Although the market share of the iOS is so far still about 50 %, Android is well on the way becoming globally most popular ecosystem (see links). In spite of this fact, it seems that 99 % of "pro" (good, sophisticated) music apps are made for iOS.
I wonder why? There shouldn't be any technical restriction for making music
applications for Android, however, the major developers who have mobile apps (e.g.
Camel Audio, IK) seems to have their well-known products made for mobile only
for the iOS. Also finding a good sequencer, looper, or effect for Android is very hard.
Even musical many "by-products" such as George Harrison guitar collection is just for the iOS.
Is the only reason that Apple was the first one? Or is it because iOS is made is USA?
Very many music professionals/hobbyists use Android tablets, therefore the reason can't be that there wasn't any market potential in Android.
Please educate me:
1) which are in your opinion the best Android music apps?
2) why so few music apps made for Android?
3) developers: when will we get all the iOS apps also for Android?
Harry
http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating ... pcustomd=1
http://venturebeat.com/2013/10/31/andro ... t-growing/
Why there are so few pro Android music apps?
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- KVRAF
- 3879 posts since 28 Jun, 2009 from Wherever I lay my hat
One reason comes to mind...
Android SUCKS when it comes to audio.
The latency is just unacceptable, so you're basically reduced to programming everything. I try to avoid apple where I can, but I have to admit, they really got it right here. I have no idea about the technical side of things, but can it really be so difficult to achieve acceptable latency? Don't tell me the hardware is too weak, I know it's not.
So Android is just not attractive for most pro developers right now. I hear some good things about the Nexus tablets, but they seem to be the exception (and I haven't tried them for myself).
That said, Caustic is definitely the best out there right now. I had high hopes for FLStudio mobile, but it turns out it's just a click n mix toy with very limited capabilities. I also enjoy Intermorphic Noatikl for some relaxing generative music making.
Android SUCKS when it comes to audio.
The latency is just unacceptable, so you're basically reduced to programming everything. I try to avoid apple where I can, but I have to admit, they really got it right here. I have no idea about the technical side of things, but can it really be so difficult to achieve acceptable latency? Don't tell me the hardware is too weak, I know it's not. So Android is just not attractive for most pro developers right now. I hear some good things about the Nexus tablets, but they seem to be the exception (and I haven't tried them for myself).
That said, Caustic is definitely the best out there right now. I had high hopes for FLStudio mobile, but it turns out it's just a click n mix toy with very limited capabilities. I also enjoy Intermorphic Noatikl for some relaxing generative music making.
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musical android musical android https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=298141
- KVRist
- 251 posts since 5 Feb, 2013 from spain
There is more applications than most people realize I think...
There is admittedly a lot of crap to but a decent size amount of applications that are good...
Most developers choose to make for iOS because then they do not have to deal with the fragmentation of the different devices and because Android do not have as low latency. (Which seems that slowly but surely is getting better).
If you want to read more about the applications that exists and what people are doing with their music apps for Android I would highly recommend you to go to my website musicalandroid.com
I do only write about the applications that have some quality or value for more serious music making and there is too much information to share here!
There is admittedly a lot of crap to but a decent size amount of applications that are good...
Most developers choose to make for iOS because then they do not have to deal with the fragmentation of the different devices and because Android do not have as low latency. (Which seems that slowly but surely is getting better).
If you want to read more about the applications that exists and what people are doing with their music apps for Android I would highly recommend you to go to my website musicalandroid.com
I do only write about the applications that have some quality or value for more serious music making and there is too much information to share here!
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 4881 posts since 4 Aug, 2006 from Helsinki
I appreciate if you can name few. H.musical android wrote:There is more applications than most people realize I think...
There is admittedly a lot of crap to but a decent size amount of applications that are good...
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- KVRAF
- 5813 posts since 17 Aug, 2004 from Berlin, Germany
I think because of the bad audio latency Afaik something about 100ms in the past and because of some missing features.
Google was more interested for better usability and smoother working (project butter) and this audio stuff was not on the high priority list.
This changed Afaik since Jelly Bean. I read they are now on 12ms latency and they planned to go under 10ms (iOS 6ms) so it goes in the right direction to be more interesting for music apps in the future.
iOS has also some special stuff (Inter-app audio?) where Android needs some similar things. It needs some frameworks and support from Google to push the whole music app thing.
Google was more interested for better usability and smoother working (project butter) and this audio stuff was not on the high priority list.
This changed Afaik since Jelly Bean. I read they are now on 12ms latency and they planned to go under 10ms (iOS 6ms) so it goes in the right direction to be more interesting for music apps in the future.
iOS has also some special stuff (Inter-app audio?) where Android needs some similar things. It needs some frameworks and support from Google to push the whole music app thing.
| Links-
musical android musical android https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=298141
- KVRist
- 251 posts since 5 Feb, 2013 from spain
SunVox
Caustic 3
G-Stomper Beat Studio
Nanoloop
Reactable
Supreme MPA
Syntheogen
Audio Evolution Mobile together with Audio recorder pro
Va-Beast Synthesizer
Heat Synthesizer
SynPrez FM....
And many more it is just to many in the end and do not remember all of them but like I said there is many applications that you can find out more about on musicalandroid.com by clicking the entries on the side...
Caustic 3
G-Stomper Beat Studio
Nanoloop
Reactable
Supreme MPA
Syntheogen
Audio Evolution Mobile together with Audio recorder pro
Va-Beast Synthesizer
Heat Synthesizer
SynPrez FM....
And many more it is just to many in the end and do not remember all of them but like I said there is many applications that you can find out more about on musicalandroid.com by clicking the entries on the side...
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 4881 posts since 4 Aug, 2006 from Helsinki
Thank you for the information.
