Best OnSong alternatives in 2022

One of the finest digital resources in its region of the market, OnSong has been providing users with invaluable assistance in song-writing and performance for years. There is, however, an expanding array of services meeting similar needs, offering subtle variations on the scope of utilities supplied by OnSong.

Simply by virtue of landing on this page, you must have not only recognised that fact, but also come to the realisation that OnSong might not be the perfect digital companion for your unique musical requirements. 

Should that be the case, then one of the three alternatives explored below could well be. For the most part, the remit of each aligns with that of OnSong - it offers a fundamentally comparable package. But it’ll probably be the unique combination of specific features that makes the real difference for you. So let’s get down to it and see what they all offer. 

About OnSong

OnSong legitimately describes itself as the Swiss Army Knife of music apps. Just like that iconic tool, OnSong is a versatile package, entailing a wide range of features to streamline and enhance the music-making experience, and ultimately facilitate easier access to your songbook.

Its service concentrates on providing the means to create, curate and customise musical materials, whether for practice, performance or sheer personal convenience. And through a wide range of tools supported by the app’s software, an impressively inclusive range of musicians is catered to - sound therapists, singer-songwriters, gigging players, to name just a few.  

The app enables users to write songs with text, chord symbols, colours and annotations. External files can be imported and marked up in the same way, and it’s possible to attach various media to each item. Arrange all your resources in one place, in whichever way suits best. 

There’s real emphasis on the performative aspects of musicianship with OnSong. All your audiovisual materials can be arranged in setlists, MIDI devices can be integrated with the app, and aspects of live practice, such as managing stage-lighting and sound levels, can all be controlled through the app. Of course there are the obligatory metronome and transposition tools, too.

It’s all presented with a new look in the 2022 app, which is compatible with Apple devices only. The OnSong service is available at two tiers for individual users: essentials and premium. Priced at 23.99 and 47.99 per year respectively, each offers a unique combination of features, though you can try out some basic features for free.  

Group subscriptions are also available, tailored to the needs of a range of ensembles and institutions.

Core features

• Organisational features allow you to store, arrange and access musical materials, as well as backup, share, export and print - this can be done not only through the app but also through a web browser
• Manage multiple file versions, edit lyrics, chords and metadata, view and play back chord diagrams, and add sticky notes, graphics and other annotations to your titles 
• Wide-ranging live performance tools include: transposition, capo, metronome, MIDI attachments, autoscroll, stage-lighting integration, backing-track audio, lyrics projection, and more

Positives of OnSong

• OnSong’s carefully configured service can really transform your music-making - the app’s supplies a comprehensive selection of features that are genuinely useful and convenient, designed by a team that clearly understands the plight of the practising musician
• The live facilities in particular are second-to-none among OnSong’s competitors; you won’t find an app so easily available that can simplify and enhance the quality of your performances
• Given that OnSong is such a practical technical solution to your musical needs, the subscriptions are ultimately quite reasonably priced

What could be better

• Musicians more accustomed to performing with staff notation as opposed to lyrics and chord diagrams will find that the app’s features complement their material less effectively - OnSong is very much geared towards song performance specifically
• As a cursory glance on the App Store will show you, many users report persistent technical issues with the OnSong app, which does compromise its reliability - not ideal in live performance  
• Many of the best features are available on the Premium plan only, and - speaking of the App Store - OnSong is only compatible with Apple devices, meaning that Android-users won’t be able to capitalise on the service

OnSong alternative #1: nkoda

nkoda certainly offers a different combination of features, but there’s sufficient overlap between its package and OnSong's that fans of the latter will want to know just how the former might benefit their practice.

nkoda is, at its heart, a digital sheet-music service. It provides virtual access to a music library containing the digitised catalogues of 140 publishing partners, including the likes of Breitkopf & Härtel and Faber Music. The nkoda music library, one of the two apps that the company has developed, is where this music can be found - built-in content that every nkoda subscriber enjoys access to. 

The other app is the nkoda music reader, an e-reader that enables users to organise and interact with this content, as well as the unlimited personal PDF files that users can upload to the reader. Musicians used to physical music can now engage digitally in a practical and intuitive way, whether they’re annotating in practice or handling in performance.

