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.
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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.