Guitar2Tabs vs Melody Scanner

Guitar2Tabs turns guitar recordings and YouTube links into editable tabs and sheet music. It supports acoustic, electric and bass guitar, for both strummed parts and picked melodies. Users can upload audio, record in the app or paste a YouTube link, then play back the transcription and edit notes before exporting. Notation can be shown as tabs or standard notation. Export formats include PDF, quantized or unquantized MIDI, MusicXML and Guitar Pro files, compatible with MuseScore, Sibelius, Guitar Pro, Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase and GarageBand. A personal songbook stores files and makes transcriptions accessible on desktop devices. The free demo allows unlimited transcriptions of up to 20 seconds each without signup, and the Free plan includes PDF downloads. Instrument Pro is $14.99 a month, billed monthly, for 50 full transcriptions per month, up to 15 minutes each, additional export formats and a browser-based editor. The service runs on the web, Android and iOS.

Melody Scanner converts songs into piano arrangements, chords, and melodies. You can provide music by recording it, uploading an MP3 or WAV, or pasting a YouTube link. Its Arrangement Mode makes piano arrangements suited to a chosen playing difficulty and offers different styles. Lead Sheet Mode transcribes a melody and chords for an instrument; Universal Mode transcribes audible notes from solo recordings of different instruments. Results can be reviewed and edited as sheet music, in pianoroll, or as guitar TAB. Export options include PDF, MIDI, MusicXML, and GuitarPro. The free plan allows recordings up to one minute and sheets up to 40 bars, with PDF export. The FAQ cautions that the main aim is turning a song into notes, rather than ensuring an accurate transcription. Melody Scanner is available on Android, iOS, and the web. The Free plan costs nothing; the Monthly Subscription is $499 a month, and the Yearly Subscription is $3,999 a year.