# Musicnotes vs DM Studio

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DM Studio at none against Musicnotes's 13. DM Studio also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). Musicnotes's advantage is chart position (#189 vs unranked). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Musicnotes sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. DM Studio asks for nothing beyond the download.

Musicnotes ships an update fortnightly, DM Studio every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Musicnotes | DM Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (43K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **43K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 54.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#189** | — |
| Size | 121 MB | 32 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Musicnotes](https://appshunter.io/developer/369741037) | [Hit It Productions Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/6787456818) |

## What reviewers say

### Musicnotes

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

**Currently charting:** #189 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

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


### DM Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dm-studio/id6787456816)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Musicnotes free?

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

### Is DM Studio free?

DM Studio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Musicnotes or DM Studio have ads?

Musicnotes shows ads; DM Studio does not.

### Which is updated more often, Musicnotes or DM Studio?

Musicnotes ships an update fortnightly, and DM Studio every 3 days. Most recently, Musicnotes was updated on October 17, 2026 and DM Studio on October 5, 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.*