Comparison

SideBand vs Touch Tonnetz

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

Head to head
About

SideBand

This app helps musicians learn songs by ear. It allows users to slow down music, loop sections, and change the key to match their voice or instrument. Import music from various sources like the Music app or iCloud.

Highlights
  • Adjust tempo
  • Transpose key
  • Change tuning
  • Loop sections
  • Import unprotected music
  • Supports iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

Learn tunes by ear - slow down and loop sections of a tune. Change the key to fit your voice or instrument. Import any unprotected music from the Music app, from the iCloud Files application or drag tunes from your desktop. Support for all iPhone screen sizes as well as iPad. Use slide-over while listening to your Music files to quickly import on iPad Use split screen to listen while viewing music • Adjust tempo - change the speed from half-speed to double speed • Transpose - change the key by semi-tones up to an octave higher or lower • Change the tuning - Adjust the pitch of an out-of-tune recording • Import from any other app that can export an audio file - wav, mp3 and AAC files are supported.

About

Touch Tonnetz

Explore Neo-Riemannian music theory with an interactive tonal lattice. Hear chords and notes, visualize harmonic transformations, and build custom progressions. Offers multiple instrument sounds and color schemes for a hands-on theoretical exploration.

Highlights
  • Interactive Tonnetz visualization
  • Real-time harmonic analysis
  • Progression builder
  • Custom chord creation
  • Multiple instrument sets
  • Pinch-to-zoom functionality
Features
Read full description

Touch Tonnetz visualizes Neo-Riemannian music theory through the Tonnetz (tonal network) lattice. Tap any chord or note to hear it, see its Neo-Riemannian transformations, and explore harmonic relationships that go beyond traditional tonal progressions. Key Features: Interactive Tonnetz Visualization — Tap any chord or note to hear it and see its Neo-Riemannian transformations highlighted on the lattice Harmonic Analysis — Roman numeral overlays for any tonic, updated in real time Progression Builder — Create, save, and play back melodic progressions Custom Chords — Build and save your own chords for experimentation Three Instrument Sets — Piano, Brass, and Woodwinds, all high-quality samples Six Color Schemes — Three dark, three light Pinch to Zoom — Explore the lattice in detail at up to 4× magnification 7-Day Free Trial — Full access, no restrictions, no nags Perfect For: Composers looking for harmonic paths outside conventional progressions Music theorists studying Neo-Riemannian transformations Musicians experimenting with chord voice-leading Students exploring music theory hands-on What is Neo-Riemannian Theory? Neo-Riemannian theory is a branch of music theory that studies relationships between major and minor triads using transformational geometry. Rather than treating chords as functions within a key (tonic, dominant, etc.), it focuses on the small voice-leading moves — Parallel, Leading-tone exchange, and Relative — that connect one triad to the next. The result is a rich map of chromatic harmony that complements traditional tonal analysis. Why Touch Tonnetz? The Tonnetz lattice makes these relationships spatial: related chords are neighbors, and transformations are visible paths. Touch Tonnetz lets you see the lattice, hear it, and build with it — turning an abstract theoretical framework into something you can explore by ear and by hand.

Screenshots

SideBand4 screens
Touch Tonnetz4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SideBand at 80% against Touch Tonnetz's 33%. SideBand also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Touch Tonnetz's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 22 months). On ratings volume, 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

Touch Tonnetz is free to download; SideBand costs $2.99 up front. Touch Tonnetz sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SideBand asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SideBand holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of SideBand's written reviews are positive against 33% of Touch Tonnetz's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SideBand ships an update every 22 months, Touch Tonnetz every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
SideBand versus Touch Tonnetz: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSideBandTouch Tonnetz
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (5 ratings) — better3.5 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings5 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 22 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB87 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWil MacaulayChristopher Michaelis

Customer experience

SideBand

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Touch Tonnetz

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral66.7%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SideBand

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Touch Tonnetz

One-time1
  • Unlock Touch Tonnetz Forever$9.99

Questions

Is SideBand free?
SideBand costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Touch Tonnetz free?
Touch Tonnetz is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SideBand or Touch Tonnetz?
SideBand is rated higher. SideBand averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Touch Tonnetz averages 3.5 from 4 ratings.
Do SideBand or Touch Tonnetz have ads?
Neither SideBand nor Touch Tonnetz shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SideBand or Touch Tonnetz?
SideBand ships an update every 22 months, and Touch Tonnetz every 2 weeks. Most recently, SideBand was updated on October 23, 2026 and Touch Tonnetz on October 24, 2026.

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