# SideBand vs Bagpipe Player

The clearest difference is price: SideBand at $2.99 against Bagpipe Player's $14.99. SideBand also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (80% vs 62%). Bagpipe Player's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 22 months) and ratings volume (25 vs 5). On rating, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

SideBand costs $2.99 and Bagpipe Player $14.99 up front. Bagpipe Player sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. SideBand asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for SideBand against 4.0 for Bagpipe Player. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bagpipe Player has 25 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of SideBand's written reviews are positive against 62% of Bagpipe Player's.

SideBand ships an update every 22 months, Bagpipe Player every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SideBand | Bagpipe Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $14.99 |
| Rating | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sideband/id721401314/reviews) | [4.0 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bagpipe-player/id967901058/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **25** |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 61.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 15 MB | 76 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wil Macaulay](https://appshunter.io/developer/301735019) | [Aleksey Vasilyev](https://appshunter.io/developer/967901057) |

## What reviewers say

### SideBand

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sideband/id721401314)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Bagpipe Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bagpipe-player/id967901058)

Learn, play, and compose bagpipe music with this app. It supports popular music file formats, offers authentic sounds, and provides tools for practice and creation. Manage your tunes, export them, and sync across devices.

**Highlights:** Play bagpipe music with authentic sounds, View sheet music for BWW, BMW, ABC files, Compose new tunes with a graphical editor, Practice tools: section repeat, playback delay, Export music as PDF or MIDI, Organize tunes with folders, Sync files via iCloud

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock save | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip Jar 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip Jar 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip Jar 3 | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SideBand free?

SideBand costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Bagpipe Player free?

Bagpipe Player costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SideBand or Bagpipe Player?

SideBand and Bagpipe Player are both rated 4.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 25 ratings respectively.

### Do SideBand or Bagpipe Player have ads?

Neither SideBand nor Bagpipe Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SideBand or Bagpipe Player?

SideBand ships an update every 22 months, and Bagpipe Player every 2 months. Most recently, SideBand was updated on September 25, 2026 and Bagpipe Player on September 16, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*