Comparison

Sheet Music Scanner vs Find the Note

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

Head to head
About

Sheet Music Scanner

Instantly listen to scanned sheet music with this app. It recognizes musical notation and plays it back on your device with various instruments and adjustable speeds. Learn music by hearing it come alive from the page.

Highlights
  • Scan printed sheet music with camera
  • Playback from photo library or PDF
  • Tap to play specific measures
  • Recognizes melody, harmony, and rhythm symbols
  • Supports multiple instruments and voices
  • Adjustable playback speed
  • Export as MIDI, MusicXML, and audio
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Scan sheet music and instantly listen with music with Sheet Music Scanner. Sheet Music Scanner makes it easy for you to scan or upload printed sheet music. Listen to the music printed on the page in a number of different formats and instruments, directly on your device. Ever wanted to know how that interesting-looking piece of sheet music actually sounds? Now you can know instantly. Just point your iPhone or iPad at the sheet and let it play the notes for you. Listen to the notes and help yourself learn along the way. Sheet Music Scanner lets you scan and playback from any part of the song, just tap the measure and listen to your sheet music. You can even choose the instrument, pick the speed and enjoy! Download Sheet Music Scanner and scan your sheet music today! 2 for 1 universal iOS app: iPhone / iPod touch and iPad - you get Sheet Music Scanner for all your iOS devices for the price of one. SHEET MUSIC SCANNER FEATURES - Scan the whole sheet instantly using your built-in camera - Scan and playback from any image in your Photo library or from a PDF * - Playback from anywhere in the song - simply tap the measure, the notes and symbols are highlighted as they're played - Reads and recognizes the following symbols of musical notation pertaining to melody, harmony, and rhythm: treble, bass, and alto (viola) clefs, notes, duration dots, rests, accidentals, note ties, triplets and other tuplets, repeat signs * - Support for voices played in tandem, e.g. both piano hands at the same time, or all the choir voices - Support for playing individual staffs separately, e.g. right or left piano hand - Support for multiple pages - Accommodates speeds between 50 and 330 beats per minute - Cloud synchronization. Access your music library on any iPhone, iPad, or Mac with iCloud Drive. * Some limitations apply - please see at the bottom of the page. EXPORT OPTIONS - Export as MIDI, MusicXML, audio (M4A / AAC, MP3, WAV), PDF to cloud storage, directly to other apps or via AirDrop - All major cloud storages supported: iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, etc. Note that the appropriate cloud storage client app has to be installed for this to work. INSTRUMENTS - Accordion, Acoustic Bass, Alto Sax, Bagpipes, Banjo, Bass Guitar, Celeste, Cello, Choir, Clarinet, Double Bass, Flute, French Horn, Guitar - Classical, Clean, Distortion, Glockenspiel, Harp, Mandolin, Marimba, Oboe, Organ (Percussive, Pipe, Reed, Rock, Tonewheel), Piano, Recorder, Tenor Sax, Trombone, Trumpet, Tuba, Vibraphone, Viola, Violin, Xylophone - Supports actual instrument pitch for transposing instruments - Change your pitch standard based on instrument, from standard 440Hz to 380-480 Hz SUBSCRIPTIONS - The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Limitations - Reads printed sheet music, not handwritten or mimicking handwriting, tablatures, etc. - Reads standard oval note heads only, no special symbols like shape notes. - The following symbols are not currently supported: codas, percussion notation, dynamics, double sharps, double flats, and grace notes. These are planned to come in the future updates. - Use high-quality printed sheet music and take photos under good enough light, when scanning from your camera, for optimal results. For scanning from a file, the recommended resolution is 300 DPI or 8-12 MPx per page. - Some older prints and unusual fonts may not be recognizable. If you experience any problems, please contact support at support@sheetmusicscanner.com Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Find the Note

This app uses your device's microphone to detect musical notes and their frequencies in real-time. It helps you tune instruments, practice scales, and track your progress with a history feature. Supports a wide range of instruments and clefs.

