13 Best Drumming Apps That You’ll Actually Use

Drumeo Edge: Overview

If you’re a drummer and haven’t heard of the learning platform Drumeo, you must be living under a rock. Drumeo is by far the biggest and best online lesson platform available to drummers, both new and experienced.

The Edge learning system features a step-by-step learning curriculum that includes 1,000+ songs and practice tools. Live support is also provided by some of our favorite drum heros. As I write this, legendary Drum Corps percussionist John Wooton is live and interacting in a members only format.

The Drumeo app syncs with the web version, allowing you to complete lessons either with your computer or your mobile device.

If you’re just starting out on the drums and want a little structured guidance to learning, I can’t recommend the app more. It is a rather hefty annual subscription cost ($290/yr), but if you’re serious, you won’t find anything better online.

Readers of Drum Spy get a free 30-day trial to Drumeo Edge, so be sure to give it a try if you’re serious about learning drums and percussion. If you’re not ready to commit to a subscription yet, be sure to check out their YouTube channel to see TONS of amazing, free content. (We’ve got a review of Drumeo Edge here if you feel inclined to read more).

GrooveClix: Overview

GrooveClix is undoubtedly one of the greatest metronome apps for iOS and Android. Created by musicians, for musicians, the app is perfect for novices or enthusiasts to the most accomplished A-list drummers.

Not only does GrooveClix offer an enormous library of studio-caliber click sounds, but the Groove EngineTM is the true game-changer. You can practice or perform to actual grooves with a genuine human feel, just like a metronome, for the first time.

Choose your time signature, tempo (between 20 and 300 bpm), and mix settings. Whatever the tempo, the sounds are always the same. No temporal compression, no aliasing, no glitching, and no artifacts. GrooveClix has a human feel that is superior than nearly all loops, soundbite, and samplers. GrooveClix is free to try and is very affordable.

Drum Count: Overview

Drumcount is a tool to track the progress of your speed around the kit. It counts drum hits in real time using the device microphone (or an external one if attached) and it calculates the speed of your drum rolls, tracking results in a chart.

Drumcount shows a different chart for each type of roll (single/double/left/right) on different drums (snare/bass drum). Hit detection works by setting a threshold (that setting can be done automatically pressing the “Auto” button).

Then, you can select “Timer” mode or “Hit Limit.” In “Timer” mode a countdown starts as soon as you bang your first hit, and Drumcount will count each hit until timer reaches zero.

“Hit limit” works by setting the number of strokes that must be achieved to end the session. Detection works best with a clear and distinct sounding drum, such as a practice pad or a dampened snare with snares off. Some trial and error is required to get the perfect threshold for your specific sound.

Other useful features include:

• WAV recording and download
• Metronome (headphones required)

No Internet connection and no accounts are needed to run the app. Drumcount is available for Android and iOS.

Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.drumcount.app
iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/drumcount/id6446648426

Phonicmind: Overview

PhonicMind is an application that allows you to remove drums from any song you have a link to! I wish I could have had this when I was younger and learning the drums! For us drummers, we can easily remove the drums from any song and then play on-top of the track to create videos for social media and YouTube!

PhonicMind is a cutting-edge stem separation software that can be used to isolate individual sounds from a recorded track. This powerful tool can be used to create custom remixes, instrumental versions of songs, and more.

PhonicMind uses advanced artificial intelligence algorithms to achieve results that are impossible with traditional audio editing software. In addition, PhonicMind is incredibly easy to use, and it offers a free trial so you can try it out before you commit to a purchase. Whether you’re a professional DJ or just someone who loves music, PhonicMind is definitely worth checking out.

BeatMirror: Overview

Have you ever wondered what tempo a specific song is? Maybe you wonder if a specific artist plays to a click in the studio. With BeatMirror, you can detect tempo from any audio source using your phone. BeatMirror is excellent for working your internal clock when practicing. You’ll be able to easily see if you’re slowing down or speeding up while playing. Here’s some of the best features:

BeatMirror is by far the best tempo detection app available on the iOS store.

Drumeo Kids: Overview

Drumeo Kids, as the name implies, is an app perfect for introducing young ones to the world of drumming through entertaining shows. Drumeo Edge members have full access to Kids, so if you’re already a member, you’re all set.

Any parents reading—I assume a lot of you want to teach your children how to play the drums. This app provides a perfect way to get them excited about music and drumming in addition to your instruction.

Each video episode highlights a different genre of music—everything from hip hop to reggae, disco, rock, salsa, funk, and more.

DrumKnee 3D: Overview

Yes, I am including a finger-drum app on our list, but I promise this will be the only one. DrumKnee 3D is unique and revolutionary for an app because it allows you to play the bass drum with your foot.

I haven’t seen any drumming app prior to this that had this functionality.

By placing the phone on your knee, you’re able to kick your foot (as if it was on a bass drum pedal) and the phone will register a kick sound. I have no idea how this works, but it must have something to do with the shake functionality inside of new smartphones.

Every other drumming app I’ve used requires you to play the bass drum with your fingers. Not anymore. Cymbals are also chokable by holding your finger on them when played: a very nice feature.

In the default kit configuration, you have a kick drum, snare drum, three toms, hi-hat, two crashes, a ride, a china, a cowbell, and a tambourine. Now, it’s not a totally useful drumming app, but it is pretty cool.

There is a full version you can download for $4.99 that includes all drum set packs, all skin packs, custom drum sets, and no ads. With the free version of the app, you’ll be served a video advertisement anytime you try to use menus or functions within the app, which is a little annoying.

