Comparing Piano Practice Apps

Remember those days when you had to write down all your students’ assignments in a little notebook?

I do. When I was a new teacher, I even resorted to handwriting two versions – one for the student and one for me – so I could have it on hand for planning the next lesson. My hand got tired of writing enough instructions that were helpful, but also legible!

What I tried first

Back in 2011, I started experimenting with ways to share lesson notes more effectively. I tried text messages, emails, even Word docs, until I found an app called Moosic Studio. It completely changed how I planned lessons and kept students on track. 

Unfortunately, since it was a one-time purchase app, the company couldn’t keep up with ongoing updates, and it eventually disappeared from the app store. That’s when I realised subscription models, while not our favourite, are often what keeps apps sustainable long term.

After that, I used the lesson notes feature inside My Music Staff for a while, until around 2018 when my friend Lou Ann nudged me to try Tonara. I was hesitant. I liked my system and didn’t want to rock the boat. But once I tried it, I was hooked. 

Instead of one long list of notes and focussing on how many minutes to practise, I could create specific goals and attach media like duets and backing tracks right inside each assignment. Students weren’t overwhelmed, and I saw a big improvement in the quality of their practice.

The feature I didn’t know I needed 

The surprise feature I ended up loving most was messaging. One of my 10-year-old new students, just days after his first lesson, sent me this message:

“I forgot where middle C is.” 

It was such a small ask, but it took so much courage to say that! The app was a safe place for him to share that he was struggling without his sister overhearing, who made him feel like he wasn’t catching on fast enough. 

I quickly recorded a 30-second video, sent it back and got a cheerful, “Oh yeah! Thanks!”

And with that, he was on his way. No longer feeling stuck, and no longer feeling unsure of how to practise the assigned piece. I was hooked! If I could provide a way for students to remove roadblocks in their learning, then our lesson time would be even better!

How I ended up at Vivid Practice

Because I had worked in marketing research and music education technology before, I was invited to join the Tonara customer experience team. 

It gave me a behind-the-scenes view of how practice apps work, and it was especially incredible to help so many teachers transition to digital assignments as the COVID pandemic unfolded. While I ended up leaving that position in 2021, I still used the app with my students almost daily. 

Sadly, Tonara wasn’t able to stay in business. Several factors played a role, and while disappointing, it was also a valuable lesson in what makes a platform successful – and what doesn’t.

Not long after Tonara announced its closure, I was invited to join the team at Vivid Practice, a new app led by Nicola Cantan. I immediately loved its clean, straightforward design and its emphasis on assignments over scheduling. 

While it’s still my top choice, I firmly believe there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Different teachers and students need different tools, and I’m glad there are several high-quality options available today.

With that perspective, let’s dive into the practice apps that are making the biggest impact right now.

The Best Music Practice Apps

Below you’ll find my take on some of the top practice platforms – the ones that stood out for their features, usability and staying power. To make the cut, an app had to:

• allow independent teachers to create and assign work to their students
• support instruments beyond piano
• focus primarily on assignments and practise (not full studio management)
• existed for a year or more

Practice Space

Practice Space is a practice management app built by music teachers with an emphasis on motivation and rewards. Students earn points, gems, badges and certificates through streaks and completed assignments. 

These virtual goodies are redeemable for avatars, backgrounds or even custom rewards created by the teacher. A weekly leaderboard adds friendly competition across the studio.

Assignments

Assignments can include videos, audio and PDFs, plus custom tags for easy organisation. Teachers can save tasks in a personal library or, in a multi-teacher studio, share them with colleagues. 

Notes are tied to lesson dates, with the option to copy forward from week to week, and must be “published” before students see them. 

For younger children, parents accept the invitation and set up the account before teachers assign tasks.

Student Tools

Students have access to built-in tools like a timer, metronome and recording, along with in-app chat for teacher support. Their assignments are grouped by teacher or class, making it easy to track multiple lessons. 

Teachers can set timed practice goals, create groups with messaging and use the Video Feed to comment on or “like” practice uploads. Families who prefer email can still receive weekly lesson notes without needing the app.

Flexibility

Although the subscription may feel expensive for teachers with only a few students, it includes unlimited students and storage. 

Flexible account management also makes it easy for students to switch teachers, even across different studios – a strong feature for larger programs or students taking lessons in multiple places.

Pros:

• Students can access via website or app
• Great customisation for studio rewards and incentives
• Lots of features for multi-teacher studios

Cons:

• Flat monthly fee may feel expensive for very small studios
• Younger children may need help navigating the text-heavy interface
• Some students may focus more on rewards than on the practise itself if not guided carefully

Better Practice

Better Practice is a web-based practice platform designed by music parents to make practicing more effective. Its smart assignment system generates personalised daily practice lists using spaced repetition. 

In addition, a patent-pending review engine allows students to review past material while tackling new goals.

Assignments

Teachers can draw from a library of 23,000+ preentered assignments or create their own with backing tracks, media and lesson plans. 

When assigning to a student, it does take a few more steps to add saved notes from previous students, compared to other apps. However, the roadmap view of popular method book series can save a lot of time when deciding what to assign next. 

Teachers can also decide which pieces go in a Review List. Students always see a “practice something else” prompt at the end, encouraging them to go beyond the minimum.

Student Progress

Students track progress with timers, streaks and self-ratings, while teachers see detailed analytics on practice frequency, duration and assignment completion. Icons even show which practice aids were used, such as a metronome. 

Teachers can also assign substitute teachers, group students and send announcements. Add-on packages allow studios to brand the platform and have a custom website built by the Better Practice team.

