Tools
A Synthesia-style app for your own MP3 songs
Synthesia made falling notes the way most people learn piano songs online. But it plays MIDI files, and the song you want to learn is probably an MP3. Here is how to close that gap, and when Synthesia is still the right tool.
What Synthesia does well
Synthesia shows notes falling onto a keyboard, lets you choose what to practise while it plays the rest, and lets you play at your own speed. Connect your keyboard and, in melody practice, it waits for you to play the correct note before moving on, which is a good way to drill a piece. The full version is a one-time purchase, $39 ($29 on sale when we checked), and comes with more than 150 songs.
The catch: it needs MIDI, not audio
Synthesia opens MIDI and MusicXML files. Its site lists no audio format, so an MP3, a WAV or a voice memo is not something you can open directly. So for the song you actually want to play, a recording you own, a cover, the version your church pianist plays, you first need someone or something to turn that audio into notes. If no one has made a MIDI of it, you are stuck.
How Neuma works from an MP3
- Import the audio. MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A or OGG, up to 50 MB. Analysis takes about two minutes.
- Neuma finds the piano. It separates the piano from the rest of the mix, then turns it into notes.
- You get falling notes. Every note lands above the key to press, left hand in gold, right hand in blue, with the chord names on top.
- You practise. Loop the hard bars, slow down without the pitch moving (0.75× free, anywhere from 0.5 to 1× with Premium), focus one hand, or transpose to another key.
It runs in the browser, on a laptop, a tablet or a phone, with nothing to install.
Side by side
| Synthesia | Neuma | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts from | MIDI or MusicXML files | Audio files (MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, OGG) or MIDI |
| Falling notes | Yes | Yes |
| Hands | Practise one hand, it plays the rest | Hands separated by color, practise one at a time; hand split is inferred, fixable in one click |
| Chords | Some chord information in Free Play mode | Chord names in sync with the falling notes |
| Slow down | Yes | Same pitch: 0.75× free, 0.5 to 1× with Premium |
| Listens to your playing | Yes, with a connected keyboard (melody practice waits for the right note) | No |
| Where it runs | PC, Mac, iPad and Android apps | Any browser, including phones |
| Price | $39 once ($29 on sale when we checked); free version: 20+ songs, time limit on imported songs | Free for 3 songs a month; Premium $9.99/month or $69/year |
| Accuracy | Exact, the notes come from the file | Detected from audio: very good on piano-forward recordings, weaker on dense band mixes |
Synthesia details from synthesiagame.com, October 2026. Prices change; check before buying.
Got an MP3? See its notes fall.
Import a song you love and practise it with falling notes, separated hands and named chords. Three songs a month are free.
Try 3 songs freeWhich one should you use?
Pick Synthesia if you already have a MIDI file of the song, or want to pick from its library, and you have a keyboard to connect. Having the app wait for each correct note is something Neuma does not do.
Pick Neuma if what you have is a recording. That covers most songs people actually want to learn: worship songs, covers, film themes, a piece your teacher recorded. Chord names and transposition help too if you play from chords or accompany a singer.
Use both if you want the best of each. Import the MP3 in Neuma, check and fix the notes, export the MIDI (Premium), then open that file in Synthesia and practise it with your keyboard.
Questions
Can Synthesia import an MP3?
Not directly. Synthesia opens MIDI and MusicXML files, and its site lists no audio format. An MP3, WAV or any other recording has to be turned into MIDI first, by a transcription tool or by hand.
Does Neuma listen to me play, like Synthesia does with a keyboard?
No. Neuma shows you the notes and lets you loop, slow down and practise one hand at a time, but it does not connect to a keyboard or check what you play. If that feedback matters most to you, Synthesia does it well.
Can I play a song from Neuma inside Synthesia?
Yes. Neuma exports the notes as a standard MIDI file (a Premium feature), and Synthesia opens MIDI files. Import the MP3 in Neuma, fix what needs fixing, export the MIDI, then practise it in Synthesia with your keyboard.
Is Neuma free?
You can analyze 3 songs a month for free, with no credit card. Premium is $9.99 a month or $69 a year for up to 100 songs a month, full transposition and MIDI export.
Synthesia is a trademark of its owner. Neuma is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Synthesia.