Musical apps are great tools for getting kids up and moving while having fun.
Besides, they make music accessible! Music has an excellent impact on a child's development in many ways, including motivational, motor, visual, emotional, and social development.
You can even find some music apps for kids with special needs and apps for teaching music to kids with disabilities designed for the development of gifted kids.
However, there is a problem: there are dozens of apps!
Although the positive impact of music apps on children is undeniable, many of them are not child-friendly, and therefore many parents hesitate or cannot find what they are looking for.
Here are 14 music apps that will bring your child the joy of music!
It is undoubtedly useful to categorize music apps. Because, for example, it would not be fair to evaluate music apps for kids to learn music theory and the best apps for teaching kids music categories in the same framework. So let’s explore our top picks!
| Best Music App for Toddlers | Baby Mozart |
| Best Music App for Elementary Ages | Loopimal |
| Best Music App for Teens | Pandora |
| Best Music App for Attention | MentalUP |
| Best Music App for Listening | Spotify Kids |
| Best Music App for Play | Mussila Music School |
| Best Music App for Preschoolers | ABC Kids Listen |
Music apps for kids to play can really contribute to children's mental development – and what's more,​ in a fun and engaging way.
The critical point here is that the apps should be child-friendly and suitable for parental control. Let's explore!
Musical intelligence games from MentalUP help improve visual memory, aural memory, decision-making skills, and musical intelligence in your kids.
Are you looking for signs of musical intelligence in your kid? MentalUP, which is also among the best ipad apps for kids, can give you much insight into that with its engaging games.
As a creative music app, MentalUP eases the process of teaching kids how to say the alphabet with fun and challenging games that help improve sustained attention and aural memory skills.
MentalUP’s advanced app contains musical intelligence activities for preschoolers and music games for kids of all ages. It helps improve reaction control, focus, and attention skills.
| MentalUP Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| No ads | Limited features for the free plan |
| Detailed progress report | |
| Pedagogically approved | |
| Listening and focus-driven | |
Parents need to know that Duckie Deck Homemade Orchestra encourages kids to explore different sounds and make lots of noise.
Kids can listen to sounds of a variety of "instruments" made from household objects, play the sounds on their own, and explore how they work together.
| Duckie Deck Homemade Orchestra Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Engaging | Lack of support |
| Easy to play | |
This app helps train little ears for pitch, empowering wee ones to play the keys of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and others; they can also make up and record their own songs.
Let your ears do the learning while you play! This educational app brings to life childhood melodies, allowing your child to make music with cute characters while learning how to play them.
| DoReMi 1-2-3: Music for Kids Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Fun and engaging | Bug issues |
| Theme-based songs | |
| Great updates | |
By wirelessly sensing your real piano, this app teaches kids to tickle the ivories by gamified lessons in an arcade adventure.
Activated by an acoustic piano/keyboard, or by touch, no wires or adapters are needed. The app just listens to your piano, and you learn how to play.
| Piano Dustbuster Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Use the in-game keyboard or an external piano/keyboard | In-app purchases can be outrageously expensive |
| Teaches fundamental music and piano-playing skills | |
| Includes both classical and newer, popular music to learn | |
Mazaam is an engaging music app created especially for kids to develop their understanding of music through a range of games and levels.
It is ideal for parents to work alongside their children, play games with them, and check their understanding.
One of the best music apps for kids, Mazaam is full of fun and color, and students won’t be able to recognize that they are learning, as they will be having so much fun.
| Mazaam - The Musical Genius Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Colorful | A bit slow sometimes |
| Easy to use | |
| Engaging | |
Musical Me! takes children on a magical, musical journey, making it one of the best music apps for kids.
Explore elements of music with familiar Duck Duck Moose Characters and superbly arranged children's songs.
| Musical Me! Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Quick and engaging | Only two of the five activities have difficulty levels that offer depth |
Sago Mini Music Box is a fun musical app and one of the best music making apps for kids. This music app gives children the opportunity to play songs.
