Music Tools and Widgets is an iOS app for musicians designed, developed, and launched by Kilian Günthner. The app rethinks everyday music utilities such as a tuner, metronome, pitch reference, and keyboard by moving them beyond the traditional app interface and into Apple’s system-level surfaces, including widgets, the Lock Screen, Control Center, Live Activities, and the Dynamic Island. Built for rehearsals, lessons, choirs, orchestras, and individual practice, Music Tools reduces the friction between musical intent and technical action. The project has been covered by TapSmart, Sheconomy, Illumulus, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, and Kölnische Rundschau, and has been recognized for its thoughtful product design, technical execution, and musician-centered interface architecture.
Music Tools is designed around the interaction idea that tasks that musicians need to accomplish frequently and repeatedly should require as little friction as possible. To that end, Music Tools defines a design paradigm by which the necessary tools are reachable from the surfaces where the user's attention already is, including the Lock Screen, Home Screen, Control Center, and Dynamic Island.
This leads to a measurable improvement in metrics that musicians care about: How long does it take to get from intent to task completion? How many steps does that take?
Benchmark Results
Average measured time it takes to complete certain tasks, like starting the metronome or playing a reference pitch. Lower is better.
In this benchmark study1 comparing Music Tools with selected major iOS music-utility apps, Music Tools completed the tested tasks in 2.33 seconds on average, compared with 4.61 seconds for the comparator apps, and required 2.5 user actions on average compared with 3.9. That represents a 49% reduction in time on task and 35% fewer required actions across the benchmarked workflows.
Press & Media
TapSmart
Music Tools is a toolkit that should be on every musician’s Home Screen
"Music Tools has knocked industry giant Fender off my Home Screen. Let me tell you why."
Illumulus
Reducing Information Friction: What Cutting-Edge Interfaces Teach Us About Operational Continuity
In a deep dive into resilient infrastructure design, Illumulus cites Music Tools as a technical blueprint for the future of "decision-ready systems." The analysis breaks down ho...
Kölner Stadtanzeiger & Kölnische Rundschau (Newspapers)
Smartphone Sets Tempo in Rehearsal Room
He is an inventor with many talents: technically gifted, musical, and tech-savvy. His latest project brings all of this together. Kilian Günthner has developed an app for musici...
Sheconomy
When Design Strikes the Right Note: How a Young Violinist Helped Shape an App for Musicians
Violinist Juli Bazzazi knows that perfect tuning is more than just technique. Together with app designer Kilian Günthner, she shows how creative collaboration between art and te...
Music Tools has reached musicians in more than 70 countries and has been adopted by working professionals across classical, choral, orchestral, operatic, musical-theater, and conservatory settings. Its users include musicians performing with ensembles such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as conductors, opera singers, music supervisors, and faculty in leading music-education environments. Since its launch, 94.4% of first-time downloaders kept the app installed on their device, indicating that musicians are not just trying Music Tools, but continuing to rely on it in their daily work.
Music Tools is used by musicians, conductors, educators, and performers affiliated with organizations and ensembles that include:4
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Disney Theatrical Group
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Dallas
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Oxford Bach Soloists
Out of the Blue, Oxford
The Oxford Commas
Berlin University of the Arts, Faculty of Music
St. David’s Episcopal Church and School, San Antonio
University of Oxford
Royal College of Organists
The Really Useful Group
Freiburg University of Music
Stage Entertainment
1
Benchmark conducted by Music Tools, with independently reviewed methodology. Comparator apps were selected as established iOS music-utility apps that offer at least three out of four overlapping tuner, metronome, pitch-reference, or keyboard functionality. Results reflect the tested workflows, app versions, device, and iOS version described in the technical whitepaper. Full methodology, measurements, and screen recordings are available at https://music-tools.app/technicalwhitepaper.
2
The number of distinct countries in which App Store Connect reported at least one first-time download since Music Tools launched on the App Store. Data as of end of the first quarter of 2026.
3
The share of first-time installs that were not followed by a deletion event since Music Tools launched on the App Store, as reported by App Store Connect. Data as of end of the first quarter of 2026.
4
Listed organizations reflect the affiliations of individual Music Tools users. Inclusion does not automatically imply institutional endorsement, sponsorship, or partnership.