The latency if of course an issue.
Caustic seems to be some kind of Android flagship at the moment.
But parallel products such as the Garageband iOS/Android differ quite a lot, for the iOS.
Versatile synths, such as the mobile Alchemy, are just for the iOS - the integration
for the DAW/other systems is also essential. H.
The latency if of course an issue.
Caustic seems to be some kind of Android flagship at the moment.
But parallel products such as the Garageband iOS/Android differ quite a lot, for the iOS.
Versatile synths, such as the mobile Alchemy, are just for the iOS - the integration
for the DAW/other systems is also essential. H.
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- Banned
- 18651 posts since 2 Oct, 2001 from England
1) CausticHarry_HH wrote:
Please educate me:
1) which are in your opinion the best Android music apps?
2) why so few music apps made for Android?
3) developers: when will we get all the iOS apps also for Android?
2) Latency
3) When the latency is sorted
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- KVRAF
- 5948 posts since 19 Jun, 2008 from Melbourne, Australia
The problem is not just the audio latency on Android. The SDK (Software Development Kit) that app developers use to call OS services does not provide the features required to easily integrate audio and MIDI in to their apps.
For example your iOS app will make a call via the SDK to ask "give me a list of all available MIDI devices" or "send this MIDI data to this port and channel". The reset is taken care of by the OS. When a user plugs in in a new MIDI device the list of available devices is automatically updated - all your code needs to do is update the list on screen.
The equivalent functionality on Android does not exist so a developer has to write and test a whole bunch of low level code that may or may not work on all Android devices. Most developers would much rather spend time adding cool features to their app than worrying about what MIDI devices are available!
These standard MIDI + audio features also make it easier for hardware manufacturers to build devices that are compatible with iOS. Just make sure it works with Core MIDI / Core Audio and your device is guaranteed to work on all iOS devices.
Until the Android SDK provides this high level functionality out of the box, developers will continue to focus on iOS.
It's a shame that Google and MS don't seem to understand that this is what makes iOS so popular ...
Peace,
Andy.
For example your iOS app will make a call via the SDK to ask "give me a list of all available MIDI devices" or "send this MIDI data to this port and channel". The reset is taken care of by the OS. When a user plugs in in a new MIDI device the list of available devices is automatically updated - all your code needs to do is update the list on screen.
The equivalent functionality on Android does not exist so a developer has to write and test a whole bunch of low level code that may or may not work on all Android devices. Most developers would much rather spend time adding cool features to their app than worrying about what MIDI devices are available!
These standard MIDI + audio features also make it easier for hardware manufacturers to build devices that are compatible with iOS. Just make sure it works with Core MIDI / Core Audio and your device is guaranteed to work on all iOS devices.
Until the Android SDK provides this high level functionality out of the box, developers will continue to focus on iOS.
It's a shame that Google and MS don't seem to understand that this is what makes iOS so popular ...
Peace,
Andy.
... space is the place ...
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- KVRAF
- 9453 posts since 17 Sep, 2002 from Gothenburg Sweden
We're just getting started,give us some time dammit!
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- KVRAF
- 2628 posts since 30 Mar, 2007 from In and Out Burger
jupiter8 wrote:We're just getting started,give us some time dammit!
[Insert Signature Here]
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- KVRist
- 149 posts since 14 Jun, 2011
Yes, you're right. This is a problem on Android, for now, but I'm sure they sort it out soon. As far as I see, Google is working with high pressure on performance related stuff. One example is the upcoming ART runtime, which will replace Dalvic vm in one of the next Android Releases. I'm pretty sure that some day Android will be on the same level with IOS, maybe faster than the most of us expect.ZenPunkHippy wrote:The problem is not just the audio latency on Android. The SDK (Software Development Kit) that app developers use to call OS services does not provide the features required to easily integrate audio and MIDI in to their apps.
For example your iOS app will make a call via the SDK to ask "give me a list of all available MIDI devices" or "send this MIDI data to this port and channel". The reset is taken care of by the OS. When a user plugs in in a new MIDI device the list of available devices is automatically updated - all your code needs to do is update the list on screen.
The equivalent functionality on Android does not exist so a developer has to write and test a whole bunch of low level code that may or may not work on all Android devices. Most developers would much rather spend time adding cool features to their app than worrying about what MIDI devices are available!
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- KVRian
- 631 posts since 19 Sep, 2012
jupiter8 wrote:We're just getting started,give us some time dammit!
You've had since 2011 (android honeycomb) how long do you want?
Instant human just add coffee
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- KVRian
- 503 posts since 19 Apr, 2009
Thing is, the cost of an android device (10") that can run this stuff is now about the same as a iPad...I would much rather go with the iOS system and the rock solid apps (because the iOS system is closely monitored by Apple as are the apps)
Back whenever, Android devices had a distinct cost advantage, not any more. Again this is in the high end range of hardware - which is to say it is apples -v- apples.
Back whenever, Android devices had a distinct cost advantage, not any more. Again this is in the high end range of hardware - which is to say it is apples -v- apples.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 4881 posts since 4 Aug, 2006 from Helsinki
Where the real advantage of the (best) Android devices are, is (to my opinion) more interesting/versatile user interface and more open structure.miden wrote:Thing is, the cost of an android device (10") that can run this stuff is now about the same as a iPad...I would much rather go with the iOS system and the rock solid apps (because the iOS system is closely monitored by Apple as are the apps)
Back whenever, Android devices had a distinct cost advantage, not any more. Again this is in the high end range of hardware - which is to say it is apples -v- apples.
The present situation where the otherwise best interface is Android but the best apps (in music making genre) are just
iOS, is most unhappy: we have to buy both platforms. H.
