My Top iPad Music Making Apps (Synths, FX, Midi) of 2024

[@GavinskisTutorials]

This is my personal list of 10 favorite iPad music-making apps released in 2024 (many are also available on desktop and iPhone). I’ll also name 5 “honourable mention”music production apps from 2024 that stood out for various reasons. And finally I’ll mention 6 iOS plugins of 2024 that I haven’t had much time to dive into but that seem very promising and deserve a shout-out. All these were picked from 87 (!) music production apps for iPad I got, in total, that were released this year! Enjoy, and let me know in the comments what your favourite apps of 2024 were. I have done spoken word walkthroughs on many of these apps. You would find those and other spoken walkthroughs here: kzbin.info/aero/PLl4Ittz8N8V9Gdh6tYdL0qepl-5JCrBMc The last time I made a ‘Best of’ vid was 2020! Here is that video, 22k views and counting!: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYbNnJydr7ljpsk😢 The host app / DAW (but not really a DAW) I am using in this video is AUM, walkthrough here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/onmwd4yQrpKJhpI If you’re a regular viewer of this channel, you’ll know how important it is that I get direct financial support from viewers and developers. Learning all these apps and running a channel like this takes a huge amount of time and commitment, week after week, year after year. What I do really benefits the community, but I get only a tiny income from KZbin ad revenue (around £3 per 1000 views currently) and this niche is so small. The AppStore also doesn’t have an affiliate program and hasn’t had one since 2017, which is one reason why so few people are still active in the iOS Music KZbinr scene. So if you find my work valuable, take a look at the links below and see if you can be a part of helping me earn a fair income from what I do and keeping this channel alive. Big thanks for your support! 🙏🎄 Ways to Support Me 🟪 1. Joining my Patreon, which has tons of plugin giveaways and also exclusive vids, preset packs, AUM session files and more. At the time of writing there is a giveaway there for 3 paying supporters to win Mollilooper for desktop or iOS. You can check it out here: 🟡 www.patreon.com/Gavinski 🟪 2. Using my Plugin Boutique and repeated links The Appstore has not had an affiliate system since 2017, so clicking on AppStore links on my vids gives me no support. But if you are buying desktop plugins, you can use my Plugin Boutique link. Maybe even bookmark it, and use it every time you can, I would REALLY appreciate it! Just go to this link: 🟡 pluginboutique.com/?a_aid=65c7016dea38b I also have links for Loopcloud, Loopmasters, Beatport and DJCity, thanks!: loopcloud.com/?a_aid=65c7016dea38b loopmasters.com/?a_aid=65c7016dea38b www.beatport.com/?a_aid=65c7016dea38b www.djcity.com/?a_aid=65c7016dea38b Then navigate to the page of the plugin you want to buy. I will get a small commission at no cost to you! 🟪 3. If buying DMT Cymatics presets, please use my link 🟡 gumroad.com/a/999143955 Again, consider bookmarking it! If people use my link, I am incentivized to cover James’s packs, that is a win-win for both James and I, and costs you nothing. Thanks for the support! 🟪 4. Making a direct donation from time to time 🟡 Buy Me a Coffee Donations Page www.buymeacoffee.com/953211370u 🟡 PayPal paypal.me/GavinskisTutorials 🟡 You can book a consultation / voice / video chat with me via my Buy Me a Coffee 1-to-1 Bookings Page www.buymeacoffee.com/953211370u/extras 🟪 If you are a dev, all of the above are good ways to support, but you might additionally contact me about the possibility of doing a sponsored video on one of your apps / plugins. My email is 953211370 (at) qq.com 5. No ability to support financially? Perhaps help me out with the algorithm by liking, commenting and sharing. Thnx! 🟧 Gavinski on Other Socials Feel free to follow me on any of these social media platforms: 🟠 Twitter twitter.com/gavinski_s 🟠 Instagram instagram.com/gavinskistutorials 🟠 Threads www.threads.net/@gavinskistutorials

[@rolandpyle8914]

Great selection. 2024 was a good iOS music app year. Happy holidays and best wishes for 2025. Thank you for everything you have done for the iOS music app community this year.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Thank you Roland, and thank you for your continued Patreon support! It was actually a pretty good year. Started a bit slow but definitely picked up a lot of steam towards the end!

[@bazzmundo]

Great review thanks for taking the time to make this. You sound more upbeat than usual which is cool. Happy Christmas Gav.

[@DP_Gumby]

Very considerate selection! Thanks for the insights and reasoning behind your choices! And a Merry Christmas to all!

[@ZlPPENHAFT]

This is what i was waiting for you to upload! There's so many apps for music productions on IOS, it's easy to buy app that you wont really use. but your selection is very good i got many of them and they are gems. Thank you for this video. PS: i think Koala sampler could have a mention too, to me it's one of the best app (powerful and very user friendly) i know it's not 2024 but all the additions they put in it this year make it kinda 2024 app too.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Thanks, it is FAR too easy to get stuff you don’t use, I fully agree. Getting all the stuff can be fun, in some ways, but it always comes at a cost, particularly if you try to learn everything. That takes away from the time you have for actual music making and for life in general. It’s an awful distraction, and one of the reasons I am still seriously considering quitting doing this channel unless it starts paying me better. Life is short and I have other things I should be doing with my time, really!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Ps: Sure Koala is great, though it is not one I personally use much. I also did really want to focus on stuff released this year haha, limits are important! In making these kinds of lists, the main problem is always that you want to include everything, but such lists become useless, I needed to be strict with myself. I was also careful not to include apps just because the app was a popular release by a popular dev, or because I like the dev or because the dev releases a lot on the platform, or has supported me in some way. I had to be pretty brutal!

