10 Best and Free Music Notation Software in 2022-2023

Notation software can be handy for composers, composers, arrangers, students, and professionals alike. Composing music with the help of notation software allows you to collaborate with other musicians and put your ideas down in an easy-to-read format that anyone can understand.

Notation software also gives you the option to hear your music as you are writing it, which helps guide you through the process of composition when compared to writing by hand or typing on a computer keyboard.

There are many types of notation software available. However, some are more useful than others when making good music.

1. Notion 6

This music notation software can open any PDFs and notate your music. You can also import MIDI files and edit them using various editing tools.

The app can then be exported back to PDF, MIDI, or MusicXML format and saved as an mp3 file. It also has support for typing in lyrics on top of the music. It is available on Android, macOS, and iOS devices.

Key features

With a clear and easy-to-navigate interface, Propellerhead’s Note is a favourite for creating scores for music, film, and other types of media.

Thanks to its cloud storage capabilities, it is also a perfect place to collaborate in real-time on large projects with multiple creators.
Users can also preview their music with several built-in features, including one that creates entire mockups of sites and apps based on scores.
It’s not surprising why more than 15 million people have downloaded Propellerhead’s Note since it was released in 2013: The app makes it easier than ever to create professional documents that are ready for use right away.

2. Sibelius’s First

A music notation program developed by Avid. Sibelius First offers students and educators several features designed to enhance learning, including practice capabilities that reinforce fundamental concepts, a personalized learning system with feedback on ideas users struggle with, and more.

However, some advanced features like video recording and editing are only available in other versions of Sibelius. The software includes a 70-day free trial, after which you can opt for monthly or annual pricing options depending on your needs.

Key features

The significant advantage to Sibelius First is that, unlike Finale and MuseScore, it is not tied to any specific hardware platform, meaning you don’t have to buy a new computer or spend time trying to migrate files.

All in all, it’s easy enough for beginners while still offering advanced capabilities.
Of course, there are some caveats.
Like its main competitor (Finale), Sibelius First only outputs PDF files rather than usable music notation documents – though you can export MIDI data directly from Sibelius if needed.

Likewise, as with other free programs like MuseScore and LilyPond (more on them later), features like note input and chords are a bit clumsy compared to their paid alternatives.

3. Minitool MovieMaker

There are many reasons to want a simple, basic editor for writing out music. You might not need all of the bells and whistles that come with complete notation programs like Sibelius or Finale—you want something to get your ideas down without hassle.

It doesn’t hurt to look at some free options first in such cases. One great tool is Minitool MovieMaker . It has a comprehensive library of symbols, a clean interface (with an opportunity for an editing pad), print and export features, playback features, and more. If you’re looking for something simple to capture ideas in their early stages, Minitool is worth checking out.

Key features

Minitool MovieMaker is a free application that lets you view and edit music scores.
It’s available in multiple languages, supports different types of music notation (including guitar tablature), and comes with various sound effects.
Minitool MovieMaker supports importing various file formats and exporting to PDF.

Importing your images or graphics will allow you to create charts or diagrams for your scores that look good and are easy to read.
The application is intuitive enough for beginners and offers advanced editing options for those who want them.
You can add notes on any track to enter changes, adjust playback speed and add transitions between tracks.

4. MuseScore

MuseScore is an open-source, free software notation editor. MuseScore allows input and editing music in printed form and listens to it through synthesized sound or MIDI playback.

MuseScore has no native audio capability and requires an external program like FluidSynth, SF2, or LilyPond to playback score on a computer.

It is available for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X operating systems. MuseScore can create an impressive score with little CPU use as a multi-platform application that uses OpenGL extensively.

Key features

It’s free to download and use on Windows, macOS, or Linux.
It also has features to create and publish sheet music as web pages or PDF files. However, it’s been criticized for having a steep learning curve.
It takes time to figure out which aspects of notation are best suited for your project. Still, with help from tutorials, you can quickly learn how to master MuseScore’s many features.

You can also get a crash course in music theory through tutorial videos covering everything from what sharps and flats are used for to how percussion instruments are written out on sheet music.

5. Impro-Visor

This notation software allows users to compose music, arrange it, and print it out. The program is based on MIDI files, so there will be no time spent manually entering notes. Instead, users can work with a virtual piano and create music as they go along, helping them complete tasks more quickly than ever before.

This program also features an impressive number of inbuilt instruments and samples, so users don’t have to make use of their own if they prefer not to. There are many other great features included in Impro-Visor. Still, we like that you can enter just about any chord structure and hear what it sounds like before committing it to memory or creating a document for others to see.

Key features

Impro-Visor is a free music notation software that lets you create scores written in staves and lyrics and listen to them.
Improvisor lets you share your scores with anybody on your network.
It can export your score as a GIF image or a video and print it in LaTeX format (or PDF).

All its features are free: no ads, no time limits.
It’s straightforward and intuitive: by default, Improvisor uses treble clef for its staves; it also gives you various instruments at disposal: piano, flute.
You can resize any team to make it smaller or bigger.

