Xascada vs SeeMusic.
SeeMusic is a piano-video production tool. You record live or import MIDI or MusicXML, edit the notes, choose particle and lighting effects, sync your own camera footage, and export the result up to 4K. It runs on macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. Xascada overlaps on the visualizer and the export, then goes a different way: it is also a practice instrument and a live theory readout, and it is priced as one subscription rather than a video-tool subscription.
Facts checked September 9, 2026 against seemusicapp.com , SeeMusic on the Mac App Store . Prices in USD as shown that day. Something changed? Tell us and we'll fix it.
| Xascada | SeeMusic | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A piano instrument for Mac, Windows and iPad: live play with the key, chord and Roman numeral read out as you go, graded ABRSM practice with scoring, a compose engine, and cinematic export to video. | In their words: a cross-platform piano visualization and video creation app for MIDI, MusicXML, and live performances. |
| Platforms | macOS 12 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel; Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit; iPad on the App Store, iPadOS 17 or later. | macOS 12 or later, Windows, iOS and Android. |
| Price | 14-day free trial, then $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year ($4.17 a month billed annually). Cancel anytime. | Free download with limited features. Mac App Store in-app purchases: SeeMusic Monthly $8.99; SeeMusic PRO 1 month $9.99, 3 months $24.99, 1 year $79.99. |
| Video export | 1080p at 30fps — 16:9 for YouTube, or 9:16 (1080×1920) for TikTok, Reels and Shorts with the bands those apps overlay shaded in the preview. Built-in synth or your own recording. | Export HD or 4K video. Sync and composite your own camera footage. Particle effects (rays, smoke, glow), reactive lighting, 3D note styles, a 3D piano scene. |
| Bring your own music | Open any MIDI file: it plays as falling light through the built-in synth, or loads into a drill. | Import MIDI or MusicXML, or record a live performance. |
| Editing after the take | Play it, render it — there is no timeline. In Compose, progressions are reordered by drag. | A built-in MIDI note editor: move, resize, delete, and adjust timing and velocity. |
| Theory while you play | Key, chord and Roman numeral read out in real time while you play. | Colour-coded pitch display to reveal harmony patterns. |
| Practice and scoring | Graded ABRSM exercises, Grade 1 to 8 — scales, arpeggios, broken chords, contrary motion — drilled in step-mode and scored: accuracy, streak, perfect/good/miss, a star rating against your personal best, trouble spots. | No practice or scoring features listed. |
| Notation | Not a feature. Xascada shows the keyboard and the falling light, not notation. | MusicXML score display alongside the performance. |
- You want 4K exports, or to composite your own camera footage into the video.
- You need an iPhone or Android app today.
- You edit notes after recording and want the MIDI editor in the same app.
- You want one instrument that also drills graded ABRSM exercises and scores every run.
- You want the key, chord and Roman numeral read out live while you play.
- You want a 9:16 export with the TikTok, Reels and Shorts bands shaded before you render.
- You want the lower price: $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year, after a 14-day free trial.
Xascada and SeeMusic, asked plainly
Is Xascada a SeeMusic alternative?
For the visualizer and the export, yes: both turn MIDI or a live performance into falling-note video. They part ways after that. SeeMusic adds 4K, camera compositing and a MIDI note editor; Xascada adds graded ABRSM practice with scoring and a live key, chord and Roman numeral readout.
Which one exports 4K?
SeeMusic lists HD and 4K export. Xascada exports 1080p at 30fps, in 16:9 for YouTube or 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
Can I use my own MIDI files in both?
Yes. SeeMusic imports MIDI and MusicXML. Xascada opens MIDI files and plays them through its built-in synth, or loads them into a drill.
Does either one score my practice?
Xascada does: graded ABRSM exercises, Grade 1 to 8, with every run scored for accuracy, streak and perfect / good / miss against your personal best. SeeMusic's pages list no practice or scoring features.