Better Ears vs Hoffman Academy

Better Ears is an ear-training and sight-reading app for musicians, students, and teachers, with exercises spanning listening and music reading. Its 15 exercises include rhythm recognition and rhythm reading; rhythm practice can use a count-in, metronome, triplets, and time signatures including 3/4, 4/4, and 5/4. Answers may be sung, played on a real instrument, entered with a virtual keyboard or guitar fretboard, or sent through a MIDI device. Four preset levels are available, and an editor lets users build levels, chords, scales, and chord progressions. The app includes six instruments, supports custom SoundFonts, and the site says Mac can use more than 100 sounds through DLS SoftSynth. It records correct and incorrect answers for each exercise and question. Levels, sounds, and statistics are described as syncing across Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android, with Dropbox syncing for levels, statistics, and settings. Better Ears runs on Android, iOS, and macOS. Android costs CHF 2.60, paid once; the iPhone and iPad app costs $4.99, paid once. A free Mac Beginner edition and a free macOS trial are listed.

Hoffman Academy provides online piano lessons through a step-by-step video curriculum for beginners. Its website offers more than 400 free video lessons, and free accounts track each student's last completed lesson. The Hoffman Method covers reading, understanding, and creating music, including theory, improvisation, and composition. Lessons are intended for kids, teens, and adults learning at home and at their own pace. Premium adds guided practice sessions with step-by-step activities and professionally recorded play-along tracks, along with printable lesson materials, sheet music, downloadable audio, and interactive games. The games develop rhythm, note recognition, sight reading, and ear training. Premium materials and games are licensed to one student, and access ends when the subscription ends. Teacher Studio is described as a membership for managing students and creating assignments with Hoffman Method books and other learning resources. The web-based app works on internet-connected phones, tablets, and computers, including Apple and Android devices.