30 Great Apps and Devices for Musicians – Well, it’s amazing to know that musicians worldwide are turning mobile technology into a useful way of writing songs, recording, performing, and also practicing music. By this act, smartphone apps have grown in popularity. With the use of music apps, musicians have come in all shapes and sizes.
Some apps are for recording, others for editing, and lots more. However, since there are so many options, we will be giving you a list of 30 great apps and devices for musicians. You can check the list given below to make a good pick:
GarageBand (iOS)
GarageBand is an amazing music creation app that turns your iOS device into a full-featured recording studio. It offers a wide range of virtual instruments, including keyboards, guitars, drums, and synths, as well as a variety of audio effects and recording capabilities. It is very compatible and user-friendly.
FL Studio Mobile (iOS/Android)
FL Studio Mobile brings the popular digital audio workstation (DAW) to your mobile device. It allows you to create, edit, and arrange music using a wide range of virtual instruments, effects, and audio editing tools. It also supports MIDI controllers for enhanced control.
Pro Tools (iOS/Android)
Pro Tools is a professional-grade DAW used by many music producers, engineers, and artists. The mobile version provides a streamlined interface with powerful recording, editing, and mixing capabilities. It supports a wide range of audio formats and offers advanced features like automation and plugin support.
Ableton Live (iOS/Android)
Ableton Live is a versatile DAW known for its real-time performance and loop-based composition features. The mobile app lets you create and manipulate musical ideas on the go, using a range of virtual instruments, effects, and loops. It also supports Ableton Link for synchronizing with other devices.
KORG Gadget (iOS/Android)
KORG Gadget is a collection of virtual synthesizers and drum machines packed into one app. It offers a variety of instruments with different sound characteristics, allowing you to create electronic music easily. The app supports MIDI and Ableton Link for seamless integration with other devices and software.
iReal Pro (iOS/Android)
iReal Pro is a practice tool designed for musicians of all levels. It provides a vast library of chord progressions and backing tracks for various musical styles. You can customize the chord progressions, change the tempo, and practice improvisation over the provided accompaniment.
Yousician (iOS/Android)
Yousician is an interactive app that helps you learn guitar, piano, bass, ukulele, or singing. It offers step-by-step tutorials, exercises, and real-time feedback on your playing. The app includes a wide range of songs to practice and allows you to track your progress over time.
Ultimate Guitar (iOS/Android)
Ultimate Guitar is a popular app for guitarists. It provides a vast library of guitar tabs and chords for a wide range of songs. You can access interactive tabs with multiple instrument tracks, adjustable playback speed, and looping. It also offers chord diagrams and a tuner tool.
SoundHound (iOS/Android)
SoundHound is a music identification app that recognizes songs by listening to a short audio sample. It provides information about the song, including lyrics, artist details, and album information. You can also sing or hum a tune, and the app will attempt to identify it.
Shazam (iOS/Android)
Shazam is another popular music identification app. It listens to music and identifies the song, artist, and album details. Shazam also provides links to music streaming services and lets you save identified songs for later reference.
Tempo (iOS/Android)
Tempo is a metronome app that helps musicians stay on time. It offers customizable time signatures, accents, and visual indicators. You can create and save tempo presets, tap to set the tempo, and use subdivision features for practicing complex rhythms.
Anytune (iOS/Android)
Anytune is a music practice app that allows you to slow down songs, change pitch, and loop sections for learning and practicing. It includes features like marking and looping specific sections, adjusting playback speed, and changing the pitch without affecting the tempo. It’s a valuable tool for musicians who want to learn complex solos or practice difficult passages.
OnSong (iOS/Android)
OnSong is a digital sheet music app designed for live performances. It allows you to import and organize your sheet music library, create setlists, and annotate your charts with chord changes, lyrics, and notes. The app supports various file formats and offers features like auto-scrolling and Bluetooth pedal integration for hands-free page turning.
ForScore (iOS)
ForScore is another popular sheet music app that enables you to store and manage your sheet music collection digitally. It supports importing PDFs and offers features like annotation tools, customizable page-turning options, and advanced searching capabilities. It’s an excellent tool for musicians who prefer a paperless approach.
DrumGenius (iOS/Android)
DrumGenius is a drum practice app that provides a vast library of drumless play-along tracks. It covers a wide range of musical genres and allows drummers to practice their grooves, fills, and improvisation skills. The app offers adjustable tempos, different time signatures, and the ability to mute individual instruments for focused practice.