Highlights
  • Real-time note and frequency detection
  • Instrument tuning aid
  • Note history tracking
  • Supports numerous instruments and clefs
  • Voice and instrument input
Features
Read full description

Find the Note Pitch Detector uses your device's mic to identify musical notes. The frequency and current musical note are displayed on your screen. Simple and easy to use. Use the frequency and pitch bar to tune any instrument! Works with voice, piano, and other instruments. Now, you can also view your note history, making it easier to track your progress and improve your accuracy. Whether you're practicing scales, fine-tuning your instrument, or just exploring sound, Find the Note gives you real-time feedback at your fingertips. Now supporting: Piano, Treble Clef, Alto Clef, Tenor Clef, Bass Clef, Bassoon, Clarinet (Bb, A, Eb), Bass Clarinet, Oboe, Piccolo, Flute, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, English Horn, French Horn (Treble & Bass Clef), Trombone (Bass & Tenor Clef), Trumpet (Bb), Euphonium (Bass & Treble Clef), Tuba, Violin, Viola, Cello (Bass & Tenor Clef), and Double Bass. Get precise, stay in tune, and make every note count!

Screenshots

Sheet Music Scanner4 screens
Find the Note4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Find the Note at free with in-app purchases against Sheet Music Scanner's subscription. Find the Note also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 61%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Sheet Music Scanner's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (6.5K vs 270). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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. Sheet Music Scanner sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Find the Note sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Sheet Music Scanner against 4.5 for Find the Note. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sheet Music Scanner has 6.5K ratings behind it against 270, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of Sheet Music Scanner's written reviews are positive against 75% of Find the Note's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sheet Music Scanner ships an update every 3 weeks, Find the Note monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Sheet Music Scanner versus Find the Note: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSheet Music ScannerFind the Note
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (6.5K ratings)4.5 (270 ratings) — better
Positive reviews61.0% of reviews75.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.5K — better270
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#138 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperApp Sub 1 LLCWhite Bread Games

Customer experience

Sheet Music Scanner

All ratings6,456 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral4.0%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews539 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral8.5%
Negative30.4%

Find the Note

All ratings262 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral1.9%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews110 reviews
Positive75.5%
Neutral3.6%
Negative20.9%

User reviews

Sheet Music Scanner

From 6.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Game changing app
  • 👍 Helpful for learning music
  • 💡 Useful for singers and musicians
  • 🚀 Accurate scanning and playback
  • 👍 Great value for the price

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Misses notes, rhythms, and symbols
  • 🐛 Struggles with complex music
  • 🔒 Requires subscription to fully use
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance

Find the Note

From 270 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works as intended
  • 🚀 Accurate note detection
  • 💡 Helpful for learning music
  • 👍 Simple and easy to use
  • 👍 Great for specific instruments (harmonica, steel drum, etc.)

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance (note detection issues, freezing, etc.)
  • 💰 Paywall for full functionality
  • 🔒 Microphone access issues
  • 🔇 Lack of sensitivity/volume adjustment

Bugs and requests

Sheet Music Scanner

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Misses key signatures and accidentals
  • Struggles with handwritten or low-quality sheet music
  • Separates hands/voices incorrectly in multi-staff scores

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to manually edit scanned music
  • Improve support for repeats, codas, and complex rhythms
  • Allow selecting/isolating individual instrument/voice parts
  • Add count-in and metronome features
  • Improve export options (e.g. separate instrument tracks)

Find the Note

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App not detecting notes correctly
  • Microphone access not working
  • Crashing or freezing issues

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add support for more instruments and clefs
  • Implement a note history/recording feature
  • Add a sensitivity/volume adjustment slider

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Sheet Music Scanner

Subscriptions13
  • Notation Scanner$4.991 Month
  • Notation Scanner$9.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner$14.991 Year
Show 10 more
  • Notation Scanner$17.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner7 Days trial$22.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner1 Month trial$22.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner$22.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner14 Days trial$22.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner$24.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner2 variants$29.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner$34.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner7 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • Notation Scanner7 Days trial$44.991 Year
1 purchases

Find the Note

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Version$2.99

Questions

Is Sheet Music Scanner free?
Sheet Music Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Find the Note free?
Find the Note is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Sheet Music Scanner or Find the Note?
Find the Note is rated higher. Sheet Music Scanner averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.5K ratings, while Find the Note averages 4.5 from 270 ratings.
Do Sheet Music Scanner or Find the Note have ads?
Find the Note shows ads; Sheet Music Scanner does not.
Which is updated more often, Sheet Music Scanner or Find the Note?
Sheet Music Scanner ships an update every 3 weeks, and Find the Note monthly. Most recently, Sheet Music Scanner was updated on October 29, 2026 and Find the Note on October 30, 2026.

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