This aspect of nkoda’s service aligns most closely with OnSong, a major dimension of which concerns organisation of and interaction with digital music materials. Crucially, however, nkoda makes its e-reader software available for free. That’s why it has produced two apps, so that those who want to exploit this resource - and many users of OnSong will fall into this category - can do so without paying anything. 

So check it out, and see if it’s a space that you’ll be comfortable making music in before you think about committing to a subscription to the library. Download the library from the App Store, Google Play or Microsoft Store, and the reader here.

Core features

• Instant digital access to the catalogues of 140 publishers, comprising 100,000+ titles, including material for all instruments from piano to ukulele - scores, parts, bass and guitar tabs, educational playbooks and more 
• Cutting-edge and customisable score-reading facilities suitable for both practice and performance, including annotation toolkits and widgets, and compatibility with Bluetooth pedals - you can also manage and share personal materials through playlists, offline storage and unlimited uploads
• Access to a thriving worldwide community of musicians, including publishers, educational institutions and performing institutions   

Positives of nkoda

• More than just a musical organiser, nkoda comes with over 100,000 premium titles of sheet music, editions from over 140 of the world’s leading publishers - and all as soon as you open the app
• nkoda’s e-reader offers much the same functionality as OnSong’s interactive tools, but it comes absolutely free - and if you are willing to pay for musical materials, you might as well enjoy immediate, unrestricted access to an entire music library for a modest subscription fee 
• nkoda entails true cross-platform availability, and the app is compatible with Android phones and tablets and Windows computers, as well as all Apple devices

What could be better

• Although numerous publishers have licensed their materials to nkoda, you won’t find content there from a handful of major names such as Hal Leonard and Henle
• In terms of official content, you’re restricted to what’s in the library - if what you’re after isn’t there, you’ll have to wait for nkoda to license and digitise it, or find and buy the work in question elsewhere and upload it to the music reader 
• The nkoda reader does lose out to OnSong when it comes to integrating external devices and software - so no MIDI, no audio and no in-app stage management

OnSong alternative #2: SongbookPro 

It’s possible to think of SongbookPro as a concentrated version of OnSong, which really concentrates on the cohort of musicians who sing songs specifically. 

Essentially a portable music songbook, the app provides a similar but slimlined set of interactive features, geared towards these non-classical performers who primarily handle lyrics and chords - though there is PDF support for sheet music, too. It's for performers who need a means to store, edit and play their materials digitally.

Placing its emphasis on organisation, annotation and performance, Songbook enables users to assemble song charts with lyrics and chord progressions, import sheet music PDFs, construct setlists, and make necessary notes and edits quickly and easily. It also boasts really flexible annotation tools that are reminiscent of those offered by nkoda and Newzik (discussed below).

Expanding the compatibility field as nkoda does, Songbook works on Android, Apple, Windows and even Amazon devices. It’s paid, but there is a free trial, and if you find that the app ticks every box for you, download SongbookPro Manager, a free add-on that allows you to manage your content from your PC. 

Core features

• Compile your digital song files, text and audio, on the Songbook app - import them from OnSong itself, Chordpro or a range of supported websites
• Edit and customise your repertoire with annotations and colours, and utilise tools such as metronome and transposition in performance
• SongbookPro Manager enables users to manage, import and tweak content from their web browser 

Positives of SongbookPro

• It’s probably best to think of Songbook as a budget OnSong, offering you the bare essentials that you’re more likely to need for a more competitive price - according to their website, that's between 5.99 and 6.99 USD, depending on your location
• Reflecting the cheaper price, the app’s user-friendly interface is uncomplicated and impressively minimalist - you’ll know exactly how to get the most out of it in no time at all
• Wide compatibility means that you’re able to access the app from Apple, Android, Windows or Amazon devices

What could be better

• Of course the downside of paying less is that you get less - SongbookPro’s tools are ultimately quite restricted, so if you’re looking for an option that can replicate OnSong’s swish extras, then you won’t find it here
• Again, like OnSong, the app’s utilities are orientated towards song-based content not notation, so musicians that handle sheet music won’t find it hugely practical, though it is perfectly possible to import and play from your sheet-music PDFs 
• Synchronisation issues have occurred for a number of users, meaning that content isn’t transferred between devices when it should be - this can be an issue when it comes to ensemble performance in particular 

OnSong alternative #3: Newzik

If SongbookPro is the budget version of OnSong, then Newzik is the premium alternative. Its refined e-reading interface, complete with an impressive selection of annotation tools, multimedia facilities and performance features, makes Newzik a serious competitor in the field. 

