Is the Fender Play App Worth the Price?

Yes, it’s worth the price. As a beginner bass player and an advanced beginner guitarist, it’s worth my money.

So in my first year of playing guitar I have spent approximately $2000 on guitars, amps, accessories, and lessons. (Please don’t tell my wife, she already knows.) I came to realize that my Fender Play App subscription is my absolute best purchase. Great price, lots of fun.

I purchased the Fender Play App as a leap year special for $29. That was February 29, 2024. I had wanted to test it and purchase it previously but the $149 per year annual subscription slowed me down. See below as of 12.7.2024.

My Fender Play App subscription was $29 per Year on a Leap Year Sale in 2024

It was a great bargain: Fender Play App for Guitar and a little bit of Bass. That’s what I initially thought. But the Fender Play App had a lot more content than I thought it had originally.

“Please read to the end of this blog post for the best news about my Fender Play App subscription.”

Fender Play App is for Acoustic, Electric, Bass and Ukelele

So I can use it for my acoustic, electric, and bass practice. Yep, I am thinking about a Ukulele to complete my collection.

I purchased the Fender Play App for Guitar lessons while I was simultaneously using Justin Guitar online training for guitar.

It was hard for me bouncing back and forth between Justin Guitar and Fender Play.

But then I decided to buy a bass guitar and also learn to play bass with my Fender Play App. Good decision, great decision.

Pros and Cons of the Fender Play App

Pros:

Lessons for 4 instruments.
Different instructors for each instrument.
- I find this very useful as a beginner.
- I watch how they use their hands differently when playing (bass plucking for example).
- This keeps the learning fresh.
10% discount on future Fender product purchases (wow).
It even has links to personal lessons at affordable prices.
If you start with a “sale price” subscription as I did, you will be renewed at that same price.
- In my case that was a “sale price” of $29 per year that renews automatically each year, for just $29.

Cons: A few, but they are worth the effort.

Mobile Phone Interface: Relatively simple.
- But I must admit it took me a month of usage to realize that Fender could teach me 4 instruments.
Personal Computer Interface: You will need to experiment with the Fender Play App a bit on mobile phone or personal computer to fully understand all the good stuff it provides. Like any good app or software, some diligence and experimentation goes a long way to learning and benefitting from the app.
- Today I discovered articles and personal lessons. I just keep on digging to find useful Fender Play App functionality.

Let’s Take a Deep Look at both the Diversity and Depth of Fender Play App Lessons

As a new subscriber you can choose to focus on one of four instruments. See below. Please know that you could study one, two, three, or all four instruments at the same time. But focusing on one path is better. Initially I began as an Electric Guitar player.

Then I decided to switch from Guitar focus to Bass focus.

Since I was a beginner bass student this is the journey ahead for Bass Rock, shown below.

So how many Bass courses could I study or play on the Fender App?

Bass has Rock or Funk as a choice; I chose Rock.
Bass, Rock, has 6 Levels.
Bass, Rock, Level 2 has 21 Courses.
Each Course has on average 5 things (low estimate to practice or play

Here’s the math on the extent of Bass courses the Fender Play App contains.

2 Bass Paths “times”
Maybe 6 Levels “times”
21 courses “times”
5 exercises “equal”
1260 possible songs and exercises for electric bass guitar students.

My Estimate: Over 1000 Lessons or Songs for Studying Bass on the Fender Play App

And this isn’t dry stuff you are learning. It’s being taught by a staff of Fender Play people with videos. You can hear their voice and see how they hold/play their bass guitars.

My ball park estimate is that the Fender Play App has 1000 songs/lessons for each of their four instruments. So for acoustic, electric guitar, bass, and ukelele I believe there are a solid 4000 songs/lessons for the customer. Quite frankly, I think the real number is 4000+ lessons.

If Customer Relations at Fender give me the exact number, I’d be glad to place it on this blog.

Fender Believes each Lifetime Guitarist Spends $10,000 on Guitars, Amps, and other Hardware

If Fender can capture your allegiance as a Fender Play App customer, they believe you will be more apt to buy a Fender instrument. Period. This is big money at stake.

