MuseScore can import MusicXML and standard MIDI files from other popular notation software. You can also use your mouse or keyboard shortcuts to add notes to the staff. We had no problem connecting our MIDI keyboard, but if you don’t have one at your disposal, you can MuseScore’s virtual piano to input notes.

The left side of the screen displays all the available input tools, and the inspector to the right of the score shows information about the notes you input.

Its interface is clean and easy to navigate. Even though it’s free, it includes many of the same features and tools found in the best for-pay programs we reviewed. MuseScore is free, open-source notation software that’s compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems. MuseScore: Best free music composition software This app allows you to turn your iPad into a kind of notebook, so you can use a smart pen to scribble notes directly onto your staves.ģ. There is an accompanying app for the software program, but you’ll have to pay a couple of dollars for it. If you’re collaborating with another Sibelius user, you can both edit the score, and when either one of you presses the Push button, the changes will be saved without generating a new URL or exporting a file. Avid’s MediaCentral Platform then processes it and sends you a URL that can be opened on any computer with any web browser. When you finish a score or reach a good stopping point for collaboration, you can hit the share button on the toolbar to send your work to the Sibelius cloud. The program has great collaboration tools, too. It also automatically adds the correct rests and note appearances, so you can work through a melody quickly without worrying about editing the score as you go. You can input notes with a computer mouse, virtual piano or virtual guitar fretboard or by connecting a MIDI keyboard to the USB port on your computer. So it takes second place in our guide.Īll of that aside, it’s a really impressive program. But we were slightly more impressed with the instrumental sounds that are available in Notion, and we couldn’t find a ‘video’ window in Sibelius that would allow us to watch a movie and score it at the same time. Like Notion 6, this software is regularly updated and tweaked by a team of developers.

This is a serious tool, aimed at professional musicians - but it actually has a surprisingly easy-to-navigate interface, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming if you’re new to composition.

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