Positive Grid
For guitarists and bass players ranging from hobbyists to prosumers who utilize digital rigs for practice, recording, and performance.
Spark: Chords, Backing Tracks
Snapshot
Who is Positive Grid?
Providing guitarists with digital tone modeling and AI-driven practice tools. Bridging the gap between physical hardware and mobile software.
Target audience
Portfolio
Free 10Last updated
Spark: Chords, Backing Tracks
v4.5.2
9mo ago
Publisher DNA
What defines Positive Grid?
Publisher DNA
Primary focus
Music and guitar practice tools
Scale
indie
Target audience
Guitarists and bass players ranging from hobbyists to prosumers who utilize digital rigs for practice, recording, and performance.
Signature Patterns
- •Deep integration with proprietary smart guitar hardware
- •Freemium monetization model with in-app purchases for sound expansion
- •Focus on high-fidelity digital signal processing (DSP) for guitar tones
- •Heavy reliance on the BIAS engine across multiple titles
Portfolio momentum
Released 3 updates in the last 6 months, though the majority of the portfolio remains in maintenance mode with 8 apps classified as abandoned.
Portfolio
What does Positive Grid ship?
Apps
12 apps analysed
Integration with hardware amp systems provides a cohesive workflow for professional practice and recording
- Deeply customizable tube amp emulation allows users to design unique tones from the ground up
- Frequent application crashes on launch prevent users from accessing their purchased content and custom presets
Proprietary Amp Match technology
- Sound Quality and Realism
- Technical Instability and Audio Glitches
Proprietary Tone Match technology
- Modeling Accuracy
- Tone Cloud Login Failures
Tightly focused on 2 markets (Japan, United States).
Based on 1 of 12 apps with localized market data, more coverage rolling in as scans complete · last scanned .
Americas (1)
- United States1 / 1
Asia-Pacific (1)
- Japan1 / 1
Core markets (1/1 apps)
User Sentiment
How do users feel about their apps?
0
Positive apps
2
Neutral / mixed
5
Negative apps
38/100
Avg sentiment score
Unlock the app dragging this portfolio down.
Access the full report for freeRivals
Who does Positive Grid compete with?
The rivals identified
Nemeses(5)
As a full-featured DAW with high update velocity, Cubasis 3 acts as a platform-level alternative by providing built-in amp simulations that can replace specialized plugins for many users.
The dominant force in the 'song learning' sub-genre with a massive update cadence (23 releases in 6 months) and the world's largest tab library.
The dominant platform in the music-reading space that dictates the MIDI pedal standards the target app must follow.
While focusing on AI separation rather than circuit modeling, Moises has captured the 'prosumer musician' market with a release velocity (20 updates in 6 months) that dwarfs the stagnant BIAS Pedal.
Gibson is the most direct scale-match (11k vs 10k reviews) and shares the 'hardware brand + software ecosystem' positioning, maintaining a high update velocity while the target app's iOS version has stagnated.
Contenders(5)
A direct brand-backed rival with 5 releases in the last 6 months, focusing on high-production video lessons.
A high-velocity competitor (12 releases in 6 months) that dominates the casual/beginner acquisition funnel through gamified UX.
A high-traction performance tool that manages the entire MIDI signal chain for live musicians, offering significantly more depth than a simple editor.
A specialized, high-fidelity alternative that targets the same prosumer audience as JamUp.
The market leader in interactive music education, offering a multi-instrument platform that captures a broader audience than Spark's guitar-only focus.
Same space(8)
A high-performance live-looping and performance hub that occupies the same 'pro-mobile musician' workflow as BIAS AMP 2.
The most direct functional equivalent, serving as the official configuration utility for rival AirTurn hardware.
An essential utility that enables the interoperability of various music apps, including JamUp.
Directly overlaps with Spark's 'search any song' feature by using algorithmic chord recognition for any YouTube/SoundCloud link.
A long-standing incumbent in the digital guitar lesson space with a focus on the 'Core Learning System'.
A ubiquitous platform-native music creation tool that serves as a default alternative for guitar processing.
A personality-led platform that competes for the same beginner-to-intermediate demographic through a trusted educational brand.
Focuses on the 'Prosumer' and advanced player market with a massive library of masterclasses.
New entrants(4)
A powerful 'meta-editor' that allows users to build custom control interfaces for legacy hardware like the BT-4.
A high-velocity app that dominates the mobile rhythm and performance space with frequent feature updates.
A newer (2022) high-rated entrant with a clean, modern UX and a release in the last 30 days.
A major 2023 entry from Ubisoft that brings console-grade 'note highway' visuals and a massive licensed song library to mobile.
The Analyst's Read
The bottom line on Positive Grid
Bottom line
Positive Grid has successfully captured a niche in the music hardware-software space, but their mobile portfolio suffers from significant technical debt. Future growth depends on their ability to modernize legacy apps to maintain parity with current iOS standards.
Frequently asked questions
How many apps does Positive Grid publish?
What kind of apps does Positive Grid make?
What is Positive Grid's top app?
In how many countries are Positive Grid's apps available?
What fed this analysis
- Apps analyzed:
- 12
- With full intel:
- 7
- With overview:
- 12
- Website scraped:
- yes
- Social presence:
- yes