# Ensemble Composer vs Drumline Designer

The clearest difference is rating: Ensemble Composer at 4.6 against Drumline Designer's 4.0. Ensemble Composer also leads on ratings volume (275 vs 2) and price ($14.99 vs $19.99). Drumline Designer's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 77%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position there is nothing between them.

Ensemble Composer costs $14.99 and Drumline Designer $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Ensemble Composer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ensemble Composer has 275 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of Ensemble Composer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Drumline Designer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Ensemble Composer ships an update every 2 months, Drumline Designer every 6 days. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ensemble Composer | Drumline Designer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$14.99** | $19.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (275 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960/reviews)** | [4.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumline-designer/id6763984962/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **275** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 77.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #181 | **#178** |
| Size | 15 MB | 213 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [N. Wheeler](https://appshunter.io/developer/312350021) | [Christian Price](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880192070) |

## What reviewers say

### Ensemble Composer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ensemble-composer/id724167960)

**Currently charting:** #181 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Create custom drumline music with realistic recorded sounds. Compose street beats, stand jams, or entire musical books. Play along, practice, share, and edit your compositions.

**Highlights:** Compose drumline music, Realistic recorded drum sounds, Play along and practice, Share and edit compositions, Support for any time signature, Customizable rhythms

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Authentic drum sounds and audio quality (older versions)
- ✍️ Intuitive composition interface for writing cadences
- 📱 All-in-one drumline app combining multiple sections
- 💾 Export functionality to sheet music and audio formats
- 🎯 Useful for educators and students to practice rhythms

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Severe audio quality degradation after recent update
- 🐛 Choppy scrolling and laggy performance
- 🐛 Audio stuttering and cutting off during playback
- 🐛 Files not saving or disappearing after updates
- 🐛 Backward compatibility issues with legacy files

**Reported bugs**

- New update prevents opening older files
- Audio stutters and cuts off in faster rhythms
- Triplet rolls don't sound even
- Bass drum subdivisions not working
- Tenor section drums moved to incorrect positions

**Requested features**

- Revert snare sounds to pre-update quality
- Multiple sound option choices for drums
- Hi-hat option for cymbals
- Single tenor drum section option
- Separate tempos within drum sections


### Drumline Designer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drumline-designer/id6763984962)

**Currently charting:** #178 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Create and edit drumline sheet music directly on your mobile device. This app offers an intuitive grid system for note entry, automatic beaming, and support for complex rhythms and articulations. Export your compositions as PDFs, audio, MusicXML, or animated videos.

**Highlights:** Intuitive grid-based note entry, Automatic beaming and placement, Support for tuplets and complex rhythms, Add accents, staccatos, marcatos, and legatos, Instant playback for review, Export to PDF, Audio, MusicXML, and video, Create animated video clips

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ensemble Composer free?

Ensemble Composer costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Drumline Designer free?

Drumline Designer costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ensemble Composer or Drumline Designer?

Ensemble Composer is rated higher. Ensemble Composer averages 4.6 out of 5 from 275 ratings, while Drumline Designer averages 4.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Ensemble Composer or Drumline Designer have ads?

Neither Ensemble Composer nor Drumline Designer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ensemble Composer or Drumline Designer?

Ensemble Composer ships an update every 2 months, and Drumline Designer every 6 days. Most recently, Ensemble Composer was updated on October 15, 2026 and Drumline Designer on October 15, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Ensemble Composer or Drumline Designer?

Ensemble Composer currently peaks at #181 in the App Store charts, and Drumline Designer at #178. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*