A number of apps have been released to read music on the iPad. There are four main categories these apps fall into, as far as I can see:
1. Apps that read (and recognize) your music.
2. Apps that read everything.
3. Apps that allow paid downloading from a single source
4. Apps that display music included with the app
Here’s a breakdown of some of the apps that fall in each category, as well as some features of each.
Apps that read your music:
MusicReader (free, $59 or $99 Mac or PC version required) – A comprehensive music reading app, which recognizes measures and displays on the iPad in either full or half page (landscape) modes. All kinds of image files are supported by the program, not just PDF’s. Annotation and playlist support are inlcuded, and the app has been updated several times, showing an active development team. The iTunes description boasts integrating with an available music stand and an upcoming foot pedal.
Apps that read everything:
Forscore ($4.99) – A music centered app that reads PDF’s. It doesn’t recognize the music on the page, but instead adds a metronome, the ability to create playlists, and tools to annotate your music.
Good Reader ($.99) – While not a music reader specifically, Good Reader reads PDF, TXT, and all Microsoft Office and iWork formats, plus more. Good Reader can use USB file transfer or link over WiFi to a computer or Mobile Me account. Good Reader does not support annotating, but is a simple viewer and cataloger of PDF files, music included.
Unreal Book ($4.99): This app features many of the reading capabilities of apps like Good Reader, but adds the capability to bookmark as well as iTunes library playback controls in-app.
Apps that allow paid downloading from a single source:
MusicNotes Sheet Music Reader (Free) – This app only syncs proprietary files downloaded from Musicnotes.com. It offers annotation, a metronome, and bookmarking. Ironically, this app’s biggest limitation – only reading music purchased from Musicnotes – is also it’s greatest strength: it’s legal, folks. While I’d argue a single copy of sheet music you own being used on your iPad is within Copyright fair use, putting the music on a classroom full of iPads is a gray area, even if you own 40 physical copies. With purchases from Musicnotes, using them on the iPad is part of the license, even if using it on 40 might not be.
Apps that display music included with the app:
iReal Book ($7.99): 900 standard charts are included with this app, which is designed to run on both the iPad and iPhone/iPod Touch. While it doesn’t include lyrics, it does show changes, with the ability to alter the chords shown, and to change the key of the piece. The app promises one-page charts for all songs, so the player can keep his hands on the keyboard.
One more thing:
If you’re looking into using an iPad to read your music, you may need to transfer your files to the PDF format. In my case, I’ve been scanning music into my computer in TIFF format for optical character recognition (OCR) using SmartScore for years. If you have files in any graphics format you’d like to convert to PDF, I recommend the Mac program Graphic Converter ($34.95, functioning demo available). It includes a batch converter that can read a series of nested folders (like I have) and make every appropriate file into a PDF. I converted about 250 choral octavos into PDF in a few minutes, uploaded them to my iPad via Mobile Me, and brought them into Good Reader, and now I have an entire choral library at my fingertips!
If you’ve used an iPad music reading software you feel deserves mention – post your comments below!
I have been following your blog for a while (since the iPad came out) and enjoy your reviews. Here’s a quick question: Between ForScore and UnrealBook, which app do you think would be better for a musician who is mostly reading single sheets (lead sheets and 16-32 bar ballet exercises) as opposed to long scores?
Metronome and audio playback aren’t as important as being able to jump from one sheet to the next and finding titles quickly.
I’m currently using GoodReader, but that involves creating huge multi-page pdf’s in Acrobat or PDFPen Pro in order to have a “playlist” via table of contents.
Dave – nice blog, keep up the good work! I hope you’ll take a look at what we’re doing here at MusickEd.com and read some of the posts at Discover, Learn, Play. We are excited about where technology might lead (or dare I say save?) the profession of music education. In a profession that is hopelessly ensconced in the past and far too often narrow minded in scope, it’s refreshing to learn about guys like you who are looking to the future, willing to embrace change, and adapt new technologies. Kudos.
My earlier comment didn’t make it I guess. I’ll try again. Your readers may want to know about two brass player specific iPad apps – Trumpet Pro HD and French Horn HD that enable a brass player to work on fingering techniques, chord changes, ear training and composition.
Sorry, as this blog has increased in popularity, my spam filter is picking up >30 spam messages a day, and you may have been caught up in that. I know of a few brass players who would be very interested. Thanks for the info!
Hi Dave, Couldn’t find an email address for you so I
thought I’d comment on your most recent post. Just found your blog
and I hope that you’ll be keeping things going into the start of
term again. I’m also very excited about the possibilities of music
applications on the iPad, so much so that myself and a couple of
colleagues started a company to develop (among other things) high
quality music apps. Our first app is called “musix” and is a fully
customizable isomorphic keyboard, great for teaching alternative
interaction metaphors beyond the standard keyboard and for
discovering new compositional ideas. It’s similar to jammers,
concertinas and the C-thru Axis, if you’ve seen any of these.
Please let me know if you would like a promo code for this app so
you can try it out and let us know what you think. We’re very
excited to hear feedback from other ipad music enthusiasts. And
hey, if you like it, maybe you could blog about it! Again, please
let me know and I’d be happy to provide you with a promo code for
the app. You can check it out at our website which I provided in
the “website” field of your reply form thing. Thanks!
Dave, Just a question about Graphic Converter: what are its
results in converting a TIF to a PDF? I’m trying to eliminate a
step in the process of getting sheet music to PDF. Right now, I’m
photocopying each page at 107% and then using our Ricoh copiers to
scan the documents at 200 dpi, automatically making a PDF. I’m
trying to use the scanned images from Finale (TIF files) to make
PDFs, but when I use the Mac’s Preview, and convert TIF to PDF, the
files are pretty big (a .350 MB TIF becomes a 2.5 MB PDF). I can
save documents as a lower quality PDF, but I want something
inbetween in terms of quality. Any suggestions?
hey Dave. nice blog! keep up the amazing job! the idea of
getting an iPad to my classes is growing in me. I focus mainly on
imrpvisation, and I need your help. can the iPad play a song while
displaying a PDF file simultaneously? i.e.: playing a play-a-long
MP3 while displaying the PDF score? your help will be largely
appreciated. regards, Bernardo Aguilar, México City.