Comparison

PreSonus QMix® vs Playback

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

Head to head
About

PreSonus QMix®

This app transforms your mobile device into a personal monitor mix controller for digital mixers. It allows musicians and engineers to easily manage and adjust their own stage or aux mixes wirelessly. Take full control of your sound with intuitive remote access.

Highlights
  • Wireless control of StudioLive Series III mixers
  • Remote control aux mix levels and panning
  • Create up to 4 channel groups
  • Wheel of Me for custom channel group control
  • Intuitive and flexible mix management
Features
Read full description

PreSonus® QMix-UC monitor mix app turns your mobile device into a powerful personal monitoring controller for StudioLive® Series III digital mixers. Whether you’re a busy front-of-house engineer looking for a better way to manage monitors, or a musician who’s ready to take control of their own stage mix, QMix-UC makes remotely controlling aux mixes easy, flexible, and intuitive. Just connect your device to the same wireless network as your StudioLive Series III mixer, and you’re in control of your mix. Features: Provides wireless control over any StudioLive Series III mixer Remote-control aux mix send levels and panning Create up to 4 channel groups Wheel of Me controls the relative level of all customized “Me” channels with one simple control Compatible Series III hardware includes: StudioLive 64S StudioLive 32S StudioLive 32SX StudioLive 32SC StudioLive 32 StudioLive 24 StudioLive 16 StudioLive 32R StudioLive 24R StudioLive 16R Note: StudioLive 16.0.2USB, and StudioLive AI- and RM-series mixers should still continue to work as usual in this app, but are no longer officially supported. No further work is planned for the AI mixer series in this app. System Requirements Supported: - Compatible with iPhone or iPod Touch running iOS 11.4 or later Control of supported mixers requires that the mobile device running be connected to the same wireless network as a StudioLive Series III mixer. StudioLive Classic mixers (16.0.2 FireWire, 16.4.2, 24.4.2) require QMix and are not compatible with QMix-UC

About

Playback

This app transforms your device into a powerful multi-track player for worship teams. It integrates with other worship production tools, offers advanced features like automation and MIDI control, and provides an intuitive interface for volunteers.

Highlights
  • Multi-track audio playback
  • Integration with worship production tools
  • Automation and MIDI control
  • Custom song arrangements
  • Setlist management
  • Ambient pad player
Features
Read full description

Playback turns your Apple device into a simple, yet powerful MultiTrack player that works seamlessly with the rest of the MultiTracks.com ecosystem of products like ChartBuilder®, RehearsalMix®, and the Church Streaming License®. Link your Planning Center account and have setlists you create automatically appear in Playback. Pairing Playback with our ProPresenter Templates gives it access to pre-made MIDI Cues that perfectly sync lyrics to your tracks. Playback has been optimized to be the best tracks solution for a worship team. While it has powerful features like automation, custom song arrangements, MIDI in/out, and even support for SMPTE timecode, it’s easy and intuitive for new volunteers. A Playback Rentals subscription is an easy and affordable way to quickly access the MultiTracks from our ever expanding library of over 24,000 original master recordings. Any previous tracks purchases from MultiTracks.com are instantly available in your Playback library. Already have your own tracks? Upload them to your library with a Cloud Pro subscription so that they can be accessed in Playback. Playback Sync® automatically scrolls charts in the ChartBuilder app to always match where you are in a song. No extra cables needed since it’s all done over Wi-Fi. This ensures your team is literally all on the same page! Pad Player® lets you to stay in the moment with ambient pads underneath every song and transition in your setlist. INTRO (Free) - Build & save setlists - Solo, mute & adjust track volumes - Set custom start & end times - Tempo/key change to all 12 keys - Play ambient pads underneath songs - Access any song in the catalog with a Playback Rentals Subscription - Song transitions - AutoPan - Add click-and-pad-only songs to setlists - Adjust click track subdivisions - Live Crossfade between songs - Reference the original song mix PREMIUM (Starting at $9.99/mo | Visit MultiTracks.com/Pricing) - All “Intro” features - Add, remove, rearrange, rename, & TRIM song sections - MIDI Map controls to a MIDI Controller - Loop/Infinite Loop Song Sections - Save Custom Song Arrangements w/Cloud Pro Intro or higher - Add an Infinite Click Track - Automation: Place cues anywhere in a song to trigger automations for track volumes, mute/unmute, Pad Player, & more! - Playback Remote - Send MIDI Cues to lyrics, lights & more with (Requires Live Bundle or MULTITRACKS ONE) - Live Re-Order: While audio is playing, jump to a particular Song Section - MIDI Map to a specific Song Section - Freely jump between Song Sections & Songs live using a MIDI Controller - Buses: Route your tracks out of 10 buses for better mix control - SmartRouting®: We’ve pre-assigned every track type to a bus. *Supported USB Audio Interfaces & Playback will automatically route your tracks to the available outputs - MultiOuts®: Route tracks & buses to multiple outputs with one of our *Supported USB Audio Interfaces. - Create & edit MIDI Cues directly in Playback. Save MIDI Cues to your Library with a Cloud Pro subscription - Advanced Pad Player Interface Playback Premium is also included in the Live Bundle & the MULTITRACKS ONE Bundle. *Please Note* Because access is given to Original Artist Master MultiTracks through our free ”Demo Setlist” & "Play of the Week," account registration is required for you to verify your identity and ensure compliance with Terms of Use. Price may vary by location. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iCloud account. Subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You won't be able to cancel the subscription once activated. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited if you upgrade from a free subscription to a paid version. Manage your subscriptions in Account Settings after purchase. For more details on our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use for MultiTracks.com please visit: http://www.multitracks.com/privacy/ and http://www.multitracks.com/terms/

