to songs from the community, NBS Player gives you a simple mobile way to enjoy Note Block Studio files. Features: • Open and play .nbs song files • Import multiple songs into your library • Create and manage playlists • View song information such as notes, layers, tempo, instruments, time signature, and work time • Shuffle and repeat playback • Continue playback in the background • Built for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch NBS Player is designed as a lightweight companion for Note Block Studio, focused on fast importing, simple browsing, and reliable playback.

Screenshots

NoteHound4 screens
NBS Player1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NBS Player at none against NoteHound's 1. NBS Player also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. NoteHound sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NBS Player asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NoteHound ships an update every 9 days, NBS Player weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
NoteHound versus NBS Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNoteHoundNBS Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size109 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFrancesco Farruggia浠 陈

In-app purchases

1 purchases

NoteHound

One-time1
  • NoteHound Pro$9.99
None

NBS Player

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NoteHound free?
NoteHound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NBS Player free?
NBS Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do NoteHound or NBS Player have ads?
Neither NoteHound nor NBS Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NoteHound or NBS Player?
NoteHound ships an update every 9 days, and NBS Player weekly. Most recently, NoteHound was updated on October 8, 2026 and NBS Player on October 14, 2026.

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