6. EasyABC

Which is simple and easy to use, perfect for a first-time notation user. It may not have every feature, but it’s free, making it great for students learning how to read sheet music.

Save your scores as midi files if you want to later export them into a video game or as an mp3 file for karaoke fun with friends. ABC staff: Writing music in standard notation has never been easier than with ABC Staff!

Key features

EasyABC is a free music notation software program that’s easy to use and has an intuitive interface that’s quick to master.

Though its main focus is simple songwriting, EasyABC can also be used to create basic instrumental and vocal arrangements.
EasyABC integrates with other digital music equipment such as MIDI keyboards, synthesizers, sequencers, and various audio editing software packages for additional functionality and freedom.
On top of these features, EasyABC is also compatible with both Windows and Mac computers.

7. Forte Home

Forte is a free, open-source tool for music notation created by MuseScore. This software is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. The best thing about Forte is that you can use it to make notations on your computer keyboard instead of writing with a pen or mouse.

You can also select any typeface for printing scores, add numbers and lyrics, import MIDI files and even create an interactive piano score. Everything in Forte is simple to learn from scratch.

Key features

The best free music notation software.

Forte is designed to make it easy for anyone—professional or amateur, beginner or expert—to create a musical score that looks beautiful and sounds great.
Whatever your skill level, Forte can help you learn more about music, express yourself creatively through writing and print stunning scores—and share your work with friends and colleagues worldwide.
Forte is perhaps the most powerful yet user-friendly application available for musicians today.

With over 25 years of experience creating digital tools for musicians and educators, Steinberg has created Forte with a mission: we want to empower all musicians to express themselves creatively.

8. Finale PrintMusic

Finale PrintMusic is a free music notation software program. It was formerly known as Sibelius Notepad and developed by Avid but is now part of MakeMusic after its purchase in 2016. PrintMusic offers several different templates for writing music, such as piano rolls, organ pedal diagrams, guitar chord charts, and orchestral parts.

It also provides many options for editing existing scores, including inserting notes and rests manually or using an ink tool to change their shape. Another helpful feature is a tool that lets you alter how musical instruments are placed on paper.

Hence, they line up evenly with other elements like lyrics or notes. PrintMusic also supports most audio file formats to make it easy to import songs into your compositions.

Key features

The Finale PrintMusic program is a comprehensive notation package for amateurs and professionals.
This music notation software offers more than 250 features, including a full array of editing tools, note entry, unlimited tracks and measures, auto-correction, flexible import/export options, and much more. Plus, PrintMusic allows you to output your scores in PDF format for easy printing.

This free music notation software offers 30 days’ worth of trial use before you must pay USD 30 per month (or USD 360 per year) to continue using it.
PrintMusic can be used on a single computer or shared by multiple users via LAN.

9. Cakewalk Sonar

Sonar is one of the more expensive free music notation software on our list. It turns out, though, it’s not just a stripped-down version of Cakewalk Pro Audio and their flagship SONAR platform. Its unique features make it a stand-out tool for both novices and advanced users.

For example, while many other free music notation software programs can only output PDF, SONAR will export directly to various more common file formats, including AAC (Apple’s M4A), MP3, and ACM (Audio Converter Manager), AIFF or WAV files.

Key features

Cakewalk Sonar’s music notation features will work with several MIDI applications.
It can be used for sequencing video and other audio files.

Users can record their instruments using it as well.
Cakewalk Sonar is quite intuitive and easy to use, even for those who have never had any experience with music notation software before.
It’s pretty comprehensive and allows users to customize their layout in various ways (such as changing font sizes or adding new symbols) to make everything more valuable and accessible.

Some advanced features include performance analysis tools, which allow musicians to work on improving specific aspects of their playing.

10. NanoStudio

This free music notation software allows you to create musical scores. It’s used by thousands of people worldwide to compose songs, and it can be beneficial for creating sheet music, lead sheets, and chord charts. The program has many features that make it easy for beginners and advanced users alike.

For example, you can import MIDI files to play along with your favourite tracks or even customize them in various ways. NanoStudio allows you to control every aspect of a song’s dynamics, including instrument volume, panning, note length, velocity (attack) intensity, etc. You can also edit audio effects like reverb or echo, which will help polish your final creation.

Key features

NanoStudio is a free program that makes it possible to edit music digitally.
The user can do everything he needs right on his computer.
He does not need any expensive hardware, as all he needs is a MIDI controller.

Everything works seamlessly with all versions of Windows, as well as Linux.
Once you get started with NanoStudio, likely, you will never use any other notation software in your life again.
It has all you need and more!

Conclusion:

Notation software is software that helps you create and edit music notation. You can use notation software to write music. You can also use notation software for editing music. Music notation software is also used to record music when you register your music using notation software. This blog has listed the ten best and free music notation software that is very useful for music learners and artists.