Five Essential Apps for Drummers

It’s time to delete Angry Birds and those diet tracker apps you never use and install what you really need: five essential apps that can ease your life as a drummer and help you prepare for any situation that involves drums.

#1 – Metronome
Metronome Apps for Android
Metronome Apps for iOS
#2 – Music Database
Music Streaming Apps for Android
Music Streaming Apps for iOS
#3 – Decibel Meter
Decibel Meter Apps for Android
Decibel Meter Apps for iOS
#4 – Recorder
Sound Recording Apps for Android
Sound Recording Apps for iOS
#5 – Drum Kit
Drum Kit Apps for Android
Drum Kit Apps for iOS
See Also

#1. Metronome

First off, and you probably saw this one coming, there’s the metronome. Installing a metronome app on your smartphone is a great idea because these are not only amazingly useful but take up very little storage space. While free as well as paid-for apps aren’t as extensive as the latest professional metronomes and certainly lack the cool that a genuine retro model packs, metronome apps are perfect for spur-of-the-moment jam sessions and more casual rehearsals. For both Android and iOS, Soundbrenner offers a great metronome app with loads of customisable settings.

Metronome Apps for Android:

» The Metronome by Soundbrenner (Android)
» Metronome Beats (Android)

Metronome Apps for iOS:

» The Metronome by Soundbrenner (iOS)
» Pulse – Metronome & Tap Tempo (iOS)

Five Essential Apps for Drummers

# 2. Music Database

Want it or not, you can’t do without a music library. While it doesn’t really matter whether you only buy and download singles or use a streaming service, the fact is that the latter makes it a lot easier to discover new music. Spotify and Deezer are two excellent streaming apps, as are Apple Music and Google Play Music. Since the advertisements that frequently pop up in the free versions can kind of destroy the flow of playing along to an album, I definitely recommend going for a paid subscription.

Music Database Apps for Android:

» Spotify (Android)
» Google Play Music (Android)

Music Database Apps for iOS:

» Spotify (iOS)
» iTunes (iOS)

Five Essential Apps for Drummers

#3. Decibel Meter

Those without a passion for drumming may or may not find the sound of a drum kit a little obnoxious. If you want to prevent getting into a fight with the people around you, it can be worth it to monitor the decibels you’re pounding out of your kit. When looking for a decibel meter app, it’s important to pick one that offers historical data. This way, you can easily compare the figures. Also, keep in mind that most smartphones aren’t exactly designed to capture loud sounds and may potentially provide unreliable y. As such, when setting up your phone to measure decibels, it’s best to place it somewhere far away from your drum kit – possibly even somewhere outside of the room. Another thing you’ll want to note is that decibel meter apps aren’t perfectly calibrated, so the decibels they indicate are more like guidelines rather than highly accurate values. For professional use, I recommend going with a professional decibel meter. For incidental measurements, an app is a great alternative. Sound Analyzer is a more than solid Android example, while the Decibel Sound & Noise dB Meter is a great app for iOS users and allows you to save your measurements.

Decibel Meter Apps for Android:

» Sound Analyzer App (Android)
» Sound Meter (Android)

Decibel Meter Apps for iOS:

» Decibel (iOS)
» Decibel X (iOS)

Five Essential Apps for Drummers

#4. Recorder

Sound recording apps are essential for saving ideas and inspiration, but not every smartphone comes with a pre-installed recording app. Again, I can’t say I recommend using an app in more professional situations, but I also can’t say I can make it through the day without one! My current go-to Android app is Smart Recorder, which offers intuitive control and a handy function that records any sound peaking above a set threshold value. A great alternative to Smart Recorder is Voice Record Pro. This app lets you tweak the playback speed, and the iOS version even lets you add effects. Apple users might also want to check out Multi Track Song Recorder, since it offers the option to record via up to four tracks.

Sound Recording Apps for Android:

» Voice Record Pro (Android)
» Smart Recorder (Android)

Sound Recording Apps for iOS:

» Multi Track Song Recorder (iOS)
» Voice Record Pro (iOS)

Five Essential Apps for Drummers

#5. Drum Kit

What do you mean drum kits take up a lot of space? You can easily slide one into your pocket! Granted, drum kit apps are a little gimmicky, but that doesn’t mean they can’t boost your creativity or don’t allow you to explore more unusual timings. Here, I whole-heartedly recommend downloading a lot of different apps to set yourself up with a wide variety of drum sounds. While there’s plenty to choose from, GarageBand is a particularly brilliant app for iOS and offers the possibility to record and play other instruments as well.

Drum Apps for Android:

» Pocket Drums (Android)
» Drum Solo Legend (Android)

Drum Apps for iOS:

» GarageBand (iOS)
» Drum Kit (iOS)

Five Essential Apps for Drummers
On my phone, I’ve stuck all of my drum-based apps in a folder named ‘Drums’. So, if you have any other essential drum apps in mind that I haven’t mentioned, feel free to share them in the comments below because I’ve got plenty of space for more.