Better Ears vs Piano Marvel

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.

Piano Marvel is piano-learning software with lessons, practice tools and a song library for learners at different levels. The Free plan costs nothing and includes 150+ songs, performance feedback and scoring, 200+ lesson exercises and 25 video lessons. Premium costs $17.99 a month; Annual costs $129.99 a year. Both list 25,000+ songs, 1,200+ lesson exercises, 200+ video lessons and the option to upload music. The wider library includes titles from Hal Leonard, Alfred and FJH Music Company. Practice Mode follows the player’s pace, while Play Mode gives performance feedback. The Standard Assessment of Sight-Reading provides a score and chart of progress. Teachers and schools can use progress reports, custom assignments and student content uploads. Keyboards connect through USB, MIDI or Bluetooth MIDI. Piano Marvel recommends a MIDI-enabled piano; acoustic piano users can use Book Mode. The platform list includes Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows, and the pricing page also lists Chromebook. Piano Marvel says it adheres to student privacy regulations including FERPA, PPRA, COPPA and California’s SOPIPA, and does not sell personally identifiable information.