Earmaster
EarMaster ApS is a Danish music education software company developing ear training, sight-singing, and rhythm training applications for individual musicians, music students, and educational institutions worldwide, with products available across desktop and mobile platforms in 16+ languages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersEgå, Denmark
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Earmaster does
EarMaster ApS is a Danish private software company founded by Hans Lavdal Jakobsen in 1992 (with the first commercial edition released in 1996), headquartered in Egå near Aarhus, Denmark. The company develops music education software focused on ear training, sight-singing practice, and rhythm training, serving musicians, music students, and educational institutions including conservatories, universities, and music schools. Its flagship EarMaster application spans Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebook with cloud-based synchronization, featuring over 4,000 exercises across 14 general workshops and 9 Jazz & Blues workshops, plus exam-aligned courses for ABRSM Aural Tests 1-5 and RCM Voice Preparatory through Level 8.
The technology stack integrates microphone-based voice recognition for real-time pitch and rhythm analysis with on-staff pitch curve visualization, MIDI controller input on desktop platforms, and an AI-marketed adaptive learning engine that adjusts exercise difficulty based on user performance. Supplementary add-on courses (Vocal Trainer, Melodia, Solfege Fundamentals, Carmen-Habanera, Call of the Notes, Greensleeves) and free tools (Interval Song Chart, Music Theory Online Course) extend the core offering. The EarMaster Cloud platform adds a teacher version with a course editor, assignment creation, student progress tracking, and admin dashboards for institutional deployment.
EarMaster operates a hybrid B2C/B2B revenue model. Consumer revenue includes $5.99/month or $43.80/year personal subscriptions, a $59.95 perpetual desktop license (Pro 7), a $99.95 family pack, and mobile in-app purchases starting at $1.99. Educational revenue comes via tiered annual cloud subscriptions ranging from $21.50/user (5-9 users) down to $5.00/user (1,000+ users), plus consumable credit packs ($170-$5,499) and standalone course add-ons priced $9.95-$34.95. Distribution combines direct e-commerce, Apple App Store and Google Play, exclusive regional distributors across 15+ countries, and major music retailers (Thomann, Sweetwater, eMedia Music), supported by an affiliate program offering 30% commission. The company has remained privately held and founder-controlled since inception with no disclosed external funding.
Earmaster firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Earmaster
- Legal name
- EarMaster ApS
- Website
- https://earmaster.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- EarMaster ApS is a Danish music education software company developing ear training, sight-singing, and rhythm training applications for individual musicians, music students, and educational institutions worldwide, with products available across desktop and mobile platforms in 16+ languages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Earmaster industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Music Education Software
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Music Education & Practice Software (Ear training, tutors, metronome tools) (MPAIAIAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Music Theory, Ear Training & Musicianship (EDAMANAF), Online / Virtual Music Instruction & Platforms (EDAMANAI), Mobile Music Creation Apps (Beatmaking, Songwriting, Practice) (MPAIAIAC)
Keywords
Where Earmaster is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Egå
- HQ country
- Denmark
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Earmaster business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Personal Subscriptions: Monthly or annual subscription (EarMaster Cloud) providing access to all platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chromebook), cloud sync, and all courses. Monthly at $5.99 or annual at $3.65/month ($43.80 billed annually).
- Perpetual Software Licenses: One-time purchase of EarMaster Pro 7 for PC/Mac at $59.95 (individual) or $99.95 (family pack for 3 users on up to 6 computers). Upgrade from version 5/6 available at $30/$50.
- In-App Purchases (Mobile): Mobile apps (iOS/Android) available as in-app purchases starting at $1.99-$2.99 per item, with discount packs available. Includes beginner course, 14 general workshops, 9 jazz workshops, and additional courses.
- Educational Institution Licenses (EarMaster Cloud): Tiered annual subscription for schools with pricing based on user count: 5-9 users ($21.50/unit), 10-19 users ($14.50/unit), 20-99 users ($10.50/unit), 100-399 users ($7.75/unit), 400-999 users ($6.00/unit), 1000+ users ($5.00/unit). Includes teacher version with assignment creation, student tracking, and admin dashboard.
- EarMaster Cloud Credits: Consumable credit packs for conservatories and schools ranging from $170 to $5,499 for fixed quantities at discounted rates.
