Part of our roundup of the best music notation software.
The short answer:
- Best overall: Songscription. Every score is engraved in the score editor we built, and exports MusicXML, MIDI, PDF and Guitar Pro. The notes can come from a recording, a scan, a file or a blank page.
- Free desktop app you fill in by hand: MuseScore Studio.
- The others: Dorico and Sibelius are paid desktop engravers with limited free editions, Flat keeps MusicXML and MIDI export for its paid plan, Noteflight keeps some exports for paid plans, and Finale is discontinued.
Songscription is our product. We put it first where it’s the right tool, and we say plainly where another tool fits better.
What each format is for
- MusicXML is the notation itself: notes, rhythms, clefs, key and time signatures, lyrics, chord symbols and layout. It’s how a score moves between notation apps. See what MusicXML is.
- MIDI is performance data: which pitch, when it starts, how long, how hard. It’s what a DAW wants. See what MIDI is.
- PDF is the finished page for the music stand.
- Guitar Pro is tab plus notation for guitarists and bassists. See what a Guitar Pro file is.
The rule: edit in MusicXML, produce from MIDI, print from PDF. MusicXML vs MIDI vs PDF goes deeper.
The comparison
| App | Exports | How notes get in | Runs on | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Songscription | MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, Guitar Pro | Written for you from a recording or a scan; MusicXML or MIDI import; or by hand | Any browser | Downloads on Plus and Pro |
| MuseScore Studio | MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, audio | By hand or MIDI keyboard; beta convert through a MuseScore.com account | Windows, Mac, Linux | Desktop install |
| Dorico | MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, audio | By hand | Windows, Mac, iPad | Free SE edition is limited to 8 players |
| Sibelius | MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, audio | By hand | Desktop, plus mobile | Free First edition is capped at 8 staves |
| Flat | MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, audio | By hand; PDF scanning bought per page | Browser, desktop app | MusicXML and MIDI export need the paid Power plan |
| Noteflight | MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, audio | By hand | Browser | Some exports on paid plans only |
| Finale | n/a | n/a | n/a | Discontinued; no support since August 2025 |
Songscription
Songscription is notation software that writes the score for you, then gives you a full scorewriter to finish it.
- Four ways in. Upload a song or paste a YouTube, Instagram or TikTok link and our model writes the score from the audio, for piano or a full band with a staff per instrument. Photograph or upload printed music and AnnieScan, our own scanning model, scans it into a score. Import MusicXML or MIDI. Or, signed in, choose Create a score and start from a blank page.
- Engraved properly. The PDF comes from the same layout you see on screen.
- Edit by hand or by asking. Fix notes, transpose, change the key or time signature, add lyrics, dynamics and repeats, and write notation and tab together. Annie, the AI score assistant, makes those edits when you describe them, and every change she makes is highlighted and undoable in one step.
- Every export from one score. MusicXML for MuseScore, Sibelius or Dorico, MIDI for your DAW, PDF for print, and Guitar Pro for the guitarist, on Plus and Pro. Each instrument also gets its own linked part with multi-bar rests.
In our October 2026 benchmark, Songscription’s sheet music scored 59.4 to Klangio’s 48.3 overall, and its MIDI scored 52.2 to 40.4 on multi-instrument recordings, first against every tool we tested.
Where we don’t fit yet: there’s no note entry from a MIDI keyboard and no offline mode.
MuseScore Studio
A free desktop app for Windows, Mac and Linux that exports every format, filled in by hand or from a MIDI keyboard. Its Convert, added in October 2026, needs a MuseScore.com account and saves results there, and its handbook calls audio import a beta “recommended for solo arrangements only.”
Dorico
Steinberg’s professional engraver for Windows, Mac and iPad. The free SE edition is limited to 8 players, the full app is paid, and you enter the music yourself.
Sibelius
Avid’s notation software, mostly sold by subscription. The free Sibelius First edition is capped at 8 staves, and you enter every note.
Flat
A browser notation editor. The free Basic plan keeps 15 scores, its exports carry a watermark, and MusicXML and MIDI export need the paid Power plan.
Noteflight
Hal Leonard’s browser editor. The free plan caps how many scores you keep, some exports are for paid plans, and you enter every note.
Finale
Discontinued: MakeMusic announced its end in August 2024 and technical support ended in August 2025. Export your scores as MusicXML now; they open in Songscription and in the apps above. Our guide to opening MusicXML in MuseScore, Sibelius or Finale covers the move.
How to choose
- Your music exists already, as a recording or on paper: Songscription. It writes the score in minutes, and you export every format from it.
- You share with players who use different apps: Songscription, for MusicXML, MIDI, PDF and Guitar Pro from one score.
- Your next stop is a DAW: export MIDI from Songscription; our guide to the best score makers for DAW export covers each DAW.
- You compose every note at a desktop with a MIDI keyboard: MuseScore Studio for free, Dorico for professional work.
How we compared
We checked each app’s own pages in November 2026 for exports, free plans and platforms, and used our own October 2026 benchmark for transcription accuracy.
Sources:
- MuseScore handbook, Convert a file
- Dorico editions
- Sibelius First is free
- Dorico SE
- Flat print and export
- Flat pricing
- Noteflight plans
- Finale: end of Finale
Frequently asked questions
What is the best music notation software that exports MusicXML?
Songscription. Every score is engraved in the score editor we built, and exports MusicXML, MIDI, PDF and Guitar Pro on Plus and Pro. The score can start as a recording, a photo or PDF of printed music, an imported MusicXML or MIDI file, or a blank page, all in the browser. MuseScore Studio, Dorico, Sibelius, Flat and Noteflight export MusicXML too, but you enter every note yourself.
Which notation app exports to both PDF and MIDI?
Songscription exports PDF and MIDI from the same score, with MusicXML and Guitar Pro alongside, so a print copy and a DAW file come from one source. MuseScore Studio, Dorico and Sibelius export both from the desktop, Flat needs its paid Power plan to export MusicXML and MIDI, and Noteflight keeps some exports for paid plans.
Is there free notation software that exports MusicXML and MIDI?
MuseScore Studio is free and exports both, as a desktop app you fill in by hand. Songscription’s free plan lets you view, play back and edit the first 30 seconds of each song in the browser; downloads come with Plus and Pro. Flat’s free plan doesn’t export MusicXML or MIDI.
Should I export MusicXML or MIDI?
MusicXML to keep working on the notation in another app, because it carries clefs, key, bars, lyrics and layout. MIDI for a DAW like Logic Pro or Ableton Live, because it carries pitch, timing and velocity but no notation. Songscription exports both from every score, so you don’t have to choose.
What should Finale users switch to?
Finale is discontinued, so export your scores as MusicXML while it still runs. The files open in Songscription, where the score editor engraves them in the browser, and in MuseScore Studio, Dorico or Sibelius on the desktop.
