Band Tools vs Beam Music
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Band Tools
This app provides essential tools for music students, including a highly accurate metronome, a chromatic tuner, and a tone generator. Its simple interface makes it easy to use for all skill levels, aiding in practice and performance.
- Metronome with audible and visual beat indicators
- Chromatic tuner with animated pitch guidance
- Tone generator for tuning assistance
- Adjustable tempo from 40 to 208 BPM
- Accurate pitch detection
- Simple and easy-to-use interface
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Tools every band student needs - tune, time, tone. A metronome, tone generator, and chromatic tuner with a simple, easy to use interface and the highest levels of accuracy. time - Metronome. Choose a range from 40 to 208 beats-per-minute. Both audible and visual beat indicators. Does not drift over time, extremely accurate. tune - Chromatic Tuner. Select a note and start playing. The tuner will select the closest octave and guide you to the correct pitch with an animated indicator ranging from 25 to -25 cents from your pitch. Simple to setup and use. tone - Tone Generator. Cycle through all octaves and hear notes to assist with tuning. Use headphones to hear lower notes that the device speakers can't play. Band Tools is developed with students in mind. Simplicity and accuracy make it perfect for all skill levels.
Beam Music
Easily import, organize, and annotate music files for ensembles. Share access and collaborate with section leaders. Live Mode synchronizes music across all devices instantly without internet.
- Import PDFs from cloud storage and local files
- Edit and crop music pages
- Annotate with pencil, highlighter, and text tools
- Collaborative notes for section leaders
- Real-time music synchronization via Live Mode
- Organize music into collections and set lists
- Backup music library
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IMPORT AND ASSIGN FILES WITH EASE - Import PDFs from Dropbox, Google Drive, and Local Storage - Assign full files or single pages - Crop, cut, and edit parts - Give edit access to student leaders ANNOTATE YOUR MUSIC - Pencil tool: Draw on the music - Highlighter: Mark key areas - Text tool: Add important notes - Shared notes: Section leaders can add notes for the entire section STAY IN SYNC WITH LIVE MODE Activate Live Mode to automatically connect everyone in the ensemble to your device. When you select a piece of music, everyone’s individual parts for that song are instantly displayed on their personal device. All without the need for internet. ORGANIZE YOUR LIBRARY - Create a collection of songs - Add songs to a set list in a specific order - Add the duration of the song - Back up your library with Beam Backup
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Band Tools at 81% against Beam Music's 36%. Band Tools also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). Beam Music's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 29 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Beam Music holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beam Music has 306 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of Band Tools's written reviews are positive against 36% of Beam Music's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Band Tools ships an update every 29 months, Beam Music every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Band Tools | Beam Music |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.9 (26 ratings) | 4.4 (306 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.3% of reviews — better | 36.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 26 | 306 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 29 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 159 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Duane Christiansen | Ultimate Drill Book |
Customer experience
Band Tools
Beam Music
Bugs and requests
Band Tools
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Beam Music
Reported bugs
14 issues- App crashes constantly, especially when needed
- Lag makes page turning and note-taking difficult
- Annotations disappear after using live mode
- Zoom level resets when orientation changes
- Portrait mode activates unexpectedly
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- Notes from other songs appear randomly
- Search feature fails to work reliably
- Music fails to load when switching between pieces
- Auto-download feature doesn't work
- App becomes unresponsive with frozen screen
- Battery drains excessively fast
- Phone overheats during rehearsal
- Annotations won't save, erase, or stick properly
- Screenshot returns white page instead of music
Requested features
12 requests- Horizontal page lock (like FlipFolder)
- Ability to save zoom level with vertical scrolling
- Live session annotation capability
- Auto-select correct part for user
- Mass select parts instead of individual selection
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- Highlighter tool for dynamics
- White pen/eraser for marking corrections
- Screenshot capability for backup
- Access to music files in Files app
- Rotation lock that maintains landscape orientation
- Better customization options
- Improved search functionality
In-app purchases
Band Tools
No in-app purchases
Beam Music
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Band Tools free?
Is Beam Music free?
Which has better reviews, Band Tools or Beam Music?
Do Band Tools or Beam Music have ads?
Which is updated more often, Band Tools or Beam Music?
Other comparisons
