Appcompanist

This app has been so amazing and helpful, but the new update made it completely unusable. After the update, I logged back in and had to recreate a profile. I tried purchasing the low cost subscription, but it told me I already had that subscription. When I click “restore subscription” nothing happens. When I try adding a song to my pick six monthly it says there’s a server error and they were unable to connect to my Apple ID. Please fix this! I was using this for auditions.

Just started taking lessons again, and WOW! I wish I would have had this tool during my undergraduate! I use this with my students, myself, and anyone that is a musician! Can’t wait to see how this app evolves! Can’t imagine it getting any better! THANK YOU!!!

It’s great to see that this app has grown significantly since the last time I used it. I had it for a few years back when it first started, and I’m finding out why I canceled it now that I’ve decided to give it another go. The selection is pretty versatile, but the app isn’t great for self tapes. We typically use our phones for taping, and would be immensely more useful if they had a computer version of the app. The video feature they added is pretty rough and doesn’t solve that fix. The audio isn’t loud enough from the phone speaker, and if you plug into a speaker, the mic moves over to the speaker (which makes your recording incredibly track dominant). The custom song feature is also incredibly glitchy. The cuts rarely work and often revert. Would love to see improvements to make it easier for taping — it ends up being more cost effective to hire pianists to make custom tracks or find recordings on YouTube than pay for a subscription. For those who just want to practice along and learn songs in Appcompanist’s catalogue, 5 stars, so this review is purely for limited access on audition side.

As a high school choir teacher with limited piano skills, Appcompanist has been a game changer when it comes to rehearsals and sectionals. The versatility of the app allows for me to run sectionals more effectively, gives a little extra help in full rehearsals and assists my rehearsal accompanist to cover every part AND the accompaniment when I ask for the impossible. I've been using Appcompanist regularly this school year and I have seen real results as students use the choral shares to solidify their parts in their own time. I use the app during sectionals since I don't have a piano player in every section. My accompanist and I can "travel" from section to section to assist and guide while the students without one of us still have a solid recording to work with. During full rehearsals, I've had my accompanist play the accompaniment while using the app over speakers to assist with parts when needed. The fact that I can turn those parts on and off as we go is amazing. We are able to slow things down when needed and the consistency of the recordings is a huge help. In the past, my accompanist would spend hours making parts recordings that the students might use. With appcompanist, they have easier access to the recordings, there are never any glitches or mistakes and the sound is clear and consistent. More of them use the app than the recordings we made because of the flexibility they have now over our own recordings. My accompanist is also freed up to work with students individually or in small groups, rather than the hours spent making recordings. As the app's choral library grows, using it is easier than ever, though I also thoroughly appreciate the option to send music to them to be added. After just this short time of using Appcompanist regularly, I can't imagine going back to the way I did things before.

I love this app. But only when it works. At least once a semester so far, it disconnects from my Apple ID and then tells me I’m not connected to my Apple ID when I clearly am. I have restarted my phone, restarted the app, deleted the app and redownloaded. Nothing works. The last thing I tried, which was deleting the app, caused it to fully log out of my subscription with accompanist. I clicked restore subscription and it says it can’t connect with servers, again because of my Apple ID. I checked my Apple ID and it clearly states that I still have access to my subscription. It’s clearly not my fault, and I need this fixed ASAP. Otherwise, the app is great. Love it but when it doesn’t work it’s ridiculous and infuriating. I get it, if you’re doing updates maybe that make the app not work for a bit or something, but if that’s what this is at least let us know.

The below review was my first experience with Appcompanist. As you can tell, I was deeply disappointed. However, since writing the review and an email, Appcompanist reached out again, genuinely apologised for their initial response, and kept me informed about what happened, how it happened, and when they anticipated the fix to be included in an update. That this error slipped through should stand as a warning to us all about where we source our material from. Even with the best of intentions, free providers cannot actually replace libraries and the expert knowledgable librarians have to offer and share. Finally, I still stand by my original choice to select Appcompanist. It does everything I needed an app to do (the ability to choose different keys, easily hold a “fermata” with the touch of the screen, change tempo, and change the melody/piano track mix). So, from two stars to five. Appcompanist really stepped up their game. While they gave this user a bit of a bumpy intro, their subsequent customer service communications have been nothing short of stellar. —————— Old review I was prepared to give a FIVE star review for (what I consider to be) a most brilliant app. Then I encountered an error and their customer service. First, the good. After spending an inordinate amount of time looking at apps, I settled on Appcompanist. It did everything I needed an app to do (the ability to choose different keys, easily hold a “fermata” with the touch of the screen, change tempo, and change the melody/piano track mix). Now, the bad. I (excitedly) purchased a subscription specifically for the piece “Fairest Isle” by Purcell with the intention of eventually upgrading to the higher level subscriptions as teaching in person picks back up. By the 4th second (or third measure) there was a problem. The track had a huge error. Not just once, but repeatedly throughout. The piece makes use of a flat seventh tone. Yet the accompaniment (in both melody and piano tracks) ignore this and play the seventh without the flat accidental. I immediately wrote to customer service (specifically holding off writing a review) to alert them to this error in the tracks and their quality control. I even spent time searching for and then sending links with examples of how it’s supposed to be played. Their response was “That’s unfortunate” and “you’re stuck with that one note until the next update”. Again, this isn’t just “one note” it is repeated all over both piano and melody tracks renderi

I’ll just focus on one aria ( although several have similar problems). Your accompaniment of Sarastro’s aria, “ O Isis Und Osiris “ from Mozart’s Magic Flute has an abrupt tempo change right before the lyrics “ Lasst sie der Prüfung Früchte sehen “. Not good. But it gets worse because your tempo continues to grind even slower over the next few measures. The effect is that the second half of the aria is twice as slow as the first. Mozart did not write this and you will not hear a professional recording of this. I’m lucky: I know my rep and have great coaches. But this is not fair to young or new singers. Please correct these musical errors.

Such a great product! I use it every day and my students use it too. Love it, wish I had it when I was young singer.

So many unique features that make it great for practicing without a real accompanist. Much better than just using a recording.

Appcompanist saved my degree in my undergrad! Being a voice performance student during the pandemic made it so hard to have thorough online lessons and create recital recordings on my own. Appcompanist solved this problem by providing accompaniment from REAL pianists that is completely customizable. From tempi and key, to articulation and personal musical choices, Appcompanist has had no trouble keeping up with my music advancement. Not to mention they now do Choral works and allow for part sharing with students! This is a must have music tool for both soloists and choral directors alike!