Screenshots

PreSonus QMix®4 screens
Playback4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Playback at 4.8 against PreSonus QMix®'s 2.9. Playback also leads on review sentiment (66% vs 26%) and ratings volume (4.3K vs 94). PreSonus QMix®'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ads and iOS requirement 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. Playback sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. PreSonus QMix® asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Playback holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Playback has 4.3K ratings behind it against 94, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of PreSonus QMix®'s written reviews are positive against 66% of Playback's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PreSonus QMix® ships an update every 4 months, Playback every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
PreSonus QMix® versus Playback: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPreSonus QMix®Playback
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.9 (94 ratings)4.8 (4.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews26.1% of reviews66.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings944.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB132 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFender DigitalMultiTracks.com

Customer experience

PreSonus QMix®

All ratings94 ratings
Positive44.7%
Neutral8.5%
Negative46.8%
Written reviews92 reviews
Positive26.1%
Neutral10.9%
Negative63.0%

Playback

All ratings4,301 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral1.9%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews362 reviews
Positive66.3%
Neutral5.2%
Negative28.5%

User reviews

PreSonus QMix®

From 94 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Handy for IEM mixes
  • 💡 Genius 'Me/Band' balancing wheel
  • 👍 Fantastic for IEM users
  • 👍 Perfect for wireless control
  • 👍 Great for monitor mixes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashing frequently
  • 🐛 Unreliable connection
  • 🐛 Landscape mode issues
  • 🐛 No iPad version
  • 🐛 Inconsistent and buggy

Playback

From 4.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Powerful features
  • 🚀 Seamless playback
  • 🚀 Intuitive interface
  • 👍 Great for small churches

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Difficult to use on multiple devices
  • 🔒 Lack of free trial or demo
  • 🐛 Inconsistent behavior after updates