Parent Features

Extra features parents may appreciate include parent notifications when their child starts practicing, weekly summaries of how practice is going and the Better Practice Club, where students can practise with a coach between lessons (for an extra fee).

Communication

Communication tools within each assignment make it easy for students to chat with the teacher, and social-media-style newsfeeds on the student dashboard encourage community engagement. (Uploading recordings and files does require the studio to purchase the Music Library add-on package.) 

Students get to see a leaderboard and pictures of who else in the studio already practised that day.

Pros:

• Smart assignment lists with a Review List feature
• Large library of precreated assignments from popular methods
• Very detailed practice statistics for each student

Looking for more tools to improve student practice? Our Practice Minicourse is just what you need!

Cons:

• Higher per-student cost, especially if adding the ability to share recordings
• Only available as a web app (no dedicated mobile apps)
• The text-heavy interface and many customisation options may feel overwhelming for some teachers and students

MetaPractice

MetaPractice takes a goal-centered approach to assignments, letting teachers break a piece into multiple detailed objectives. For example, “crescendo at the end of the B section” or “practise fingering in measures 5–8”. 

Unlike other platforms where each goal would need to be a separate assignment, MetaPractice allows “goals within goals” (and even more goals within those goals!) that students can check off one at a time.

Viewing Modes

Teachers can set students to one of three viewing modes: 

• Beginner: view one small goal at a time
• Skilled: see all the small goals grouped under a larger task 
• Advanced: see every piece with goals nested underneath

The Templates section can make lesson planning more efficient, but may take extra setup time compared to other platforms depending on how specific the goals become.

Practice Sessions

From the student side, practice sessions are designed to be clear and focused. While some of the text is quite small, it can be very satisfying to check off so many small steps in one practice session!

At the end, students are prompted to review a past piece, and any unchecked goals are flagged for reassignment. Students can also pause or postpone sessions if needed, giving them some flexibility. 

One really nice feature is that teachers can simulate a student’s practice session directly from the teacher app. Another added perk is that students can retain copies of their assignments even after leaving a studio, though this does use storage on their device.

Pros:

• Less expensive than most platforms
• Teachers can get very specific with goals and subgoals
• Students keep assignment data even after stopping lessons

Cons:

• Practice sessions are highly structured, which may feel limiting for some students
• Groups of students and multi-teacher studios are not supported yet
• Teacher accounts include 250 MB of storage, which may require linking to outside video platforms for larger files

Vivid Practice

Vivid Practice keeps the focus on assignments and effective practice habits, and avoids extra scheduling or admin tasks.

Assignments

Teachers can create detailed assignments, attach PDFs, recordings or videos, and save them in their personal library. They also have access to the Vivid Collection, a curated set of precreated assignments (many with games and resources from the Vibrant Music Teaching membership), and can bulk upload tasks to save time. Assignments are easy to reorder, filter or print to a formatted PDF if a student isn’t able to use the app.

Teachers can also plan ahead using the Future tab and move assignments between Active and Future tabs with one click. Creating separate groups for assignments or messaging is easy. 

The statistics section provides just enough information to be useful (showing practice frequency for each student at a glance) without becoming overwhelming or distracting from the teacher-student relationship.

Practice Modes

A standout feature is the app’s four practice modes – Blocked, Interleaved, Focused and Pomodoro – designed to keep practice engaging and varied. Teachers decide which modes are available to each student, balancing structure with flexibility. (You can read more about the practice modes here.)

Clean Design

Personally, I prefer Vivid Practice because I often teach neurodiverse students who need less clutter and want the option to organise their practice without the anxiety of a timer. 

I also appreciate Nicola Cantan’s eye for simple yet colourful design. There is less clicking and more teaching on my part, and less tapping and more practising for students.

Pros:

• Simple, uncluttered design
• Students can choose from four practice modes
• Forever-free, 1-student account for unlimited teacher testing

Cons:

• Students must use the iOS or Android app (no web version for them)
• Does not include gamification or extrinsic reward systems
• Currently best suited for single-teacher studios (multi-teacher accounts not yet supported)

Pro Tip: Members of Vibrant Music Teaching get 50% off the first month of a paid Vivid Practice plan. Not a member? You’re missing out on loads of discounts! Learn more and join today atvibrantmusicteaching.com.

Key Takeaways

Each of these platforms approaches practice from a slightly different angle, and I’m glad we have options. No two students are the same, so why would only one app work for every situation? 

Here’s a quick recap:

• Practice Space leans into gamification and community, motivating students with gems, avatars and leaderboards.
• Better Practice is all about structure and analytics, with smart lists and data that help teachers and students see clear progress.
• MetaPractice drills down into detailed goals, giving teachers a way to shape practice with precision and help students stay accountable.
• Vivid Practice keeps things simple and focused, offering practice modes and clean design that encourage effective habits without distractions.

Which of these practice apps suits your style?

Your teaching style, and the personalities of your students, will determine which of these tools feels like the right fit. 

Some teachers thrive on the detailed stats of Better Practice, while others prefer the light-touch clarity of Vivid Practice. A studio that needs motivation might lean toward Practice Space, while teachers who want fine-grained control may gravitate toward MetaPractice.

The good news is that all four options are actively maintained, teacher friendly and designed with student success in mind. With a little exploration, you can find the one that feels most natural for you and your studio.

If you use another option, I’d love to hear what you like about it! Comment below or reach out to me at nicole@nicoledouglasmusic.com.

For more resources and ideas about improving your students’ practice habits, check out Nicola’s Piano Practice hub page.