For a drumming app, the default kit sounds surprisingly good. The cymbals sound real and the tone of the drums is not bad at all. Not a bad choice for a free drum app.

DK Music is another feature included in the app. This service is a separate monthly fee that allows you to download drumless tracks directly to the app to play along with. 

DrumKnee3D is a perfect app for children who may be interested in playing the drums — for those who are, parents, don’t miss my roundup of the best drum sets for kids.

Drumtune PRO: Overview

Let’s face it, tuning drums isn’t everyone’s favorite activity. While you may insist on using your ear exclusively, I wouldn’t shy away from helpful tools.

Drumtune PRO is an application for iOS and Android that revolutionizes the way we tune our drums. The app can help you tune based off either the center overall tone or individual edge frequencies. Saving presets is no problem, either.

The user interface is sleek, clean, and very easy to use. The $8.99 spent on the app is well worth it, in my opinion, and you shouldn’t struggle with tuning ever again.

Soundbrenner Metronome: Overview

Soundbrenner’s Metronome app is by far the best metronome app I have ever used on my iPhone. It has such a simple design and works so easy.

Every drummer needs to use a metronome when they practice (if they aren’t already playing along to popular music).

From the top, we have the ‘Compose’ section. This area is what I would consider to be your basic digital metronome, complete with tempo, time signatures, subdivision variation, song duration, and tap tempo.

Metronome pitch

There are four square icons that are fractioned into three parts. Depending on which level (0, 1, 2, or 3) is set determines what pitch the count will beep at.

For example, If you set them all to position 1, the click track will be one constant low tone. Here’s the break down of each position:

• 0: no click will be played
• 1: a low-pitched click sound is played
• 2: a medium-pitched click sound is played
• 3: a high-pitched click sound is played

This feature is useful in situations where you only want the metronome on certain beats or if you want different accents throughout the bar.

Now, this feature is not only limited to 4/4, as you can change the time signature underneath the Soundbrenner logo in the middle.

Integration with the Soundbrenner Pulse

For those into futuristic tech, look no further than the Pulse.

It’s a wearable metronome that vibrates (aka pulse) to the beat. The device also connects with the app, making it easy to change tempo, time signature, and more.

It reminds me of the Apple Watch, but round (I wonder if this thing has a clock, would be nice).

I don’t have too much knowledge on it, other than the connectivity is supposed to be great.

Of course, you don’t actually have to use the Pulse, the app works perfectly without the device.

TouchOSC: Overview

Many drummers these days play along to backing tracks with their respective bands. One of the biggest issues of these setups is starting the show.

If the band happens to use a digital audio workstation (like Ableton Live) to run their tracks, the show can be started off-stage using a handy app known as TouchOSC.

TouchOSC is a MIDI control surface that connects to your digital audio workstation via WiFi.

I’ve been touring for about six years. In that time, we decided to add a playback system to help reinforce the music we play live.

Certain things like auxiliary percussion and extra synthesizer parts are just some of the things backing tracks can help with. In that time, I haven’t found any app that is more reliable than TouchOSC.

Not only does it control the start of the show, but it also is used by our keyboard player to change patches during the show.

Despite your thoughts on backing tracks, this is a great app to use if you are in this situation.

I can tell you from experience that if you’re hired as a touring drummer for a pop or rock group these days, chances are you will be working with backing tracks.

TouchOSC is also great for those using drum VST software. The app functions as a wireless MIDI controller, allowing you to control any MIDI-compatible software.

While most will control virtual instruments, it is possible to control hardware instruments like drum machines with the correct routing.

Functionality

TouchOSC does many things, but the concept is simple: control a DAW remotely over WiFi. Here are some things you can do:

• Create a custom MIDI control surface
• Use pre-made templates to send MIDI data wirelessly
• Control any MIDI parameter inside your DAW of choice

While this app isn’t specific to drummers, I see the utility in using this app for many drummers as we are the ones primarily who control a playback setup.

Steve Reich’s Clapping Music: Overview

One of my favorite composers of all time happens to be Steve Reich. Whether it’s Electric Counterpoint or Music For 18 Musicians, I can’t get enough of it. In fact, I’m listening to Octet as I write this right now. I recently saw there was a Steve Reich app, and I had to try it.

ClappingMusic is a very challenging and fun take on Reich’s piece, Clapping Music.

This is one of his more well-known pieces and despite is familiarity, I don’t think I can listen to this piece for fun. That being said, playing it is a different story.

The idea behind Clapping Music is simple: two performers play the same pattern, while one player slowly offsets it one beat at a time. It’s similar to Piano Phase, without the phasing.

The app teaches the player how to play along to the piece. My best score was 6872. The app is not forgiving on hard mode.

StagePlot Guru: Overview

While, not necessarily an app targeted specifically at drummers, StagePlot Guru is useful for drummers in bands. The app lets you create a plot of your bands gear with ease.

Most venues will request a stage plot before you show up for a gig. Stage plots give the venue a basic layout of what your band needs, so they can be prepared before the show date.

StagePlot Guru makes the process of creating a stage plot simple, allowing you to store unlimited plots, add your logo, add tech info for each prop, create input and equipment lists, and more. There’s no subscription and there is a demo available for free.

Before using StagePlot Guru, I used to use Photoshop on my desktop, and while I got good results because of my knowledge of design software, this app make it far easier to create and later on, edit my band’s stage plots when we upgrade gear or adjust the stage setup.

Drum School: Overview

Drum School is an advanced drum learning app that walks you through the basics of drumming. Those who have less experience with reading music notation will have no problems adapting to using Drum School.

The app is just $9 and features tons of genres like rock, jazz, swing, bluegrass, heavy metal, blues, and more.