Visit www.Guitar.com to learn more (author Cillian Breathnach, October 28, 2019).

“The goal, in either case, is to grow the number of lifetime players – and in turn, the guitar industry: “Someone who commits to the instrument for life has a lifetime value of $10,000. They buy five to seven guitars over their lifetime, multiple amps, multiple accessories. They drive the hardware side of the business.” – Guitar.com

This Advice would make the Fender Play App Better

Student Feedback Feature on Lessons

Student Feedback feature on lessons: I haven’t found it yet.

If Fender were to provide that feature on mobile lessons or PC based lessons, music students could ask questions like the following?

I am a beginner, how do I toughen my fingertips? They hurt.
I am a beginner bass player, should I learn to pluck first or pick with a pleckard first?
I have a question on this specific lesson. Can anyone help me?

Fender Play App Forum

A Fender Play App forum would also be useful for a sense of community. I don’t see one.

But adding a Student Feedback button or Student Forum would be expensive to maintain. But AI or artificial intelligence is advancing to a point where Fender could provide human support and than transition to AI enabled support.

AI Driven Emails to Fender Play App Customers

My final suggestion is for Fender staff to “ping” or email Fender Play App students. I know that Fender measures my “playing streaks”. “Congratulations, you have increased your streak by another day…” As a retired computer guy, I know that somewhere Fender has my activity data in the Fender Play App. So here’s what Fender could do:

We see you haven’t used Fender Play App in a while. Any questions? Can we help you keep going with the Fender Play App?
We see you have used the Fender Play App for 100 days in a row. Wow. Can we offer you 20% on your next Fender equipment purchase if you purchase this week? Glad to help.

These are just my ideas for better customer retention in the Fender Play App.

“As Fender knows, happy Fender Play App customers will stick around and be more apt to buy Fender guitars, basses, amps, and more.”

Your Fender Play App will renew at 81% off the Current Rate: $29

I emailed ConsumerRelations@Fender.com asking about any upcoming sale prices on the Fender Play App. I told them I was an existing customer from the February 29, 2024 “Leap Year” Special price of $29 per year.

Fender Consumer Relations sent me a reply in less than 24 hours. Dazzling response time, thank you.

“Hello Richard, Your subscription is already set to renew at your current 81% off rate. Your account is all set and no further action is needed. Enjoy your lessons nad have a great day!” – Consumer Relations at Fender

Incredible. My $29 annual subscription from February 29, 2024, will renew automatically at the same rate.

“The Fender Play App Renewal Policy is incredible. For me, it’s the best Guitar/Bass training app where I pay for a subscription.”

Amazing: I Pay 8 cents a Day for my Fender Play App

Wow, talk about a holiday present from Fender.

My annual Fender Play subscription cost is $29. My monthly cost is $2.41 and my daily cost is, wait for it, 8 cents per day. WOW.

The great, quick people at Fender emailed this message to me in response to my Fender Play App subscription questions:

“Yes, your price will never change unless you cancel.” – ConsumerRelations@Fender.com

Yes, I Absolutely Recommend the Fender Play App for usability, depth, variety, and fun. And if you get the Fender Play App at a good sale price, it seems like it will renew at the same good sales price. Hurray.

Hurray – My Fender Play App Renewed this March 2025 for $28.50

Fender support desk was accurate.

My Fender Play App renewed at 19% of the normal $149.99 annual subscription. My Fender Play App renewed at $28.50.

It was my indefinite “leap year special” from February 29, 2024. Hurray. One more year of excellent learning from this great guitar app.

The Shoshin Guitarist uses the Fender Play App

Yes, I am the Shoshin Guitarist. That means I am a guitarist (advanced beginner currently) who approaches guitar learning with a “beginner’s mind”. Shoshin is a Japanese word.

Yes, the Shoshin Guitarist absolutely recommends the Fender Play App for both beginners and advanced beginners. Keep on playing and learning, and subscribe to the Fender Play App (I receive nothing from Fender for this high praise and recommendation.)