Comparison

Band Session Note vs ARC Score

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

Head to head
About

Band Session Note

This app allows musicians to handwrite musical scores and charts digitally using an Apple Pencil. It offers tools for sketching chords, rhythms, and annotating imported scores, with features for creating custom sections and setlists for band rehearsals and performances.

Highlights
  • Handwritten score sketching with Apple Pencil
  • Drum notation with standard lines
  • Annotate imported scores (PDF/photo)
  • Solfège stickers for kids
  • Create and manage setlists
  • Customizable song sections
  • Export as PNG, JPG, or PDF
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Band Session Note is a light, fast music-notation app for iPad and Apple Pencil. Write charts by hand — instantly — with all the convenience of digital. ■ Made for · Session players jotting chords and rhythms on the fly during rehearsal · Musicians who annotate and edit charts they're handed · Parents and teachers teaching solfège with color and shape ■ Key features · Drum Pack — Tap a drum and the note lands on its standard line. Mix 8th, 16th, 32nd and dotted notes in one beam. Snare, kick, hi-hat, cymbals, and R/L sticking. · Gig Charts — Import scores as photos or PDFs and write pen, symbols and notes right on top. Arrange pages in any order. · Kids Music — Solfège stickers for little musicians. Circle, square, triangle and star shapes with rainbow notes; free color, text color and size. · Setlists — Bundle songs into a single set file and share it with the whole band. Reorder, and open with a tap. · Custom Sections — Intro, Verse, Chorus, and any label your band uses — create and reuse your own. ■ Editing tools · Notes, rests, accidentals, barlines, beams, triplets, chords, rehearsal marks · Apple Pencil handwriting (pressure + smoothing) · text · rainbow colors · infinite paste · Multi-page · PDF import · export as PNG, JPG or PDF · Auto-localized in 6 languages (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, German) From the rehearsal room to the stage — keep every chart your band needs in one notebook

About

ARC Score

Features
Read full description

ARC Score is a sheet music app for editing printed notation, adding annotations, and reading scores while you play. Edit with Apple Pencil on iPad or your finger on iPhone. On iPhone, use one finger to write, erase, and select, and two fingers to pan and zoom. Import PDF or image scores, or create a score from blank staff paper. Turn on printed-content editing to erase or move printed markings while preserving staff lines. Annotate with the pen and highlighter, and save your favorite colors and widths as quick tools. Write notes and rests on the staff of a new or imported score with Music Pen. Recognized handwriting becomes printed notation based on where you wrote it. Add dots or flags to revise it, or use Undo to return to the original handwriting. This does not automatically transcribe an entire existing score. Recognition results depend on handwriting and score quality. Key features • Import PDF and image scores • Staff-paper templates with or without a title area • Save personal PDFs as templates: repeat one selected page or use the complete PDF • Edit printed content while preserving staff lines • Convert handwritten notes and rests with Music Pen • Ordinary pen, highlighter, eraser, freeform and rectangular selection • Undo and Redo • Folders and setlists • Add, duplicate, reorder, and delete pages • Portrait, landscape, and two-page reading • Automatic saving and work recovery Hide the tools in reading mode while keeping system information such as the time and battery visible. Tap or swipe to turn pages, and use performance lock to reduce unintended actions. ARC Score supports Korean, English, and Japanese. Open App Language in settings to change the language in system settings. Printed-content editing and staff detection work best with clear PDFs and images. Results may vary with low-resolution scans and photographs. Access plans Keep up to five library scores for free, with viewing, ordinary annotations, basic management, saving, and export. A multi-page score counts as one library item. Tutorial scores do not count toward the free limit. No ARC Score account or login is required. Monthly and lifetime access provide the same current benefits: printed-content editing, Music Pen, and unlimited library scores. Prices vary by country or region. Check the price and terms shown in the app and Apple's purchase confirmation before buying. Monthly access is an auto-renewable subscription. Eligible subscribers receive a 14-day free trial, followed by the monthly charge unless cancelled. To avoid renewal, cancel in your Apple Account subscription settings at least 24 hours before the next billing date. Lifetime access is a one-time purchase with no automatic renewal. Buying lifetime access does not automatically cancel an existing monthly subscription. After a trial or subscription ends, existing scores and edits remain available for viewing, ordinary annotations, saving, and export. Scores above the free limit are retained. In free access, you can add a new score only when fewer than five library scores are stored. New printed-content editing and Music Pen use require active access. Use Restore Purchases to verify an existing purchase. Privacy Policy: https://arc-score-support.jzrtcmkrj4.chatgpt.site/privacy Terms of Use (Apple Standard EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Band Session Note4 screens
ARC Score3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ARC Score at Free against Band Session Note's $9.99. ARC Score also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 6 days). Band Session Note's advantage is chart position (#172 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On 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

ARC Score is free to download; Band Session Note costs $9.99 up front. Band Session Note sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. ARC Score asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Band Session Note ships an update every 6 days, ARC Score every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Band Session Note versus ARC Score: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBand Session NoteARC Score
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#172 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developersung ju KIMsang hoon lee

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Band Session Note

One-time4
  • 드럼팩$0.99
  • 음악놀이$0.99
  • String Pack (Guitar·Bass·Uke)$0.99
Show 1 more
  • All-in-One Bundle$3.99
None

ARC Score

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Band Session Note free?
Band Session Note costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is ARC Score free?
ARC Score is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Band Session Note or ARC Score have ads?
Neither Band Session Note nor ARC Score shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Band Session Note or ARC Score?
Band Session Note ships an update every 6 days, and ARC Score every 2 days. Most recently, Band Session Note was updated on October 17, 2026 and ARC Score on October 14, 2026.

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