The future of music

Skoove Vs Flowkey: Which Piano App Is Better?

January 19, 2023
skoove vs flowkey

There are a wealth of ways to learn to play the piano online. You can watch video tutorials via YouTube and try to glean the knowledge needed, but with a dedicated platform or app, you have a more structured approach to follow.

This streamlines everything and makes the process much much easier. Having access to the skills you need in some sort of order is convenient and modern app development allows for some great interactive approaches to lessons and helps keep things fun!

There is no shortage of options for online piano lessons and many employ very similar methods with software that on the surface is pretty identical and competitively priced. Therefore, it can be difficult to pick the best from the rest.

Both Skoove and Flowkey are great programs for beginners and intermediate pianists. Their interfaces are very similar and so they are worth picking apart side by side, in a Skoove vs Flowkey comparison article, to find out which one is better for you!

If you’re strapped for time, here’s a brief conclusion on the Skoove vs Flowkey debate…

Simply put, Skoove is the better option if you are either interested in music production or a piano teacher looking to utilize the software’s teaching tools. Overall, Flowkey is much more comprehensive and teaches in a more academic way, ideal for those looking to learn how to play piano along with musical theory and knowledge.

Breakdown of Similarities & Differences

Set-up and functioning of the interface

Flowkey and Skoove are both available for use on computers, tablets, and smartphones. The two are commendable high-quality learning programs that let you stay home and save a little money. They install without a headache and run smoothly without any reported bugs.

Both are very well-designed and function by either connecting your keyboard directly to the device via a MIDI cable or listening to your acoustic piano with the integrated mic.

Skoove learning interface.
Skoove learning interface.

Skoove is available in six different languages. It also has the option to use your computer’s keyboard as a make-shift piano, which is a cool way to provide wider access for users that have no piano but can transfer the skills they learn to use on a real piano later on.

When you start Flowkey, it asks a couple of questions regarding your experience to help you set your goals and direct you to the best section for you. The entire library of content is available to you though and nothing has to be completed in succession or unlocked as is the case with some programs.

Skoove also asks you about your previous experience upon set-up. If you have no experience it starts you off on the beginner path. You also have the freedom to browse all sections and choose your own adventure, just like Flowkey.

Both are laid out well, you can find what you are looking for easily due to the logical flow of the layout.

The interactive sheet music scrolls along with your playing, there is a close-up video shot of the hands in the correct positioning to help you and the notes of the keys of the piano are lit up in time with the music.

They are displayed almost identically, the only difference is that the scrolling sheet music is at the bottom on Flowkey and above on Skoove. There are pop-ups at the beginning helping with tips and advice on fingering etc.

Flowkey is a little better with the scrolling in our opinion, Skoove can be a little behind when you get into faster tracks with shorter and faster notes.

Flowkey learning interface.
Flowkey learning interface.

Levels

Each program divides the content into levels and lets users access what they want to. This means if you have a little prior knowledge you don’t have to start at the very beginning and work your way through things you are already comfortable with. Not all online piano lessons allow for this and it can be a gripe for anyone who already has the basics and wants to progress.

Lesson methodology

Both programs adopt a Listen, Learn, and Play method of teaching. They both have a mode that listens to you play each note at your own pace, this doesn’t take into account the true tempo or rhythm of the notation it is solely listening to hear that you found the correct notes.

Both teach the content at a slower tempo and the original speed. They really don’t differ too much from one another. Both allow you to loop sections for practice until you have mastered them.

Curriculum and content

The content of both is very linear, each covers a good variety of fundamentals. They both explain posture and fingering, teach the notes, scales, and chords, and also delve into sight-reading. Of the two, Flowkey is a little more detailed and has more independent learning features.

Skoove is more guided, and a little slower-paced, this could be because it was developed with the support of piano tutors. Simply put, Skoove teaches its content solely, whereas Flowkey gives you tools for learning for yourself.

Flowkey’s arrangements are a little more challenging as you get into the higher levels of learning. Although neither equates to ‘real-world’ advanced piano, Flowkey probably has more to offer for an accomplished player.

Skoove has a keyboard for producers course which is something unique to them. This is a great addition, apt for the modern music industry we live in.

Song library

Flowkey wins the numbers game, with a library of over 1,500 songs categorized into 20 different genres, themes, or moods. It includes a huge variety.

Flowkey song library.
Flowkey song library.

Skoove’s songs are utilized in the lesson process of the course. Although part of the course itself is a song library with access to 80+ songs, many of which you would have previously covered on the learning journey unless you have skipped ahead of course!

Skoove Vs Flowkey – Which Is Best For You?

While both share very similar approaches and the interfaces are near-identical, some of their little differences may make them better suited or less suitable for you.

If you are looking to produce music, then the production course content within Skoove would make it ideal for you. Though brief, it is a valuable extra and something we haven’t seen explored in many other online piano lessons.

Likewise, if you are a piano teacher, Skoove is set up with useful tools for teaching your students in an engaging manner which could again sway your opinion.

If you have prior experience playing the piano, then Flowkey is probably better for you, the library is much more extensive and the lessons in the more advanced sections have a more in-depth explanation.

For younger users, we would say Skoove is better because the more academic environment of Flowkey is probably a little overwhelming and may go over their heads.

That said, for older entry-level players, the beginner’s section in Flowkey is still brilliant for those with no experience at all, and is overall a better platform for those beginners looking to advance into the more experienced levels further down the line.

Both offer free trials, so what have you got to lose!

Try a FREE 14-day trial of Flowkey here! Or a free trial of Skoove here!

Want to learn more about each program? Check out the following articles…

Will Fenton

Will, the founder of MIDDER, is a multifaceted individual with a deep passion for music and personal finance. As a self-proclaimed music and personal finance geek, he has a keen eye for futuristic technologies, especially those that empower creators and the public.

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