Comparison

NoteNames+ vs DAC App

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

Head to head
About

NoteNames+

This app helps young musicians instantly recognize note names across treble, bass, and alto clefs. It aids in learning key signatures, scales, and enharmonic notes, making music study more efficient and engaging.

Highlights
  • Treble, bass, and alto clef training
  • Enharmonic note recognition
  • Key signature training
  • Scale spelling
  • Key signature building
  • Teacher class codes for student scores
Features
Read full description

NoteNames+ tackles one of the most serious roadblocks for young musicians: The ability to instantly recognize the names of notes. Instantaneous note recognition allows students to process other important information, such as dynamics, articulation, phrasing, fingerings, and so on. NoteNames+ was first developed nearly 20 years ago for the Macintosh, and now it lives on via iOS. Gone are the days of writing the names of notes above the music! Use NoteNames+ as a regular part of your curriculum. Features include: *Training for treble, bass AND alto clefs! *Enharmonic training *Major and minor key signature recognition *Scale spelling (major) *Key signature building (major and minor) *Google Docs implementation (free) Teachers can create their own unique school code in order to receive student scores and to set their own preference requirements *on a per-class basis* which is extremely powerful. Contact us to do this (it's free). NoteNames+ rewards speed *and* accuracy. Students will remain engaged rather than zoning out in a self-paced tutorial format.

About

DAC App

This free application simplifies the recording of student audio responses for specific AP exams. It streamlines the process for both students and proctors, and automatically uploads audio files for school staff. Designed for use on school-issued iPads.

Highlights
  • Record audio responses for AP exams
  • Simplify recording process
  • Intuitive interface for students
  • Streamline post-exam tasks
  • Direct upload of audio files
  • Designed for school-owned iPads
Read full description

The Digital Audio Capture (DAC) app is a free app developed by College Board and ETS to use for recording students’ audio responses for the AP Music Theory Exam and AP French, German, Italian, and Spanish Language and Culture Exams. This app has been developed to simplify the recording process for students and proctors, utilizing current technology that is intuitive to most students. It streamlines post-exam tasks for school staff by directly uploading student audio files after recording. School staff will follow the instructions in the 2025-26 AP Exam Instructions book to administer an exam using the DAC app. NOTE: The DAC app is limited for use on school-owned and -controlled iPad tablets (iOS 15.0 and above). Schools must update to the 2026 version of the DAC app; previous versions of the app will not work in 2026.

Screenshots

NoteNames+2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NoteNames+ at 67% against DAC App's 20%. NoteNames+ also leads on rating (4.1 vs 1.8) and update cadence (weekly vs every 12 months). On price, ratings volume, ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NoteNames+ holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 1.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 16 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of NoteNames+'s written reviews are positive against 20% of DAC App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NoteNames+ ships an update weekly, DAC App every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
NoteNames+ versus DAC App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNoteNames+DAC App
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (17 ratings) — better1.8 (16 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings17 — better16
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 12 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size50 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrian WisEducational Testing Service

Customer experience

NoteNames+

All ratings16 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral6.3%
Negative18.8%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

DAC App

All ratings16 ratings
Positive18.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative81.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%

In-app purchases

None

NoteNames+

No in-app purchases

None

DAC App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NoteNames+ free?
NoteNames+ is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DAC App free?
DAC App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NoteNames+ or DAC App?
NoteNames+ is rated higher. NoteNames+ averages 4.1 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while DAC App averages 1.8 from 16 ratings.
Do NoteNames+ or DAC App have ads?
Neither NoteNames+ nor DAC App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NoteNames+ or DAC App?
NoteNames+ ships an update weekly, and DAC App every 12 months. Most recently, NoteNames+ was updated on November 1, 2026 and DAC App on November 2, 2026.

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