Comparison

Medly vs SoundLab

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

Head to head
About

Medly

Create studio-quality music productions with an intuitive interface. Easily arrange notes, audio samples, and loops into sections to build songs. Offers advanced tools for editing, automation, and sharing your creations.

Highlights
  • Section-based song building
  • Touch-optimized note editing
  • Audio recording and import
  • Automated effects and pitch bends
  • SoundCloud and file sharing
  • Inter-App Audio and Ableton Link support
Features
Read full description

Music-making for everyone. From new musicians looking to get started to experienced producers, Medly has everything you need to unleash your musical spark. A Best of App Store 2016 winner, Medly’s simple interface is packed with advanced tools to create studio-quality productions. Get started for free with the Starter Pack of 17 instruments and over 100 loops and samples. You can also try Medly Member free for 7 days to unlock over 3500 instruments, loops, and exclusive features. CREATIVE CONTROL Music-making can be intimidating. Medly makes it easy by breaking songs down into Sections. You can add notes, audio samples, and loops to your Sections, then copy, paste and rearrange them to build your song. At any time, use the History tool to quickly rewind and undo your changes. A MAGIC TOUCH TO NOTES From simply adding a note to complex multi-note editing, each interaction was carefully designed with touch in mind. And with over 300 instruments available to Members, you can quickly try out different sounds and find your style. AMPLIFIED AUDIO Edit, snap, and trim your audio clips to your liking. Record or import audio, or use a sample from Medly’s vast audio library. You can record audio up to 4 bars or become a Member and record and import audio up to 30 seconds. As a Member, bring your songs to the next level with professionally recorded vocals by Medly’s talented artists. POINT PERFECT AUTOMATION Automatically change volume, echo, and other effects to add fades and pitch bends to your sounds. Snap between points and beats to achieve point perfect precision and use the selection tool to edit multiple automation points together. Then open the effect picker to quickly see the automation graphs of all effects within a Section. SHARE AND PLAY Quickly upload your songs to SoundCloud, or share them as a video, audio, MIDI, or Medly file. You can also connect Medly to other apps using Inter-App Audio or play in time using Ableton Link. MADE IN CANADA We’re a small team working relentlessly to make Medly possible. We’d love to know what you think about Medly, let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or email us at hi@medlylabs.com *iPad App of the Year: Japan and South Korea *iPhone App of the Year Runner-Up: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan https://medlylabs.com/legal

About

SoundLab

This app provides desktop-grade audio editing tools on your mobile device. It features a multi-track editor with numerous effects, an AI vocal separator, and a robust audio recorder. It's designed for music and podcast creators needing a convenient, on-the-go solution.

Highlights
  • 16-track audio editor
  • Over 20 audio effects
  • AI Vocal Separator
  • Audio recorder with input selection
  • Recording studio with external mic support
  • Video composer for soundtrack videos
  • Lossless output formats
Features
Read full description

Bringing desktop-grade audio editing, recording, and on-device AI together, SoundLab is a powerful sound editor that lets you edit audio, clean up speech, separate vocals, and mix up to 16 tracks. SoundLab is more than an audio editor. It is built for the ideas, quick edits, and unexpected creative needs that come up during music and podcast production, so you can start creating anytime, anywhere on your iPhone or iPad. We won't claim SoundLab replaces a desktop DAW. But it is a serious mobile production tool for the moment the idea arrives and you don't want to open a computer — or wait thirty seconds for a desktop DAW to launch. Precise Multitrack Audio Editor • Mix up to 16 tracks with gain, pan, mute, and reordering. • Copy, cut, paste, trim, insert, replace, split, duplicate, join, move, and more—with unlimited undo/redo. • Zoom smoothly for millisecond-level selections. • Loop any range while you work. • Draw non-destructive volume curves for fades and ducking. • Record overdubs directly into your project while monitoring playback. AI Vocal Separator & Vocal Remover Separate vocals and instrumentals, create acapellas, or make backing tracks with the vocal remover. Karaoke Mode preserves fuller accompaniment. AI runs locally: no uploads or server queue. AI Stem Separator Split into four stems—vocals, drums, bass, other—or six with guitar and piano. Preview and balance parts, then export a mix or individual stems. AI Noise Reducer & Audio Enhancer Use AI Noise Reducer on recordings or AI Noise Suppression on selected audio. EQ, compression, de-essing, normalization, amplification, and Bass Boost provide enhancement for voice and music. 25+ Selection-Based Effects Apply 25+ effects to any waveform range, including AI separation and noise suppression, 10-band EQ, Reverb Pro, Tape Delay, Compressor, Change Pitch/Tempo, Fade In/Out, Phaser, Reverse, Silence Remover, and more. Master Effects Master Effects run in real time on the mix bus. Adjust tempo, pitch, reverb, and EQ while previewing, then export alternate versions without changing tracks or clips. Audio Recorder • Quick Recorder: Capture ideas with your chosen input device. • Recording Studio: Monitor your mic, set input gain, use a limiter and reverb, and record over a backing track—with or without it in the saved mix. • Use compatible external microphones and audio interfaces recognized by iOS. Import, Create & Organize • Import from Files, Music Library, other apps, or Wi-Fi; extract audio from video. • Convert text to speech and add, insert, or replace audio in your project. • Sync audio with iCloud; archive and restore projects through iCloud, USB drives, or external storage. • Use Video Composer to mix audio with video and create soundtrack videos. Flexible Export Export AAC, ALAC, MP3, FLAC, or WAV with selectable channels and sample rates, plus high-bitrate and lossless options. Add metadata and cover art in supported formats. Save to Files or iCloud, share, or export a ringtone. SoundLab is perfect for: • Music lovers and independent creators • Podcast and voice-over producers • Music students and teachers • Especially for users who are familiar with Audacity or Audition SoundLab Pro SoundLab Pro unlocks all Pro features. Choose monthly or annual auto-renewing subscriptions or a one-time permanent purchase. All support Family Sharing with up to five other family members. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation. Free trials convert to paid subscriptions, and subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel in App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.castpeer.biz/agreement.html Privacy Policy: https://www.castpeer.biz/privacy.html Customer Support Contact us in the app: Mine → Contact Us Official website: https://www.soundlabs.app YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@soundlab-app

