Perfect Ear

Perfect Ear is a music-learning app for people who want to build listening, rhythm, theory and notation skills in one place. It suits beginners through experienced musicians who value varied or customized drills. Its breadth is a strength, but some exercise packs and the custom editor cost extra.

Overview

Perfect Ear covers interval and chord work, scales, rhythm, melodic dictation, pitch, singing and sight-reading. This range makes it a practical choice for learners developing several musicianship skills together; someone focused on a single skill may prefer a narrower tool. Guided courses run from beginner to advanced, while a daily practice dashboard supports a regular routine.

Users can build custom ear-training and rhythm exercises, chords, scales and rhythm patterns. That flexibility is useful when preset drills do not match a learner’s goals, though access to the custom exercise editor is a separate purchase.

Key features

• Intervals and chords: Drills cover interval comparison and recognition, chord recognition, inversions and progressions. Piano or guitar can be used for ear-training practice, connecting listening work to familiar instruments.
• Rhythm and scales: Users can read, write and imitate rhythms, and practice scales. Custom patterns offer more control over practice, at the cost of building exercises rather than relying only on ready-made material.
• Melody, singing and pitch: Melodic dictation, absolute-pitch training and note-singing drills broaden the app beyond recognition exercises.
• Sight-reading: Sheet-music reading drills and a sight-reading trainer support notation practice; a MIDI keyboard can be used with the trainer.
• Learning and support: Guided courses and a daily practice dashboard give learners structure. The developer welcomes suggestions and provides email support at [email protected].

Pricing

The free plan costs nothing and is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

Individual one-time purchases let users add selected content rather than committing to a recurring fee. Classical Piano, Interval Exercises Pack, Rhythm exercises pack, Chord exercises pack and Scales exercises pack each cost $0.99, paid once. The Custom exercise editor costs $1.99, paid once. These lower-cost options suit learners who know which area or tool they want, but buying several packs may be less straightforward than choosing the Full Exercise Pack at $4.99, paid once.

Perfect Ear Premium costs $9.99, paid once, but its included benefits are not described. A separate Christmas Sale purchase is $2.99, paid once; its name alone does not establish what it includes. Readers should compare the clearly named packs with their needs rather than assume either purchase unlocks specific features.

Platforms

Perfect Ear is available on Android, iOS and macOS, giving mobile users and Mac users a choice of supported devices. The app is published on Google Play and the Apple App Store by Crazy Ootka Software AB. Google Play says it may collect app activity and app info and performance data, shares no data with third parties and encrypts data in transit. Apple's privacy disclosure says diagnostics may be collected but are not linked to the user.

Who it's for

Perfect Ear is a good fit for musicians who want one app spanning ear training, rhythm, theory and reading, particularly those who will benefit from guided courses or custom practice. Its range can serve amateurs and professionals, but the separate packs make it worth checking which exercises are included before settling on a paid route. It is less compelling for someone who wants a clearly bounded free curriculum or only one specialized training mode.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Broad coverage from chords and intervals to singing and sight-reading lets learners work across several skills in one app.
• Pro: Custom exercises, scales and rhythm patterns can align drills with individual goals.
• Pro: Several named packs are priced as low-cost one-time purchases, avoiding a required subscription for those additions.
• Con: The free plan's exercise caps are unclear, making it hard to judge how much practice is available before buying.
• Con: The custom editor and content packs are paid separately, so building a tailored setup can add to the initial free download.
• Con: Premium's benefits are not defined, so its 9.99 USD one-time price is harder to evaluate than the named packs.

Alternatives

Ear Training Software is a useful starting point for comparing options across the category.

• Complete Ear Trainer is worth considering if you want an app also available on web and Windows: its free access covers the first chapter of each mode, and its full version costs $6.99, paid once.
• Coco suits someone seeking a game-based approach, with early levels and daily workouts in its free plan, subject to daily session limits.
• Nootka is a free, open-source option for readers who want an alternative available on Linux and Windows as well as Android and macOS.
• SightSing may suit learners focused on sight-singing, with free access to Levels 1–3 and a $4.99 a month plan for all 18 levels plus rhythm and interval training.
• The Ear Gym is another freemium option for Android and iOS, with free drills at your own pace.
• ToneGym is an alternative available on web as well as mobile, with a free tier described as limited access to training and learning tools.
• Trill combines a musician toolkit with limited free ear-training access and offers a 7-day free trial before its $59.99 a year Pro plan.
• Solfetta is a free, open-source web option whose settings are stored in the browser’s local storage.

Verdict

Choose Perfect Ear if you want a wide set of music-reading and listening drills, structured courses and the option to tailor exercises, with inexpensive one-time packs for targeted additions. Look elsewhere if you need clear free-plan limits or a defined Premium bundle before paying; the app’s range is appealing, but its purchase choices require some care.