[@ZlPPENHAFT]

@@GavinskisTutorials no one will be upset if you slow down or take a break from uploading new videos. Do it until you dont have fun doing it.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

@ZlPPENHAFT what I really need is more direct financial support from viewers and devs, tbh. That would allow me to keep doing this and enjoy it without worrying about how unfeasible it is.

[@ZlPPENHAFT]

@@GavinskisTutorials fair enough, i dont understand why devs dont approach you, you clearly help them with sales. now to make money from viewers i guess you need a patreon that people ask what videos they wish and they pay for it. Otherwise most of us are on youtube because it's free.

[@PapaBPoppin]

Great list! A bunch I agree with and others I’ll probably be checking out! 15:37 re:Prism Sequencer The best part in my opinion? Built in support for Launchpad mini mk3/X/Pro! It throws the entire sequencer onto the Launchpad! Aaaand if you are on X or Pro, the velocity sensitivity transfers right to the sequencer, which is a dream for realistic finger drumming pattern sequencing! (Honestly I forgot how much fun I had messing with it, then got thrown to the back burner. I really should dive back into this beast again! …and this may spur me on lol)

[@lfarrolas]

I was waiting for this video. ;-)

[@BretArenson]

Nice to see your round up. Cheers and happy holidays!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Thnx Bret, same to you 🎊

[@arcaneforce8880]

Brilliant. Merry Christmas. & All the best to you

[@nandokrafft8926]

Thx Gav ❤this. Have a good christmas time.

[@snufbox]

nice work Gav!🙌🙌🙌

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Thnx bruv!

[@acornsonata]

Thanks!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

And thank you!

[@modulations]

Merry Christmas mate!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Merry Christmas Nick!

[@cuezaireekaa]

thanks for this gav! really appreciate your opinions.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Thank you! As mentioned elsewhere, they really are just my opinions, and other people’s opinions will differ for sure! It’s always somewhat arbitrary what gets included. The top ten here could definitely have included some that were not mentioned, probably. The list also went through some revisions in the days when I was prepping for the vid, testing things and thinking about things. There were a few things I thought I would include which I changed my mind on for various reasons. Anyway, enjoy!

[@tonyjohnson1405]

Thanks

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Thank you!

[@wignallyt]

Great video - thank you & thumbs up!

[@nosense280]

Great overview! Happy holidays and many thanks for your videos!

[@daddyfalldown9209]

Thank you, Gavinski! I loved the photo of you enjoying a pint of Guinness. Cheers!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Good to hear 🤗

[@Dognacity]

Happy New Year, Gavin!

[@geotony]

Great no nonsense run through… many thanks Gav… all the best for Xmas and New Year 🙏

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Thnx Tony! It is actually incredibly time consuming to make a video like this so short and 'no nonsense'. A long ramble would have been so much easier. Glad you appreciated the succintness!

[@sevenape]

Thanks so much for all your videos Gav!! Have a really great Christmas time!!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Thnx Dan, same to you!

[@PoppaDocRocks]

Nice. Always hard to narrow down so many great options.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

It really is, and it's always somewhat arbitrary as there are too many criteria that could potentially be used. It's definitely not a hard science haha

[@antfactor]

Thanks and Happy Holidays from NYC... 🐜 And yes... SOOOO many toys... Yet not enough time unless one truly focusses for a while. The "struggle" is real - LOL!!

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Definitely, be picky, buy less, this is the way!

[@jamesbastani4295]

These choices depend on the genre of music you create. For me Iconica Sketch, Transit, Crystalline, and Come Back Kid were the best apps that were released in 2024.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

These choices will always be very personal, of course, and also depend on what you already have from previous years. Enjoy your apps 🙏

[@joonajaakkola3865]

Hey! What's the app where you have apps as inserts and the pattern programmed?

[@GavinskisTutorials]

Hi there, I don't understand the question. Which pattern programmed? If you are asking what the host app which I have the other apps loaded in is, it's AUM by Kymatica. Cheers

[@joonajaakkola3865]

@@GavinskisTutorials Thanks! I'm a new iOs user so I was under the impression the host app has a pattern programmed which is then output to the midi instruments you have loaded.

[@GavinskisTutorials]

@joonajaakkola3865 ah, Mass generates its own midi, it's not an arpeggiator or whatever, so it doesn't need to receive midi from another app. Good luck on your iOS learning journey!

[@marionietoworld]

❤❤❤❤

[@ThyWhom]

do u have a DISCORD?

[@GavinskisTutorials]

There's a Telegram group for paying Patreon supporters, we decided to go with TG over Discord