- Supplementary Courses: Additional course packs available: Vocal Trainer ($19.95), Melodia ($29.95), Solfege Fundamentals ($9.95), RCM Voice ($34.95), Aural Trainer for UK Grades ($34.95).
- Affiliate Referrals: 30% commission on referred subscribers (6 months for monthly plans, first year for annual plans) via affiliate program through rewardful platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Personal subscription - monthly |
| Subscription | Annual | Personal subscription - annual |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | EarMaster Pro 7 - perpetual license |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Mobile in-app purchases |
| Subscription | Annual | EarMaster Cloud School - 5-9 users |
| Subscription | Annual | EarMaster Cloud School - 10-19 users |
| Subscription | Annual | EarMaster Cloud School - 20-99 users |
| Subscription | Annual | EarMaster Cloud School - 100-399 users |
| Subscription | Annual | EarMaster Cloud School - 400-999 users |
| Subscription | Annual | EarMaster Cloud School - 1000+ users |
| Subscription | Annual | EarMaster Cloud Credits |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Supplementary courses |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
Earmaster product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EarMaster develops and sells music education software for ear training, sight-singing practice, and rhythm training. The core application is offered across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebook, featuring over 4,000 exercises covering intervals, chords, scales, dictations, sight-singing, and rhythm. A separate educational platform (EarMaster Cloud) provides school and conservatory license tiers with teacher accounts, student assignments, and admin dashboards, supplemented by specialized add-on courses for ABRSM, RCM, and vocal training.
Product overview
Earmaster offers a comprehensive music education software ecosystem centered around its flagship ear training application. The core product is available across multiple platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chromebook) through different licensing models: perpetual desktop licenses (EarMaster Pro 7), personal subscriptions (1-Year Pass), and the educational platform (EarMaster Cloud). The product portfolio includes the core ear training application with over 4000 exercises, supplemented by specialized add-on courses for specific needs (Vocal Trainer for singers, Aural Trainer for ABRSM exam prep, RCM Voice for RCM exams, Melodia for sight-singing, Solfege Fundamentals for solmization). Free tools include the Interval Song Chart and Music Theory Online Course. The ecosystem is designed for all skill levels from beginners to professional musicians, with separate products targeting individual learners versus educational institutions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- EarMaster Cloud: Subscription-based cloud platform for educational institutions, schools, conservatories, choirs, and private teachers, offering student and teacher accounts with assignment management, progress tracking, and cloud sync across all devices.
Products and services
- EarMaster Flagship ear training, sight-singing, and rhythm training application available on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebook, featuring over 4,000 exercises including intervals, chords, scales, dictations, sight-singing, rhythm training, and music theory. Targets individual musicians (students, hobbyists, professionals).
- EarMaster Cloud Educational cloud-based platform for schools, music conservatories, universities, and private instructors. Includes student version for all devices, teacher version with course editor and assignment tools, web dashboard for class management, and automatic homework/results synchronization.
- EarMaster Pro 7 Desktop perpetual license version of EarMaster for Windows and Mac with over 2,500 exercises including 14 general workshops and 9 Jazz workshops.
- Vocal Trainer Supplementary course with 200 exercises for singers, including vocalizations, scale singing, interval singing, and vocal techniques. Sold separately as an add-on.
- Aural Trainer for UK Grades
Quantifiable outcome
- Short daily practice (5-20 minutes) yields better results than occasional long sessions
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Earmaster
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Earmaster technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
Earmaster partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Suzhou C&J Marketing Software Co., Ltd.coreExclusive distributor for all EarMaster license types (personal, educational) in China. Manages localization, sales, and support for Chinese market.
- Treain Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.minorDistributor for EarMaster educational licenses only in China.
- FrontierFactorycoreExclusive distributor for EarMaster in Japan, handling both personal and educational licenses.
- MidiWare S.r.l.coreExclusive distributor for all EarMaster licenses in Italy.
- HacoMusicminorDistributor for EarMaster in Belgium (Flanders region).
- Indigo 2coreExclusive distributor for EarMaster in Denmark.
- Ibsen StudiocoreExclusive distributor for EarMaster in Norway.
- Audio FactorycoreExclusive distributor for EarMaster in Poland.
- Sweden Midi Music ABcoreExclusive distributor for EarMaster in Sweden.
- Disk Multimedia s.r.o.coreExclusive distributor for EarMaster in Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.
- ThomannminorMajor European music equipment retailer carrying EarMaster globally through their online store.