Band-in-a-Box (iOS/Android)
Band-in-a-Box is a virtual backing band app that generates accompaniment tracks based on chord progressions you input. It offers a wide variety of musical styles and allows you to customize the instruments, tempo, and arrangements. The app is a valuable tool for practicing improvisation and songwriting.
Voice Memos (iOS)
Voice Memos is a built-in app on iOS devices that allows you to record and organize voice memos, song ideas, and rehearsals. It offers simple recording features, easy trimming and editing capabilities, and the ability to sync recordings across your devices using iCloud. It’s a convenient tool for capturing musical ideas on the go.
Notion (iOS/Android)
Notion is a music notation app that allows you to write, edit, and playback sheet music. It provides a comprehensive set of notation tools, including note entry, editing, and formatting features. The app supports MIDI input and output, allowing you to connect external devices for recording and playback.
Tunable (iOS/Android)
Tunable is a comprehensive tuner and metronome app that offers precise tuning capabilities and advanced metronome features. It provides various tuning modes, including chromatic, guitar, and orchestra, along with customizable temperaments. The metronome offers visual and audible indicators, subdivisions, and rhythmic patterns for effective practice.
Loopy HD (iOS)
Loopy HD is a live looping app that lets you layer and record multiple loops on the fly. It provides an intuitive interface for recording, overdubbing, and controlling loop lengths. The app supports MIDI control and synchronization, allowing you to integrate external devices and software for a more dynamic looping experience.
Audiobus (iOS)
Audiobus is an app that allows you to route audio between compatible music apps, creating a virtual studio on your device. It supports audio and MIDI connections, allowing you to combine different apps and use them together in real-time. Audiobus provides a flexible and creative way to integrate multiple music apps seamlessly.
Bias FX 2 Mobile (iOS)
Bias FX 2 Mobile is a guitar effects processor app that offers a wide range of virtual stompboxes, amps, and cabinets. It provides high-quality guitar and bass effects, including distortion, modulation, delay, reverb, and more. The app supports both preamp and full signal chain routing, allowing you to customize your guitar tones.
iZotope RX (iOS/Android)
iZotope RX is an audio editing and restoration app for cleaning up recordings and removing unwanted noise. It offers a range of powerful tools for repairing audio, including noise reduction, spectral editing, de-essing, and declipping. The app is useful for musicians who want to improve the quality of their recordings.
AmpliTube (iOS/Android)
AmpliTube is a guitar amp and effects modeling app that provides a vast collection of virtual gear. It offers realistic emulations of popular guitar amps, cabinets, pedals, and mics. The app allows you to create and customize your guitar tones, record directly into your device, and integrate with other music apps.
Moog Model 15 (iOS)
Moog Model 15 is a faithful recreation of the iconic Moog modular synthesizer. It offers a complete modular synth experience with a range of modules, including oscillators, filters, envelopes, and more. The app supports MIDI control and offers a powerful sound engine for creating rich and complex sounds.
Native Instruments iMaschine 2 (iOS)
iMaschine 2 is a groove production app that lets you create beats, melodies, and arrangements. It provides a range of drum kits, instruments, and effects, along with a step sequencer and sample editing capabilities. The app is a great tool for sketching musical ideas and creating grooves on the go.
Steinberg Cubasis (iOS)
Steinberg Cubasis is a mobile version of the popular Cubase DAW. It provides professional music production capabilities, including multi-track recording, MIDI sequencing, virtual instrument support, and audio editing tools. The app offers a user-friendly interface and allows for seamless project transfer between mobile and desktop versions of Cubase.
Animoog (iOS)
Animoog is a unique synthesizer app that combines traditional analog synthesis with advanced modulation capabilities. It offers a wide range of timbres and expressive control options, including touch-based control surfaces and a unique X/Y pad. The app is highly regarded for its sound quality and is a great tool for exploring sound design.
Onyx Blackjack Audio Interface (Device)
The Onyx Blackjack is a compact and portable USB audio interface. It offers high-quality audio recording and playback, with two Onyx microphone preamps and professional-grade converters. The interface provides zero-latency monitoring, hardware monitoring control, and rugged build quality, making it suitable for musicians on the go.
Akai MPK Mini MK3 MIDI Controller (Device)
The Akai MPK Mini MK3 is a compact MIDI controller that combines a keyboard, pads, and knobs in a portable package. It offers responsive keys, backlit velocity-sensitive pads, and assignable knobs for controlling software instruments and effects. The controller is highly versatile and suitable for music production, live performance, and mobile setups.
Conclusion
These apps and devices provide a wide range of features and functionalities to enhance various aspects of a musician’s workflow, including composition, recording, practice, performance, and sound manipulation. Choose the ones that align with your specific needs and musical preferences.
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