What TrainYourEars does

TrainYourEars is a bootstrapped, founder-owned software business operated by sole proprietor Luis Herranz Sanz from Madrid, Spain, that has been selling a desktop ear training application for Mac and PC since 2012-2013. The product helps sound engineers, music producers, and audio students develop frequency recognition skills by exposing them to randomized equalizations that they must either identify (the Guess Method, a pedagogy in use for over 40 years) or actively correct (the Correct Method, a novel approach suggested by mastering engineer Bob Katz and introduced in version 2.0). The software allows users to load their own music files and configure custom exercises across frequency bands, difficulty levels, and combinations, functioning as a digital replacement for the cassette- and CD-based ear training exercises that historically dominated audio education.

The product line is intentionally narrow: a single application called TrainYourEars EQ Edition, sold under two license types. Personal Use Licenses are sold at 49 EUR as a one-time payment with lifetime access (permanently reduced from an original 89 EUR price after the launch promotion sold twice as expected). Public Use Licenses offer tiered volume pricing for educational institutions, dropping from 89 EUR per seat at 1-4 licenses to 49 EUR per seat at 20+ licenses. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer through the company's own website, supported by a 40% commission affiliate program, content marketing on YouTube and social channels, and organic word-of-mouth in audio engineering communities. The company has no sales team, no subscription model, no marketplace presence, and no institutional funding.

The customer base is a long tail of individual professionals and students in over 20 countries, with documented adoption at recognized audio programs including Berklee College of Music, SAE Institute, the Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences, Macquarie University, University of Adelaide, Georgia State University, and University of Colorado Denver. Operationally, the company runs with 1-10 employees as a sole proprietorship with EU VAT registration, generating revenue solely from transactional software sales, and shows no evidence of AI/ML capability, no patent portfolio, no acquisitions, and no external capital.

Name

TrainYourEars

Legal name

Luis Herranz Sanz (TrainYourEars)

Website

https://trainyourears.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TrainYourEars is a Madrid-based bootstrapped software company that sells a desktop ear training application for sound engineers and audio students, distributed exclusively through its own website as a 49 EUR one-time lifetime license with tiered volume pricing for educational institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audio Engineering Software

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Computer Training (611420), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Education & Practice Software (Ear training, tutors, metronome tools) (MPAIAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Information Technology & Software (EDAAAPAB)

Keywords

• Ear training software
• Frequency recognition training
• Audio engineering education
• Critical listening practice
• EQ training tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Software License Sales (Personal Use): One-time payment for lifetime personal use license. Original price was 89 EUR but a 49 EUR launch offer proved so successful it was made permanent. Revenue is transactional with no recurring component.
2. Public Use License Sales: Volume-priced licenses for academies, universities, and organizations where multiple users access the software on shared computers. Priced per seat with tiered discounts (89 EUR down to 49 EUR per license depending on quantity).
3. Affiliate Referrals: Affiliates earn 40% commission on sales generated through their referral links. Tracked via 30-day cookies. Minimum payout threshold of 50 EUR with monthly payments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TrainYourEars EQ Edition is a desktop ear training software for Mac and PC that exposes users to hundreds of random equalizations they must identify or correct, helping sound engineers, music producers, and audio engineering students develop a frequency memory that connects the sound they imagine with the EQ parameters they need to dial. The software is sold under a one-time payment perpetual license model, with separate Public Use License volume pricing for educational institutions.

Product overview

TrainYourEars offers a single unified ear training software product called TrainYourEars EQ Edition, available as both a v1 and current v2 version. The software is designed specifically for sound engineers to train their frequency recognition skills using equalization exercises. The company offers two licensing models: Personal Use Licenses for individual users at 49 EUR, and tiered Public Use Licenses for institutions and academies. The product is distributed as a one-time payment with lifetime license access, with pricing originally set at 89 EUR but permanently reduced to 49 EUR for personal use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TrainYourEars EQ Edition: The primary ear training software product for equalizer and frequency training for sound engineers. Available in versions 1.0 and 2.0.

Products and services

• TrainYourEars EQ Edition Desktop ear training software for Mac and PC that helps sound engineers, music producers, musicians, and audio engineering students develop rapid frequency recognition by identifying or correcting random equalizations applied to audio material. Sold as a one-time payment perpetual license (EUR 49) for individuals, with tiered Public Use License volume pricing (EUR 49–89 per seat) for universities, academies, and schools.
• Public Use License Volume license for installing TrainYourEars on public computers in academies, universities, and organizations where different people may access the software on shared machines. Tiered pricing ranges from EUR 89 (1-4 licenses) down to EUR 49 (20+ licenses), designed for institutional rollout and lab deployment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Users can complete 100 random equalization exercises in 15 minutes of training
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bob KatzcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBob Katz, renowned mastering guru and founder of Digido Studios, suggested the 'Correct Method' training approach to TrainYourEars. His suggestion led to the development of a new training methodology where users not only identify problem frequencies but also correct them musically. Katz actively endorses the software and is featured prominently as a testimonial source on the website.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SoundGym: Online ear training platform targeted at audio engineers and producers, with gamified exercises covering frequencies, compression, and more. Direct competitor in the audio professional ear training niche with broader module coverage.
• ToneGym: Web and mobile-based ear training platform for musicians and producers covering pitch, intervals, and frequency recognition. Comparable ear training product with broader musical audience reach.
• Quiztones: Direct competitor offering frequency and EQ ear training apps for audio engineers and musicians. Closest analog to TrainYourEars' core functionality, with mobile (iOS) availability that TrainYourEars lacks.
• EarMaster: Well-established ear training and music theory software used in music education for intervals, chords, scales, and rhythmic training. Comparable desktop ear training tool used widely in schools and universities.
• Syntorial: Synthesizer ear training software teaching users to recognize synth parameters by ear. Adjacent audio ear training tool focused on synthesis rather than EQ, with similar desktop-only, one-time-license model.

Broad incumbents

• Avid (Pro Tools): Dominant DAW vendor serving the audio engineering market. As the platform where audio engineers spend most of their time, Pro Tools could plausibly integrate ear training features, displacing standalone tools like TrainYourEars.
• iZotope (RX, Neutron): Major audio software vendor offering mastering and mixing tools that include educational and ear training components. Adjacent incumbent with substantially more resources that could bundle ear training features into its suite.

Emerging players

• FunctionFox / Functional Ear Trainer: Functional ear training apps and online music theory platforms that include frequency and interval recognition. Less specialized for professional audio engineers than TrainYourEars but competes for the same ear training category.
• Auditory Skills (Ear Training Apps): Smaller ear training tools and apps serving the audio engineering community. Partial overlap with TrainYourEars' frequency training focus but with less established brand and educational institution adoption.

Others

• Sonarworks (SoundID): Audio calibration software that integrates with TrainYourEars in users' workflows (per testimonials). Complementary tool rather than direct competitor, but operates in the same audio professional ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TrainYourEarsEN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TrainYourEars
• Facebookfacebook.com/TrainYourEars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trainyourears

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TrainYourEars