Screenshots

Medly4 screens
SoundLab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: SoundLab at #114 against Medly's unranked. Medly's advantage is review sentiment (74% vs 65%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Medly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and SoundLab sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. 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 — 4.6 for Medly against 4.6 for SoundLab. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39K and 15K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Medly's written reviews are positive against 65% of SoundLab's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Medly ships an update every 6 days, SoundLab weekly. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Medly versus SoundLab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMedlySoundLab
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (39K ratings)4.6 (15K ratings) — better
Positive reviews74.1% of reviews — better64.9% of reviews
Number of ratings39K — better15K
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#114 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size336 MB173 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperMedly Labs Inc.孛 刘

Customer experience

Medly

All ratings38,095 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral4.9%
Negative6.2%
Written reviews911 reviews
Positive74.1%
Neutral10.0%
Negative15.9%

SoundLab

All ratings14,345 ratings
Positive89.9%
Neutral4.1%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews544 reviews
Positive64.9%
Neutral9.0%
Negative26.1%

User reviews

Medly

From 39K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for beginners
  • 🎨 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 🎶 Variety of sounds and instruments
  • 💡 Helpful tutorials
  • 🚀 Simple and efficient

Room to improve

  • 💰 Subscription model too expensive
  • 🔒 Limited access to features without subscription
  • 🎨 Restricted customization options
  • 🎶 Lack of diverse instrument selection
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs

SoundLab

From 15K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 AMAZING EXPERIENCE
  • 👍 Easy to use and simple layout
  • 🚀 Exactly what I was looking for
  • 👍 Great app for creating recordings
  • 🚀 Excellent

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Doesn't separate two vocals
  • 🐛 Pitch change issues
  • 🐛 Saving issues
  • 🐛 Crashes and corrupted files
  • 🐛 Confusing UI

Bugs and requests

Medly

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Audio playback issues when switching between screens
  • Freezing and crashing when exporting or sharing songs
  • Inconsistent behavior when moving and arranging notes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more free instrument packs
  • Implement ability to change time signatures
  • Allow importing custom sounds and samples
  • Improve recording and playback functionality
  • Introduce more advanced music production tools

SoundLab

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes when using EQ
  • Inability to open/delete projects
  • Audio files not recognized
  • Saving issues causing data loss

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to add unlimited tracks
  • More precise tempo control
  • Stronger vocal remover
  • Ability to create custom album covers

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Medly

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly - Medly Member7 Days trial4 variants$9.991 Month
  • Yearly - Medly Member7 Days trial4 variants$59.991 Year
3 purchases

SoundLab

Subscriptions2
  • PRO Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
  • PRO Annual Subscription3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Permanent PRO$49.99

Questions

Is Medly free?
Medly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SoundLab free?
SoundLab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Medly or SoundLab?
SoundLab is rated higher. Medly averages 4.6 out of 5 from 39K ratings, while SoundLab averages 4.6 from 15K ratings.
Do Medly or SoundLab have ads?
Neither Medly nor SoundLab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Medly or SoundLab?
Medly ships an update every 6 days, and SoundLab weekly. Most recently, Medly was updated on November 2, 2026 and SoundLab on November 2, 2026.

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