This music app is doing something different in the Apple App Store

Dynamic App Design

The iOS App Store is awash with apps using subscriptions and in-app payments, but our attention has been drawn to a brand new release that goes back to the old way of doing things — charging a one-off payment. It’s such a rare approach, the company has even drawn attention to it in the app’s top features list.

The app is Practice Pro, a release from developers Dynamic App Design, and it is made to help musicians practice and improve with use. The studio claims it’s suitable for professional and amateur musicians due to its clever modular design. Using different widgets, the app can be set up to only include the practice tools relevant to you, a better option than either using multiple apps, or having a cluttered, unfocused menu.

There are eight widgets available in total including a metronome, an auto increase metronome, pitch playback, a recorder, a chromatic tuner, a timer, and a repetition counter. Different pages can be created to manage different practice stages and activities, and the app can be customized to look exactly how you want. If you practice in a group, the app has a share feature built in, so everyone can work from the same practice sheet.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

While the app itself has somewhat niche appeal, it’s great to see an established developer — Dynamic App Design has been making apps since 2011 and has six million downloads under its belt — decide against making the app free and then charging individually for the widgets, and potentially adding a subscription too. Instead, the app costs $10, but for the week after its February 7 launch it will be available for $1.

The company says, “This upfront price point means that once you download the app, there are zero ads, no additional in-app purchases, and no subscription fees.”

Data collected by researchers at Statista in 2022 shows how rare paid-for downloads are across the top sections in the App Store, with freemium titles dominating gaming, social, and health and fitness apps at over 77% of all apps using the model. Paid-for downloads accounted for just 2.4% of games, which was the highest percentage of any category.

Practice Pro is available to download now for $1.

Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…

It’s 2025, and the iPhone still has an annoying alarm bug

Have you ever woken up late, only to discover your alarm never actually went off? You aren’t alone. For a long time now, iPhone users have reported a disruptive bug that allows their alarms to trigger but with no sound or vibration. It’s practically the same as having no alarm at all, and despite repeated promises, Apple has yet to resolve it.

On the r/iPhone subreddit, user u/bryanlolwut posted a picture showing his 10:30 a.m. alarm going off at 12:42 p.m. Other users flooded the comments with similar stories and complaints, with one person simply stating, “I feel vindicated.”

Zuckerberg vents at Apple over iPhone but forgets Facebook’s flops

Mark Zuckerberg appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast earlier this week, and he had a lot of words to say about Apple. In particular, the Meta chief targeted the company’s innovative streak and the cumbersome ecosystem weaved around it.

“They haven’t invented anything great in a while. It’s like Steve Jobs invented the iPhone, and now they’re just kind of sitting on it 20 years later,” Zuckerberg told Rogan.

This lifesaving app is helping people track wildfires in California

The Los Angeles area has been hit by devastating fires, destroying thousands of structures and forcing swathes of people to evacuate. Reports suggest multiple deaths and no immediate respite from the hazard.

In the midst of chaos, many have turned to an app to keep an eye on the situation as it unfolds and receive emergency alerts. The app in question is Watch Duty, which aggregates details from government agencies, news briefings, and camera feeds capturing the damage by fire.

Report