- PlugiveryminorPartner platform enabling stores to become EarMaster resellers in countries without exclusive distributors.
- eMedia MusicminorUS retailer carrying EarMaster Pro 7 through their online music education store.
- SweetwaterminorUS music instrument retailer carrying EarMaster Pro 7 through their online store.
- Strings by MailminorUS string instrument specialist retailer carrying EarMaster Pro 7.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Earmaster competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sight Reading Factory: Web-based sight-reading and music education platform used widely by schools and music programs. Directly competes with EarMaster in the school practice software segment, especially for sight-singing and rhythm practice workflows in K-12 and conservatory settings.
- Perfect Ear: Mobile-first ear training and music theory app for iOS and Android offering interval, chord, and scale exercises with customizable lessons. Targets the same individual musician practice segment as EarMaster's mobile apps, especially on smartphone-first learners.
- SoundGym: Online ear training platform primarily targeting audio engineers, producers, and musicians. Uses gamified exercises to develop critical listening for frequency, compression, and spatial audio, overlapping with EarMaster's ear training focus but skewing toward pro audio users.
- Auralia: Auralia by Rising Software is a direct competitor in ear training and music theory software for students, schools, and universities. It offers comparable interval, chord, scale, and rhythm exercises with customizable curricula targeting the same music education segment.
- ABRSM Aural Trainer: Official ABRSM app for aural test preparation, directly competing with EarMaster's ABRSM exam prep courses. Targets the same exam-driven market segment of music students preparing for graded examinations in the UK and internationally.
- Tenuto / MusicTheory.net: Free web-based music theory and ear training tools covering intervals, chords, scales, and rhythm. Directly comparable to EarMaster's free tools (Interval Song Chart, Music Theory Online Course) and competes in the same self-directed musician-learner segment.
Broad incumbents
- SmartMusic (MakeMusic): Comprehensive music education platform used in schools for practice, assessment, and accompaniment across many instruments. Competes with EarMaster Cloud in the institutional music education market but with much broader functionality, notation, and assessment features.
- Yousician: Larger, VC-backed music education platform with broader instrument-based lessons (guitar, piano, ukulele, bass) plus music theory. Overlaps with EarMaster on music theory content but operates at significantly greater scale with millions of paying subscribers worldwide.
Emerging players
- Flat.io: Online music notation and education platform used in schools, with collaborative features and built-in music theory exercises. Partially overlaps with EarMaster Cloud's education market and ear training use cases for collaborative classroom workflows.
Others
- MusicFirst: Online music education platform aggregating multiple music learning tools for K-12 schools. Often serves as the procurement vehicle through which EarMaster Cloud competes for school licenses, making it both an adjacent enabler and a potential competitor in institutional sales channels.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Earmaster social profiles
Digital presenceEarmaster compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Earmaster financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Earmaster leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Earmaster funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Earmaster M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Earmaster
What does Earmaster do?
EarMaster develops and sells music education software for ear training, sight-singing practice, and rhythm training. The core application is offered across Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebook, featuring over 4,000 exercises covering intervals, chords, scales, dictations, sight-singing, and rhythm. A separate educational platform (EarMaster Cloud) provides school and conservatory license tiers with teacher accounts, student assignments, and admin dashboards, supplemented by specialized add-on courses for ABRSM, RCM, and vocal training.
Is Earmaster a public or private company?
Earmaster is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Earmaster founded?
Earmaster was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Earmaster based?
Earmaster is headquartered in Egå, Denmark, in the Europe region.
How does Earmaster make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Personal Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are perpetual Software Licenses, in-App Purchases (Mobile), educational Institution Licenses (EarMaster Cloud), earMaster Cloud Credits, supplementary Courses and affiliate Referrals.
Who are Earmaster's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sight Reading Factory, Perfect Ear, SoundGym, Auralia, ABRSM Aural Trainer and Tenuto / MusicTheory.net. Broad incumbents are SmartMusic (MakeMusic) and Yousician. Flat.io is listed as an emerging player. MusicFirst is listed as an others.
Does Earmaster have an API?
No public API is recorded for Earmaster.
What industry is Earmaster in?
Earmaster's product category is Music Education Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAIAJ, Music Education & Practice Software (Ear training, tutors, metronome tools), with a secondary code of EDAMANAF, Music Theory, Ear Training & Musicianship. Its SIC code is 8200.