Bugs and requests

PreSonus QMix®

Reported bugs

92 issues
  • Unable to connect phone
  • Not running on iPhone 16
  • Landscape mode doesn't work
  • Cannot go into landscape mode
  • No iPad Version
Show 87 more
  • Unreliable
  • Very buggy
  • Levels defaulted to unknown setting
  • Phones not able to use landscape setting
  • Cannot connect to sound desk
  • iPhone app not connecting to mixer
  • App 3.0v doesn't work
  • Couldn't get it to work
  • Screen won't rotate
  • Phones have not been able to use the landscape setting
  • Cannot connect to mixer
  • App crashes
  • Mixers are gone on the app
  • Mixing portion is greyed out
  • Gray boxes where sliders used to be
  • Shows grey channels without content
  • No access to mixers since update
  • Remote control over aux mixes broken
  • Mix window has grayed out and unusable
  • App no longer works
  • Won't allow for adjustment of individual mixes
  • Murders every battery
  • Does not work with iPhone X
  • Cannot see individual mixers
  • Phone doesn't respond to rotation
  • Crashes in the middle of a show
  • Cannot select an Aux mix
  • Landscape mode is grayed out or non-functional
  • Most devices will not go into landscape mode
  • Cannot change orientation of phone/tablet displays
  • Cannot access all pages
  • Cannot change mixer parameters other than the “wheel of me.”
  • App crashes every time it's opened
  • App crashes upon connecting to the board
  • Incompatibility with certain saved Scenes
  • App breaks when EQ and Dyn are recalled
  • New updates took place, cannot control sound
  • This version doesn't work
  • Faders wider causing less usable screen space
  • Won't even open
  • Must restart every time phone goes to sleep
  • Wifi interface issues
  • Auto lock function issues
  • Interruptive signals cause disconnects
  • Digital faders are clumsy
  • No way to switch between 'me' and 'band' on the wheel
  • Text is too small with no ability to increase size
  • Accessibility issues with VoiceOver
  • Monitors channels look zeroed out and labels are gone
  • App freezes and disconnects
  • Cannot unmute channels
  • Severe battery drain
  • App is a severe battery drainer
  • Does not connect to aux 1-8
  • App freezes and disconnects
  • Cannot see what channels are muted
  • New update broke rotation
  • New update no longer lets me scan in my surface
  • Gray boxes... useless now
  • Update broke the app
  • Update takes away all usefulness
  • Stopped working after this update
  • No access to mixers since update
  • Update blanked out sliders
  • New Version Won’t Allow Mix Adjustments
  • Terrific battery killer
  • Does not work
  • PoS
  • Worked well but...........
  • Does not work with iPhone X
  • Grrrr.
  • Worked great for awhile, now un-useable in Landscape Mode, very fragile app
  • Bugged!
  • Please add listen feature
  • No support for old Studiolive consoles
  • Accessibility?
  • Great app when it work
  • Absolutely does not work !!!
  • Was great, till the update came
  • Horrible, Crashing
  • Disappointed!!!
  • Broken After Update
  • Not working with IPhone 7 plus
  • doesn't work
  • From 5 stars to -1 star in one update
  • Must restart every time
  • Ehh

Requested features

14 requests
  • Update for iPhone 16
  • Landscape mode fix
  • iPad version needed
  • Update app for consistency
  • Add faders instead of wheel
Show 9 more
  • Add EQ on monitor master
  • Add listen feature for headphones
  • Add panning feature
  • Apple Watch app
  • Add SPL meter
  • Mix normally on iPhone Plus
  • Show only grouped channels
  • Improve channel color contrast
  • Add feedback button

Playback

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Click track and guide audio issues
  • Playback freezing or crashing on certain devices
  • Syncing problems between multiple devices
  • Rental tracks not loading properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to create and save custom setlists
  • More advanced editing capabilities for individual tracks
  • Tempo and key change options during live performance
  • Improved MIDI integration for lyrics and lighting control
  • Standalone version without subscription requirement

In-app purchases

None

PreSonus QMix®

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Playback

Subscriptions3
  • Pro1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Pro1 Month trial$8.991 Month
  • Premium$14.991 Month

Questions

Is PreSonus QMix® free?
PreSonus QMix® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Playback free?
Playback is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PreSonus QMix® or Playback?
Playback is rated higher. PreSonus QMix® averages 2.9 out of 5 from 94 ratings, while Playback averages 4.8 from 4.3K ratings.
Do PreSonus QMix® or Playback have ads?
Neither PreSonus QMix® nor Playback shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PreSonus QMix® or Playback?
PreSonus QMix® ships an update every 4 months, and Playback every 5 weeks. Most recently, PreSonus QMix® was updated on October 19, 2026 and Playback on October 23, 2026.

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