I tried ROLI’s AI Music Coach — the tech works surprisingly well

ROLI has officially launched its AI music coach. The new AI assistant, named Roli (of course), is now part of the ROLI Learn app to tailor your music lessons based on your musical interests and skill level.

In an era where the term ‘AI’ feels cheaply tacked onto products for the sake of it, I don’t blame you if you’re dubious. I was, too, when I tried it at NAMM 2026. But, actually, I’m surprised at how useful it seems.

The music coach works in tandem with the ROLI Airwave, a hand-tracking device that, when paired with a synth or virtual instrument, can offer new modes of expression similar to how a Theremin works. In the instance of the ROLI Learn App, the Airwave becomes an essential tool in mastering your hand placement and getting real-time feedback on your playing. It uses infrared camera technology to track the 27 joints in your hands at 90 frames per second. This, ROLI says, means that “it doesn’t just respond to the notes you play but, crucially, how you are playing them.” Plus, when paired with the ROLI Piano, you also get real-time visual feedback on individual keys (although you can use any keyboard or piano with the Airwave).

This all worked impressively well when ROLI gave me a preview. I’m not much of a piano player, but the hand-tracking and visual feedback had me playing a few new songs in no time. A representative for ROLI told me at the time that the AI music coach isn’t necessarily designed to replace music lessons, but instead to help music pupils have better practice sessions at home.

ROLI’s AI music coach also introduces a conversational aspect to your piano lessons. The voice assistant is as you’d expect from a typical AI voice model: placid, encouraging, and just annoying enough to consider turning it off. It does, however, help you better navigate lessons and the app, and it does allow you to talk through your preferences and musical tastes. There’s also support for 40 languages right now.

We’ll be publishing a full review of ROLI’s AI Music Coach in due course, but in the meantime, I’ll say here that it’s an impressive preview of the future of musical instrument education. It’s not, however, readily accessible. A ROLI Airwave is £299, and you’ll need a modern tablet to use the ROLI Learn App — and a subscription to the app starts at £13 a month or £70 a year. Plus, the ROLI Piano is £499.

Current Airwave owners, however, can access a closed beta today, with a public beta open by the end of March 2026. ROLI promises that “the AI Music Coach will be a cornerstone of ROLI’s learning experience.”

Learn more at roli.com

Sam is the Commissioning Editor at MusicTech, where he’s helped shape the publication’s editorial voice since 2019. With nearly two decades of music-making and a degree in music technology behind him, his focus is on the stories behind studio gear and the artists who use it. He’s spent way too much time sampling disco records.