How to choose a sheet music app: 7 things to check
There are many apps for reading sheet music on a tablet or phone. Which one suits you depends on what you play and where you use it. Here are seven things worth checking before you choose.
This guide is written by NOURETE, the maker of the sheet music app Scorevell. Each section ends with how Scorevell handles it.
1. Your device and screen size
Bigger screens make music easier to read. An 11–13 inch iPad works well on a piano music stand; a light tablet or phone is handy for choirs and bands on the move.
What to check: Does it run on the devices you want to use, and on both your iPad and your phone if you need it to?
Scorevell: iPhone and iPad (iOS/iPadOS 15.5 or later). An Android version is in preparation.
2. How you turn pages
Turning pages while you play is one of the main reasons to use an app. Options include tapping the screen, a Bluetooth foot pedal, head movements and auto-scroll. If both hands are busy, hands-free turning matters.
What to check: Does your Bluetooth pedal work, and can you check which key it sends? Does the app help you avoid losing your place at the page turn?
Scorevell: Tap, Bluetooth pedal (you can see the key it sends in Settings), head turns and winks read by the front camera, and auto-scroll. Camera video is processed on the device only and never stored or sent. Half-page turns show the top of the next page in the upper half of the screen first.
3. Annotation
Fingerings, dynamics and breath marks are part of practice. How the pens feel and how easily you can place music symbols make a big difference.
What to check: What pens are there, and do they respond to pressure? Can you place music symbols neatly? Does annotating change the original PDF? Can you export your annotations as a PDF?
Scorevell: Ballpoint pen, fountain pen (wider with more pressure; with a finger, it follows your writing speed), pencil (darker with more pressure), highlighter, rulers and an eraser. Dynamics, fingerings and other symbols are placed as stamps (153, or 280 with Pro). Annotations are layered on top without changing the original PDF, and you can export a PDF with them.
4. Display
You may want a different layout for different pieces and situations.
What to check: Can you switch between single pages and two-page spreads? Read in a vertical scroll? Crop margins to fill the screen?
Scorevell: Single pages, spreads, half-page turns, vertical scrolling and auto-scroll. Turn on automatic margin cropping in Settings to fill the screen. Paper color: Standard, Cream, Dim or Invert.
5. Organizing and performing
As your library grows, finding music takes time. On stage, moving smoothly from one piece to the next matters too.
What to check: Can you organize by composer, key, tags and favorites? Can you build a setlist that continues from the last page of one piece into the next? Is there a way to bring in paper scores?
Scorevell: Score details (title, composer, key, tempo, difficulty and more), tags, favorites and bookmarks. Setlists continue from the last page into the next piece. Paper scores can be scanned into PDFs with the camera, and staff paper can be created in 8 layouts.
6. Using more than one device
Some apps let you read a spread across two tablets, keep everyone's page in step in an ensemble, or sync annotations between your devices.
What to check: Does it need the internet, or does it work over local Wi-Fi? Does each participant need a paid feature? How are the PDF files themselves handled?
Scorevell: The two-device spread (both devices need Pro) and ensemble mode (only the leader needs Pro; joining is free) connect over the same Wi-Fi, with no internet needed. In an ensemble, everyone imports the same PDF, and the leader can show their annotations on everyone’s music. Score details, tags, setlists and annotations sync across up to 5 of your devices when you sign in (Pro). PDFs are not stored in the cloud; you import them on each device.
7. Getting your data out, and how you pay
For an app you will use for years, it matters whether you can keep your annotations in another form, and how pricing works: subscription or one-time purchase, with or without ads.
What to check: Can you export annotations as a PDF? Can you use it without an account? Is it a subscription or a one-time purchase? Are there ads?
Scorevell: The core features are free, with no ads and no account required. Pro is a one-time purchase that you can try free for 14 days. When the trial ends, the app switches back to the free version automatically, with no charge. Prices vary by country. Exporting a PDF with annotations is free, and with Pro you can also export the score and its annotations together as one file to share (free users can open it).
Summary
Start with the points that matter most where you play most: practice, lessons, performance or ensemble. If one looks promising, try it with your own scores.
See Scorevell on the App Store
As of October 2026.