Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about DrumShed — what it does, how it differs from other practice apps, and how to use it.
What is DrumShed?
DrumShed lets you make the beat, then learn to play it. Build any beat, fill, or sticking exercise in seconds with the builders — or draft one with the AI co-pilot — then drill it into your hands with structured drills, practice paths, and hands-free sessions. Underneath it all sits a complete timing harness that's free — ten drills, not just a click — plus a library of everything you create and a community of drummers sharing patterns. Every drummer needs a home base — this is it.
Is DrumShed free?
Practicing is free — all of it. Every one of the ten timing drills is free: internal clock, click displacement, tempo builder, accent placement, polyrhythm, time signature builder, dynamic control, feel transitions, pocket, and the basic metronome. So are hands-free sessions, your drill history, your stats and streaks, the full metronome with its pocket and shuffle click controls, and browsing Explore. No ads, no card, not a timed trial. One paid tier, All Access, covers making your own: the beat, fill, and exercise builders, publishing and cloning on Explore, Practice Paths on a schedule, and the AI co-pilot.
How much does DrumShed cost?
Nothing, if all you want to do is practice — the ten timing drills, sessions, history and stats are free. All Access, which adds the beat, fill, and exercise builders, publishing, Practice Paths and the AI co-pilot, is $5.99/month or $47.99/year. There is also a one-time Founding Member option at $179.99 — lifetime access plus 1,000 starter AI credits. All Access starts with a free week, no card required.
Will the price go up?
Yes — $5.99/month and $47.99/year are launch pricing. Subscribers who join now keep their rate for as long as their subscription stays active, even after prices increase for new members.
What devices will DrumShed run on?
DrumShed is available now — free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad (iOS 17 or later, iPhone XS and newer) and on Google Play for Android.
Do I need a drum kit to use DrumShed?
No. DrumShed works with a practice pad or no kit at all. Many of its drills (sticking, rudiments, dynamics, tempo building) are designed for pad practice, and audio playback lets you hear what you are working on without playing it yourself.
How is DrumShed different from a regular metronome app?
A metronome only ticks. DrumShed builds structured drills around the click — feel transitions, tempo builder, internal clock, accent placement, click displacement, polyrhythm, dynamic control, pocket, and time-signature builder — so each session has a clear focus and an end point instead of just clicking endlessly. All of that is free, not just the click. And even the metronome itself does more than tick: you can drag or rush the backbeat and shuffle the subdivisions so the click plays a pocket, not just a grid.
How is DrumShed different from Drumeo or Melodics?
Drumeo is a video-course platform — you watch world-class teachers. Melodics is MIDI-based lesson software built around an e-kit. DrumShed is a practice tool, not a course. It assumes you already know how to play and gives you the structure (drills, sessions, builders, community) to actually practice consistently — on any kit, including acoustic. The two are complementary rather than direct alternatives.
What are the ten metronome drills?
Basic Metronome, Feel Transitions, Tempo Builder, Internal Clock, Accent Placement, Time Signature Builder, Click Displacement, Polyrhythm, Dynamic Control, and Pocket. Each drill targets a specific aspect of timing or feel and runs through structured reps with the click — Pocket has you sit against a click that drags or rushes the backbeat. All ten are free.
What is the AI co-pilot?
The AI co-pilot (currently in beta) drafts drum beats, fills, and full practice sessions on demand using the same logic as the manual builders. You can ask it for a half-time shuffle in 6/8 at 92 BPM, or a linear fill drilled every fourth bar, and it drops a playable draft directly into the editor — you audition it, tweak it, and keep what works. Because it is in beta, results can miss sometimes; every result is fully editable. AI use is metered by monthly credits included with All Access; top-ups are available if you run out.
Can I share my own beats and fills?
Yes — building your own patterns and publishing them is what All Access covers. Each shared pattern gets a stable URL that opens directly inside the app, and other drummers can star, clone, or fork your work as a starting point for their own — with a "forked from" credit pointing back to you.
Can I import drum sheet music?
Yes, in beta. Tap Import in the Beat Maker or Fill Maker in the iOS and Android apps, or in the web editor, and add photos of printed drum sheet music, from a single bar to a whole page. It reads pages with several staff lines, one- and two-bar repeat signs, and sideways photos, and turns them into a pattern you can edit and play. It won't be perfect. Bars it can't read cleanly are flagged for you to check in the editor, and printed music reads best — handwriting often needs fixing. The tempo isn't read, so set it after importing. Photo import is part of All Access and uses one upload from the 150 a month you share with songs. An import that reads nothing gives the upload back. MusicXML files import free. Both work in the apps and in the web editor.
Can I practice without touching my phone?
Yes, and it costs nothing. Hands-free sessions stack drills end-to-end and use voice cues to announce transitions. Put the phone on a stand or use an iPad on your rig and you never need to tap during a session — useful when you have sticks in both hands.
What genres does DrumShed cover?
The built-in beat and fill libraries cover rock, funk, jazz, Latin, metal, hip-hop, soul/R&B, gospel, worship, and double bass. The Explore community adds more every day as drummers publish their own patterns.
Do I need my own songs to play along?
No. Songs › Built-in holds nearly 200 royalty-free backing tracks spanning sixteen genres — rock, funk, jazz, gospel, Latin, metal, hip-hop, blues, reggae, country and more, from a 62 BPM jazz ballad to a fast swing past 200, mostly in 4/4 with a few waltzes — every one with the drums already separated and a click on its grid. Filter by genre, pick a tempo, and sit in. The library is included with All Access and the free week.
Can I play along with songs?
Yes. Upload a song as an audio file — MP3, M4A, WAV or FLAC, up to 15 minutes — and DrumShed separates the drums from the rest of the mix, finds the tempo and the downbeats, and lays a grid over the take. Play along with the band and no drums, solo the drums to learn the part by ear, or hear the full mix — slowed to half speed at the same pitch, with a click that follows the song bar by bar. Drop a bar range into a session and loop it next to your drills. Three songs a month are free, and All Access includes 150 song & sheet-music uploads a month (beta).
What can I upload to Songs, and is it private?
Audio files you have the rights to use for your own practice — your band's recordings, demos, rehearsal takes, lesson material. We accept uploaded files only, not links from streaming services. Everything you upload is private: it is never shared, listed, or searchable, and it is deleted with your account. Our Copyright Policy explains how we handle infringement notices.
How is DrumShed different from Moises or a drumless backing track?
Moises and similar tools stop at the stems. DrumShed puts the separated song on the same grid as everything else you practice: a click that follows the take bar by bar, speed control that keeps the pitch, and bar-range loops inside a session, right next to your drills — with the drum part written out on the grid coming next. A drumless backing track is one song at one tempo; here the song is whichever one you upload, at whatever speed you need today.
Can left-handed drummers use DrumShed?
Yes. Set your stance to left-handed (or open-handed) and every pattern’s sticking, notation, and playback flips to match how you sit at the kit. Patterns are stored hand-neutral under the hood, so grooves shared by right-handed drummers work for you and vice versa.