This adorable, touch-anywhere app is perfect for toddlers. Every tap fills their world with art and music.
| Sago Mini Music Box Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Powerful play | Limited songs |
| Intuitive and engaging | |
Mussila is one of the best music learning apps for kids. It’s an award-winning app that allows kids to dive into the world of music on their own and allows them to gain knowledge without continuous external help.
The app provides hours of musical lessons, games, and challenges, carefully crafted by musical experts and educators and designed to provide a joyful experience. It’s also one of the best music apps for kids to learn music theory!
| Mussila Music School Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Great game for kids and parents to play and spend quality time together | A bit expensive |
| Interactive interface | |
Loopimal offers endless possibilities for kids to learn how to make music. There’s no goal or right or wrong system, so your kids can create as much music as they want using the sounds and animations in the building kit.
The possibilities of creations and compositions are endless. With an intuitive, fun gesture they can create sequences for different animals.
The content is on melodic, rhythmic, or movement bases. It’s a safe kit for complete freedom in creation.
| Loopimal Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Simple interface and groovy beats | Lack of support |
| Kids can save creations | |
Music is indispensable both for the sleep of toddlers and for teenagers to discover life. Listening to music is one of the most important things that feed human psychology. At this point, music apps for kids to listen to are really helpful and also function as apps for students.
Baby Mozart is a unique kids music game that is guaranteed to help improve your baby's sleep and develop their brain by listening to music.
This app is guaranteed to make your life easier by helping your baby sleep better and stimulating their brain with the most popular classical music for babies.
| Baby Mozart Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Very detailed | Only on Apple App Store |
| Theme-based music | |
Looking for a personalized listening experience that continually evolves with your kid’s taste?
This app, which is one of the best apps for 13 year olds, will create stations from your child’s favorite songs, artists, or genres. Search or browse to find recommended stations for their mood or activity, and discover podcasts that speak to them.
| Pandora Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Curated | Too many ads |
| Free version is excellent | |
In the market for some music apps for kids?
Lullaby Songs for Sleep is one of the best baby music apps that brings all of your favorite bedtime music for you and your kids to get ready to sleep. From soothing music for babies to classic lullabies, naptime and bedtime will never be the same.
| Lullaby Songs for Sleep Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| 100% free | Lack of support |
| Very soothing | |
Popular music app, Spotify, built this new, stand-alone music listening app just for kids. It caters to the unique needs of young ones, packed with over 8,000 songs, lullabies, and stories.
Children get to enjoy child-friendly content that both educates and entertains them, while parents can have greater peace of mind.
| Spotify for Kids Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Great curation | Needs more variety |
ABC Kids Listen is one of the most effective free music apps for kids and digital radio stations for preschool-aged children and their families.
It provides a safe space to hear trusted, educational, and entertaining audio programs that feature music and stories from their favorite ABC Kids friends.
| ABC Kids Listen Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Commercial-free | Needs a timer |
| Designed for preschoolers | |
If your children can not express their thoughts or handle problems easily, creating and playing music is helpful. And music apps stand out for making music accessible to kids.
But what other benefits do music apps have?
Studies suggest that learning music helps kids’ brains mature, with positive effects on attention, anxiety, and emotional control. Musical apps regulate children's mental health to the extent that they are very entertaining and soothing.
Musical apps are the easiest way to improve kids' listening and focus skills. Fun and challenging apps also help improve sustained attention and aural memory skills.
Music apps are very useful if you want to spark your child's creativity because they show them how to express their feelings and thoughts in different ways.
Active participation in playing music and music appreciation has been shown to increase self-esteem and self-expression. Apps designed with a pedagogical method can make an incredible contribution to the development of this aspect of children.
We hope you enjoyed our list! Kids can genuinely learn about music and play games with these apps while parents track their performance and discover their strengths.
Are you looking for music apps to support the mental development of your children? MentalUP is specifically designed by academicians, game designers, and scientists to help them discover their musical potential!
For fun music games and musical intelligence exercises for kids, download MentalUP for free!