Xascada vs Synthesia.
Looking for the Synthesia piano app, not the AI video maker?
You're in the right place. Two unrelated products share the name: an AI platform that turns text into presenter videos, and the falling-notes piano game made by Synthesia LLC. This page is about the piano game — and how Xascada, a falling-notes MIDI visualizer and practice instrument, compares to it.
Synthesia is a song-learning app: falling notes show you what to play, you practise hands separately, and a library of 150 included songs plus a Music Store, your own MIDI and MusicXML files, feed it. It is a free download with a one-time purchase. Xascada shares the falling-note idea, then serves a different day: graded ABRSM technique work scored against your personal best, the key and chord read out live, and a performance you can export as a video for YouTube, TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
Facts checked September 9, 2026 against synthesiagame.com , Synthesia — download page , Synthesia — FAQ . Prices in USD as shown that day. Something changed? Tell us and we'll fix it.
| Xascada | Synthesia | |
|---|---|---|
| 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: The Original Piano Practice App — a fun way to learn how to play the piano. |
| Platforms | macOS 12 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel; Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit; iPad on the App Store, iPadOS 17 or later. | Windows (7 64-bit and later), macOS (10.9 and later), iPad, Android tablets (5.0 and later), and Chromebooks with Google Play. |
| 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; a one-time purchase listed at $39, shown on sale for $29 on the date checked. |
| Falling notes from MIDI | Yes — notes fall as light onto a lit keyboard, live from your MIDI keyboard or from any MIDI file you open. | Yes — falling notes from the 150 included songs, the Music Store, and your own MIDI and MusicXML files. |
| Learning approach | 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. | Learn songs from falling notes, practise hands separately, finger-number hints, 150 included songs plus a Music Store, and your own MIDI and MusicXML files. |
| Feedback | Every run scored — accuracy, weighted score, streak, perfect/good/miss, star rating against your personal best — and auto-detected trouble spots. | Real-time feedback and long-term progress tracking. |
| Theory while you play | Key, chord and Roman numeral read out in real time while you play. | Not listed. |
| Notation and hardware | Not a feature. Xascada shows the keyboard and the falling light, not notation. Any standard MIDI keyboard; no lighted-key integration. | Optional musical notation for any song. Supports lighted keyboards to show upcoming notes. |
| 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. | No video export listed. A multi-track recorder for songs. |
| Latest version listed | Updates ship with every plan; see the changelog. | Version 10.9 on the download page. |
- You want to learn specific songs from a library, with hands-separate practice.
- You want a one-time price rather than a subscription.
- You use a lighted keyboard, or want notation on screen.
- You need an Android tablet app today.
- You want graded ABRSM technique work scored against your personal best, not a song course.
- You want the key, chord and Roman numeral read out live.
- You want to export the performance as a video for YouTube, TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
- You compose: build progressions from a chord heat-map and send them to practice.
Xascada and Synthesia, asked plainly
Is this the Synthesia piano game or the AI video company?
The piano game: Synthesia by Synthesia LLC, at synthesiagame.com. The AI video company called Synthesia is a separate business with no connection to it, and nothing on this page is about it.
What's an app like Synthesia for piano?
It depends on the job. To learn songs from falling notes with a library and hands-separate practice, Synthesia itself is built for that. For a falling-notes MIDI visualizer that also scores graded ABRSM technical work, reads the key and chord as you play, and exports the performance as a video, that is Xascada.
Does Synthesia export video?
Synthesia's own pages list a multi-track recorder for songs and no video export, as of the date checked. Xascada exports 1080p at 30fps: 16:9 for YouTube, 9:16 for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
Can I use my own MIDI files?
In both. Synthesia plays your own MIDI and MusicXML files alongside its included songs. Xascada opens any MIDI file, plays it as falling light through the built-in synth, and can load it into a drill.
Synthesia is a one-time purchase. What does Xascada cost?
Xascada is a subscription: a 14-day free trial, then $4.99 a month or $49.99 a year. If you want to pay once, Synthesia's one-time price is the better fit.