PlayStems vs GuideTone

PlayStems is a powerful yet easy-to-use multi-track audio player designed for musicians. Import songs, split them into stems, and play all audio tracks perfectly in sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Build your own song library with custom titles and artists, add multiple audio files to each song, and control every stem independently with a built-in mixer. Adjust playback speed and pitch in real time, jump through tracks with intuitive drag gestures, and create loop ranges for practice or live performance. Features: * Multi-track stem playback in perfect sync * Song library with custom titles and artists * Import and manage multiple audio files per song * Individual and master volume controls * Real-time speed and pitch adjustment * Smooth forward/backward scrubbing gestures * Loop playback for selected time ranges * AI-powered stem splitting into vocals, drums, bass, and other instruments tracks (runs on your device) Whether you’re rehearsing, performing live, remixing, or practicing difficult sections, StemSync gives you complete control over your music. # Free version * Free version is limited to 1 song if the user does not consent to analytics * With analytics consent, the free version is limited to 5 songs # Full version * Full version (perpetual license) has no limitations * HQ stem splitting models available for download (requires iOS 26.4 or later and about 2 GB of available memory on recent iPhone, iPad, or Mac with Apple Silicon).

GuideTone turns any recording into your personal practice room. A guide tone is the 3rd or the 7th of a chord — the note that tells you where the harmony is going, and the one worth hearing first. That is the whole idea: show you what actually matters in a song, so the practice can start. Import a track, loop the hard parts, slow them down without changing the pitch, pull the band apart, and see the changes written out — all on your iPhone or iPad, and all without an internet connection. WRITE YOUR OWN MUSIC Start a new score with its key, time signature and tempo, then tap notes in on the piano and hear each one as it lands. Add dynamics, accents, slurs and chord symbols, lay out repeats and endings, copy and paste bars, or write a phrase through all twelve keys. Export a PDF to print, or a MusicXML file that opens in MuseScore, written for your instrument or at concert pitch. OPEN SCORE FILES Bring in a MusicXML or .mxl chart and read it engraved: as written or at concert pitch, one part at a time, with a tap on any note to hear it. Anything GuideTone can't draw yet is listed, and your original file is kept. IMPORT MUSIC YOU OWN Bring in tracks from Files, iCloud Drive, or AirDrop — MP3, M4A, WAV, AIFF, FLAC. GuideTone renders a clean waveform so you can see the music while you work. (Streaming subscription downloads are copy-protected and cannot be imported by any app.) LOOP & SLOW DOWN Set A/B markers and loop any passage. Change tempo and pitch independently, a fast lick at half speed without the chipmunk effect or a friendlier key, and ramp the tempo up rep by rep with the Speed Trainer. ISOLATE THE PARTS (ON-DEVICE) Split a song into 2, 4 or 6 stems right on your iPhone or iPad. Mute the vocals for karaoke, mute the melody and take the solo, or solo the drums to lock in your time. Nothing is uploaded. SEE THE CHORDS GuideTone listens to the song and writes out its chords, laid out bar by bar on a Chord Ribbon that follows along as it plays. Choose a Pop or Jazz vocabulary. Wrong chord? Correct the label, set its exact spelling, or retime it by hand — your edit sticks. READ THE WORDS GuideTone listens to a song and writes down its lyrics on your iPhone or iPad, each word lined up to the audio. Read them as a chord sheet, or open the Karaoke page to read from across the room: each word lights as it's sung and the page turns itself. Tap a word to jump there, hold a line to loop it, and fix a word right in the sheet. READ IT ON THE STAFF Open the Chart to read the chords on a properly engraved lead sheet that follows the playhead, re-engraves when you transpose, and takes your edits right on the page. Engraved or handwritten-jazz notation, your choice. Tap Edit to write your own notes on it in the Transcription Editor. KNOW THE SHAPES Every chord in the song, drawn for guitar and for piano — and they sound when you touch them. Switch benches to see the same chord either way, with the positions and inversions laid out beneath it. CAST THE WORDS TO A TV Cast the Karaoke page to a TV or a second screen, with words lighting as they're sung and chords in time, while your iPhone or iPad stays the remote. RECORD YOUR TAKES Play along and capture it with a built-in count-in, then balance the backing against your mic before you save. EDIT LIKE A PRO A live, non-destructive audio editor: cut, copy, paste, fade, gain, one-tap normalize and snap to the beat. Hear every change at once, then save, or save a copy. TUNER & METRONOME A precise chromatic tuner and a sample-locked metronome are built in, and the song's own tempo and beats set the metronome and the count-in. EVERYTHING STAYS ON YOUR iPhone or iPad Your audio, your recordings, and your practice happen on-device. No account required. PRICING Try every feature free for 14 days. After that, unlock GuideTone forever with a single one-time purchase — no subscription. Restore Purchases is built in. Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you.