Games & Activities

12 best music apps for kids

Develop a love of music and learn useful skills with the best music apps for kids including free apps and some that are worth a purchase.

by The Totoli Team

Fun and interactive music apps for children including free music apps 

Research has shown that music learning provides important health, social, and cognitive development benefits for kids, even at a very young age. Music is also a fun way for kids to boost their creativity, stimulate their thinking, and have free form fun. Some of the best music apps for kids make it possible to create both pleasant hummable music and a joyful cacophony as they please.  Whether you pick an app that you can use along with your children, or let them jam out unsupervised, this list features plenty of options that may provide the first step of a long musical journey.

  1. Loopimal
    Build loops, build sequences, and make music in no time with one of the most celebrated music apps for kids. Every aspect is beautifully designed and the music is sure to delight little kids and even discerning adult ears. You can choose from nine animals and start dragging and dropping shapes to form unique musical patterns. Don’t be surprised if your animals of choice start whistling and dancing along!
    App Store
  2. Sesame Street Makes Music
    Sesame Street presents a music making experience that exposes kids to six different instruments and allows them to play six different popular songs with Abby, Cookie Monster, Elmo, and Ernie. Kids can hear different genres of music from around the world and explore tempo and beats by playing instruments fast and slow. These include a reggae version of “If You’re Happy and You Know It” and a jug band rendition of “Old MacDonald.”
    App Store
  3. Lullaby Songs For Sleep
    It only takes one tap to start playing a soothing lullaby to help your baby fall asleep. If you’ve tried different lullaby apps before, this one may be the end of your search. Featuring 24 different well known melodies, this app won’t interrupt your experience with intrusive ads or pop up banners, and has a timer so you can set down your phone or tablet or use another app while the lullaby plays in the background.
    App Store
  4. Baby Mozart
    Classical music has been shown to be beneficial for young children, which explains why parents have been known to play it in the background even before their kids were born. This app makes it as easy as possible to pick music from popular composers like Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart, plus well known nursery rhymes like Hush Little Baby. There’s even white noise options to help put your baby to sleep, plus child friendly animations and flashcards with dinosaurs, animals, numbers, and letters.
    App Store
  5. Mussila Music School
    Mussila Music School offers an entire world of musical education for free that allows kids to explore and learn on their own. Kids can choose between four paths: learn, play, create, and practice. They can learn music theory fundamentals like identifying notes, tempos, and reading sheet music. They can play the piano and learn familiar nursery rhymes all the way up to more advanced pieces. They can create their own songs with easy object oriented tools. And they can also practice their instruments and sharpen their rhythm and melody skills.
    App Store
    Play Store
  6. Spotify Kids
    Everything you love about Spotify but for kids! Your children can enjoy kid-friendly content handpicked for them like movie hits, party jams, bedtime tunes, and audiobooks, and even soundtrack their day from playtime to bedtime. You can preselect whether they get content for all ages, for younger kids, or older kids. Plus there’s no interruptive ads that may not be suitable for children.
    App Store
    Play Store
  7. Musical Me!
    Another music education app that helps kids apply their imaginations with sound in as few steps as possible. Kids will learn musical fundamentals like notes, rhythm, and pitch with interactive activities led by Mozzarella the Mouse. They can listen and copy note patterns, tap and drag characters to make them dance to the beat, and move notes on the staff to create their own melodies.
    App Store
  8. Melody Jams
    Melody Jams is a beautifully illustrated world of fun characters that invite your little ones to join their band. They can mix different melodies, play along with virtual instruments, get to know the different monsters, and start performing “live!” There are no in-app purchases or ads to interrupt band practice either.
    App Store
  9. Baby’s Musical Hands
    Baby’s Musical Hands is perfect for the littlest music learner in your family. It features 15 brightly colored squares that your baby can touch. Red squares make drum sounds, yellow squares are piano notes, and blue squares are guitar notes. It doesn’t get simpler than that!
    App Store
  10. Sago Mini Music Box
    Go on a musical adventure with three furry friends. Explore the sky with Jinja the cat, sail the seas with Harvey the dog, and play in the snow with Jack the rabbit. Each setting has unique music and art that’s perfect for toddlers. There’s also no in-app purchases or interruptive ads so your child can explore without distractions.
    App Store
    Play Store
  11. Music Sparkles
    If you’re looking for the most digital instruments for your little one to experiment with, Music Sparkles is the app for you. There are 14 different instruments to choose from, including percussion, string, and wind instruments. You’ll have to purchase some instruments to get the full set, but you can also disable in-app purchases on your device.
    App Store
  12. Piano Maestro
    If you’re looking to hone in on just the piano and keyboard, Piano Maestro is one of the most popular and advanced piano education apps available. In fact, the app will actually recognize the notes being played on a real piano or keyboard, which makes it the perfect educational accompaniment.
    App Store