Built on top-quality score-reading technology, Newzik presents a polished app package in the form of a personal, cross-platform music library. Through a series of products, Newzik is encouraging music-makers to go digital by giving them the means to easily assemble, organise, annotate and play their music files in a virtual space. 

The Newzik experience centralises engagement with notation. The app will best suit musicians who regularly read or play this sort of material, who are looking for a way to handle a sizable pre-existing collection, digitally and conveniently. Despite the focus on notation, chord and lyric sheets will also work, so singer-songwriters will still find the platform useful. 

Their software comes with flagship collaborative features, too, which are exploited by a wide range of prestigious ensembles who perform together via Newzik. There’s also the PWP service, which is orientated towards publishing houses. It allows them to lease and handle their paid content to ensembles and artists subscribed to Newzik, and who can access that content directly through the app. 

Core features

• Collate, organise and perform your sheet music digitally through the Newzik app, with content constantly synchronised between your devices through the Newzik Cloud
• Turn any paper or PDF score into an interactive LiveScore, which can be played back and along to - also add media files to your titles, such as audio tracks, video, MIDI tracks, YouTube links and recordings of yourself performing
• Collaborate in real-time with other musicians, sharing sheet music and other media through Newzik’s collaborative spaces, known as Projects

Positives of Newzik

• Organising a personal collection of musical materials is central to Newzik’s service, and they’ve accordingly developed a fantastically practical and intuitive interface in this area of the app
• Practical cross-platform compatibility and function makes Newzik highly flexible, which is perfect for musicians who write, practise, manage and gig in different locations and on different devices 
• The ability to attach various media, annotate titles comprehensively, and collaborate with other users makes Newzik a powerful hub for digital interaction with your music 

What could be better

• Although you can make limited use of these features for free, you’ll need to pay a fee of 29.99 per year to enjoy the full scope of Newzik’s score-reading tech, while nkoda’s music reader, for instance, comes for free 
• Publishers can lease their music to performers subscribed to Newzik through the app, but aside from this, there’s no music contained within the app, so you have to import it - and still pay for it - from elsewhere
• Despite that impressive cross-platform sync between smartphone, tablet and PC, the app is not available on Google Play, only on iOS (iPhone and iPad) and macOS (Mac)

So, what is the best OnSong alternative?

nkoda is the only app surveyed here that supplies you with interactive music-reading technology for free. Although there are numerous OnSong features that nkoda does not replicate, the most valuable is the ability to organise and interact with a music collection in an accessible digital space. 

nkoda empowers you to do just that - for nothing. Because it wants to do everything it can to assist you in your music-making. 

And if you are looking for new material, it also offers you access to an entire digital music library for the price of one item of sheet music. nkoda is the only app of those surveyed here offering such indiscriminate access to an in-built sheet-music collection comprising premium content both in and out of copyright - all for one, all-encompassing subscription fee, beyond which there are no in-app purchases and no ads.

Don’t want to pay anything for that? Just interested in digital handling of your sheet music? nkoda covers that base, by facilitating completely free access to its cutting-edge score-reading technology. None of the alternatives explored here offer that technology for free, and they don’t offer the range of access to sheet music of all kinds that nkoda provides. 

nkoda is a service that aims to be everything to every kind of musician - no matter their instrument, preferred genre or level of ability. The subscription fee itself is rooted in the desire to batte digital piracy by reimbursing publishers and their hard-working artists for their music. nkoda strives to sustain a global community of musicians, and it wants you to be a part of that.  

Convinced that it’s at least worth a try? Start your 7-day free trial now. Not just yet? Take a look at this app comparison article, in which apps such as forScore and MuseScore are considered, too.