Earz

Earz is an online platform that teaches ear training, notation, theory and broader music knowledge through games. It suits schools, private music teachers and ensembles that need adjustable activities and oversight of learners. The central trade-off is clear: substantial teacher control and school capacity options in exchange for an internet-dependent, annually billed setup.

Overview

Earz combines a library of ready-made exercises with tools for building original teaching material. Content is aimed at different ages and levels, making it usable from primary education through more advanced group instruction. Bands and choirs can also use the same game-based approach for shared musical skills, while individual learners have a separate Solo plan.

This is not an offline practice package. Earz requires an internet connection, so it is a poor fit for lessons or rehearsal spaces where reliable connectivity cannot be assumed. The service runs on a central server in Frankfurt; Soundsupply says personal data is handled under GDPR, transferred over SSL and encrypted in storage. Earz uses cookies but says they are not tracking cookies. Reported technical problems are answered within 24 hours on working days.

Key features

Dozens of standard games provide immediate material for ear training, note reading, theory and music knowledge. Teachers can copy and alter those games or start from scratch, adding their own wording, links, images, sound files and YouTube videos. That makes Earz useful when a curriculum, repertoire or class needs something more specific than a fixed sequence, although the strongest return comes to teachers willing to create and maintain content.

The Quiz module broadens that authoring model with custom questions, multiple question formats and multimedia prompts. An AI assistant can assess open-ended responses, but it is described as a beta feature, so educators should keep human review in the workflow rather than rely on it as a definitive grader.

Results appear in the online Student Tracking System, giving teachers a way to follow individual performance across activities. Organizations with an Earz subscription can also use the standard API to retrieve user lists, user details and progress in their administrative systems. An administrator must request a client key, making this integration more appropriate for established schools and organizations than for casual individual use.

Pricing

A 7-day trial and a free plan provide a low-risk way to assess the games and teaching workflow. Paid school plans are billed annually and are sized by people for one school year:

PlanPrice and capacityEarz School 20€35 a year; up to 20 peopleEarz School 60€95 a year; up to 60 peopleEarz School 150€155 a year; maximum 150 people for one yearEarz School 250€195 a year; up to 250 people; annual one-hour teacher webinarEarz School 500€295 a year; up to 500 people; annual one-hour teacher webinarEarz School 1000€395 a year; up to 1,000 people; annual one-hour teacher webinarEarz School 1500€495 a year; up to 1,500 people; annual one-hour teacher webinarEarz School 2000€595 a year; up to 2,000 people; annual one-hour teacher webinarEarz School 2500€695 a year; up to 2,500 people; annual one-hour teacher webinarThe lower tiers suit small classes and departments; moving up avoids per-person caps for larger schools, with the 250-and-above plans adding a yearly teacher webinar. Earz Solo costs €999 a year, supports unlimited use on Android and iOS, requires no subscription and has no in-app purchases. That unusually high one-time-style annual price is aimed at a user who values unrestricted mobile access, not a budget-conscious individual. Plans without a published price require custom pricing.

Platforms

Earz supports Android, iOS, macOS, Windows and the web. It also runs on PC, Mac and Chromebook, but all use is online; there is no offline access. The broad device coverage helps mixed-device schools, while the connectivity requirement remains a practical constraint for travel and unreliable networks.

Who it's for

Choose Earz for primary or secondary schools, private music schools, bands and choirs where teachers need to adapt games and inspect results. It is especially suitable for organizations that can use annual capacity plans and, when needed, connect an administrative system through the API. Individual learners wanting a simple, fixed, self-guided course or offline practice should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Pros

Teacher-created games support text, links, images, sound and YouTube material, allowing close alignment with lessons.

Student Tracking and API access provide useful oversight for classes and larger organizations.

Plans scale from 20 to 2,500 people, with teacher webinars on the larger tiers.

Android, iOS, desktop and web support accommodates mixed-device deployments.

Cons

An internet connection is mandatory, and offline access is unavailable.

School subscriptions are annual and capped by people, so a growing cohort may require a higher tier.

AI grading is still beta and should not replace teacher judgment.

The Solo price of €999 a year is difficult to justify for ordinary individual practice.

Alternatives

See the Music Learning Apps list for a wider comparison. Pick Solfeg.io instead if you want a freemium school offering with songs, theory quizzes, lesson plans and instrument workouts. flowkey is the better choice for piano learners seeking a free account with selected songs and course lessons. Choose Rocksmith+ for music-learning content on Android, iOS and Windows. Skoove suits learners who prefer selected free course lessons and a conventional premium subscription. Better Ears is an alternative for desktop and mobile ear-training practice. ChordIQ offers another freemium option across Android, iOS and macOS. Guitar Tricks is oriented toward guitar lessons and technique resources. Piano Marvel is aimed at piano practice with songs, scoring and lesson exercises.

Verdict

Earz is a strong choice for schools and music organizations that want editable game-based material, measurable student progress and capacity plans that scale to large cohorts. Its decisive advantages are teacher authoring and tracking across many platforms. Look elsewhere if offline use, a straightforward individual subscription or a lower-cost Solo option matters more than institutional control.