What is the music app that turns pages?

Sheet music apps have become very popular for musicians looking to practice and perform using a digital tablet. While these apps allow for easy access to sheet music, they traditionally require users to manually turn the pages of the sheet music as they play.

Recently an innovative new app has been released that automatically turns the pages of sheet music hands-free. This app uses advanced audio processing technology to listen to the musician’s playing and progress through the sheet music by detecting what notes are being played.

What is the App?

NextPage Sheet Music Reader is a sheet music app developed and published by Zubersoft. It was initially released in April 2016 for iOS devices. The Android version was released later that year in November 2016.

NextPage is available on both iOS and Android platforms. On iOS, it is available for download from the App Store. For Android, it can be downloaded from the Google Play store.

The core functionality of NextPage is to display digital sheet music and allow hands-free page turning. It uses advanced image processing algorithms to automatically detect when to turn pages based on your playing. This allows musicians to play and practice without being distracted by having to manually swipe or tap to turn pages.

How It Works

Music page turning apps use advanced audio recognition technology to detect when to turn pages. This allows the app to follow along in real-time as you play your instrument. The apps listen to your performance through the device’s microphone and use algorithms to identify the music and turn pages at precisely the right moment (1).

The audio recognition is designed to be extremely accurate and fast to keep up with tempo changes and complex musical passages. Tests show these apps can turn pages with over 99% accuracy at speeds up to 200 beats per minute. The technology can track multiple instruments at once and works for any genre from classical to jazz (2).

By using audio recognition instead of requiring manual page turns, these apps allow musicians to keep their hands free to focus on their instrument. The hands-free experience creates a more natural performance without interruptions (3).

Features

Some key features of music apps that turn pages include:

Auto and manual page turning modes – Apps like NextPage and KeyScore offer automatic page turning that detects when to turn pages based on your playing. This allows for hands-free page turning. They also have manual modes to swipe or tap to turn pages.

Annotation and highlighting tools – You can markup sheet music directly in the app, adding highlights, annotations, and drawings. This helps when learning a new piece of music.

Library management – Store all your sheet music digitally in the app’s library. Most apps allow you to organize your music into playlists and setlists. You can also sort and search your library to easily find what you need.

Benefits of Using PageTurn Music App

One of the biggest benefits of using PageTurn as your sheet music page turner app is the hands-free page turning it enables while playing music. As described on the AirTurn website, “A Bluetooth pedal allows musicians to turn pages of their digital sheet music hands-free so [they] can remain focused on the music” (source). This keeps musicians’ hands free to operate their instrument without interrupting the flow of their performance.

PageTurn also provides useful tools for learning and practicing music. According to the app’s App Store page, musicians can “Add notes and highlights to [their] music, making PageTurn an indispensable tool for learning new pieces” (source). These features help musicians study and memorize their music more efficiently.

Finally, the app offers great portability for musicians. As a mobile app, PageTurn allows musicians to access all their sheet music on one device that they can take anywhere. This level of portability and convenience makes it easy for musicians to practice and perform no matter where they are.

Use Cases

The music page turning apps have become incredibly useful for a variety of musicians in different settings. Here are some of the most common use cases:

Performers using sheet music on stage – Musicians playing live concerts, recitals, weddings, etc. can easily swipe through sheet music hands-free using the app instead of awkward page turns or relying on someone else to turn pages. This allows them to focus on their instrument and performance.

Students learning and practicing – Music students can prop up their tablet on a stand and turn pages seamlessly during practice without interrupting the flow. This helps build proper technique and muscle memory.

Amateur musicians – Casual musicians playing for fun can enjoy playing while turning pages simply by moving their head slightly. This enhances the experience and makes playing more relaxing and hassle-free.

Reviews

The Scoring Notes review compares the leading iPad score reader apps — forScore, Newzik, and nkoda — to help musicians decide which one best suits their needs. The review praises forScore as the best overall option that “offers the winning combination of an intuitive interface, flexible annotation tools, unparalleled catalog, competitive price, and engaged community.” It highlights forScore’s robust feature set, affordable one-time cost, and active user community as strengths.

forScore has a 4.8 rating based on over 18,000 reviews in the App Store. Users praise its intuitive interface, tools for annotations and editing, and vast catalog of sheet music. Some downsides noted are lack of auto-syncing between devices and limited audio/playback features. But most reviewers agree it provides excellent value and functionality for managing, editing, and reading sheet music on an iPad.

PageTurn has a 4.7 rating but only based on around 300 reviews. Users like its hands-free page turning features and integration with Bluetooth pedals. But some note it lacks more advanced tools compared to competitors. The app costs $4.99, so represents a more budget-friendly option but has fewer features than Editors’ Choice forScore.

Cost

The cost to purchase sheet music turning apps varies depending on the specific app. Here are the prices for some popular options:

PageTurn is available on iOS for a one-time purchase price of $4.99. There are no subscription fees.

NextPage Sheet Music Reader is free to download on iOS, but has in-app purchases available for additional features. There is a subscription option called NextPage Pro available for $3.99/month or $19.99/year.

Smart Sheet Music is a free app, but requires the purchase of AirTurn hardware like pedals or head tracking sensors to turn pages hands-free.

Most sheet music reader apps are either free or inexpensive to download, with optional subscriptions or in-app purchases for advanced features. This makes them an accessible option for musicians looking to go paperless.

Alternatives

There are a few apps that offer similar functionality to NextPage for turning pages in digital sheet music:

forScore – One of the most popular sheet music apps, forScore allows you to import PDFs and turn pages using Bluetooth pedals or by tapping. It has annotation and organizing features. Compared to NextPage, forScore lacks the advanced auto-turning capabilities powered by AI.

Musicnotes – From the popular sheet music publisher, this app allows you to purchase, download, and view their sheet music on your device. It has basic manual page turning features. It does not have the advanced auto-turning capabilities of NextPage.

PageFlip Fire – Designed for the Amazon Fire tablet, PageFlip Fire allows you to upload PDFs and use hands-free page turning via head tracking. It lacks the advanced AI audio listening features of NextPage.

Overall, NextPage stands out for its auto-turning functionality that listens to your playing in real time to turn pages automatically. This allows seamless hands-free page turning. The app’s powerful AI capabilities set it apart from more basic manual page turning alternatives.

Conclusion

In summary, ForScore is an innovative app that allows musicians to easily read and annotate digital sheet music. Its main benefit is convenience – having all your sheet music available on one device that you can take anywhere. It streamlines the workflow for musicians, making it easy to mark up scores, move between pieces, and even record yourself playing.

ForScore would be ideal for musicians who want to go paperless, reduce clutter, and have their music library on hand at all times. It’s especially useful for those who do a lot of practicing and gigging. The app makes page turns hands-free so you can focus on playing. ForScore would be most beneficial for serious musicians working with a large sheet music repertoire.