# Musicnotes vs GM MIDI Player

The clearest difference is price: Musicnotes at Free against GM MIDI Player's $9.99. Musicnotes also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.1) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 52 months). GM MIDI Player's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Musicnotes is free to download; GM MIDI Player costs $9.99 up front. Musicnotes sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. GM MIDI Player asks for nothing beyond the download.

Musicnotes holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Musicnotes has 43K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Musicnotes's written reviews are positive against 78% of GM MIDI Player's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Musicnotes ships an update fortnightly, GM MIDI Player every 52 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Musicnotes | GM MIDI Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984/reviews)** | [4.1 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gm-midi-player/id1445780869/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | 54.9% of reviews | **77.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 52 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 121 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Musicnotes](https://appshunter.io/developer/369741037) | [Jens Guell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1195004865) |

## What reviewers say

### Musicnotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984)

Access and play a vast library of digital sheet music. Practice with interactive tools, transpose keys, and annotate scores. Organize your music into set lists for lessons, rehearsals, or performances.

**Highlights:** Interactive sheet music player, Key transposition tool, Annotation and markup, Set list organization, 500,000+ sheet music arrangements, Personal sheet music upload, Interactive playback with tempo control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Musicnotes Pro | $14.99 | per year |
| PDF Sheet Music Arrangement | $2.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $3.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $5.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $6.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $7.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $8.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement + PDF | $8.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement + PDF | $9.99 | one-time |
| Sheet Music Arrangement | $12.99 | one-time |
| Pro Credit Pack (3 Credits) | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great convenience
- 🎹 Fantastic range of music
- 🎶 Adjustable to skill level
- 💻 Reliable and responsive
- 🎨 Helpful playback and annotation features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overpriced compared to other options
- 🔒 Restrictive printing and usage policies
- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🖥️ Inconsistent pricing between app and website
- 📱 Poor iPad and iPhone X support

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to access purchased content
- Crashes and performance problems, especially on newer devices
- Inconsistent behavior when navigating and scrolling sheet music
- Unreliable playback and sync features

**Requested features**

- Add ability to permanently delete pre-installed songs
- Improve note-taking and annotation tools, including Apple Pencil support
- Implement better browsing and search functionality
- Allow more flexible printing and copying options
- Add seamless syncing between app and website purchases


### GM MIDI Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gm-midi-player/id1445780869)

Play standard MIDI files on your iOS device with a built-in software synthesizer. Organize your music into playlists and share them seamlessly with other apps. Enjoy background playback and AirPlay support for a versatile listening experience.

**Highlights:** Plays standard MIDI files (.mid), Built-in software synthesizer, Create and manage playlists, Seamless iOS file manager integration, Background Audio playback, AirPlay support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Musicnotes free?

Musicnotes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is GM MIDI Player free?

GM MIDI Player costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Musicnotes or GM MIDI Player?

Musicnotes is rated higher. Musicnotes averages 4.8 out of 5 from 43K ratings, while GM MIDI Player averages 4.1 from 19 ratings.

### Do Musicnotes or GM MIDI Player have ads?

Musicnotes shows ads; GM MIDI Player does not.

### Which is updated more often, Musicnotes or GM MIDI Player?

Musicnotes ships an update fortnightly, and GM MIDI Player every 52 months. Most recently, Musicnotes was updated on November 1, 2026 and GM MIDI Player on October 30, 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.*