With the news of MakeMusic™ discontinuing Finale, the flagship notation software of most of the Broadway and commercial music industry, users of the 35-year-old software are quickly scrambling to find an alternative to the juggernaut program. The good news is that there are many options available to start fresh. These are in no particular order, and as we've experienced, this list could change at a moment's notice! Here are the pro’s and con’s of each notation software.

After 35 years, an era in the world of music notation software has come to a close. MakeMusic™, the creators of Finale, have officially announced the discontinuation of their flagship product, a program that has shaped the way musicians, composers, and arrangers worked for decades. This decision has stirred a mix of emotions across the music community: nostalgia, sadness, and, for some, excitement about what lies ahead.

Music notation software is an essential tool for composers, arrangers, and musicians, and knowing how to use them is a must for anyone serious in the music industry. It allows them to create, edit, and share sheet music quickly and efficiently. With so many music notation software options available, choosing the best one can be a daunting task. In this blog post, we'll discuss some of the best music notation software options available. These are in no particular order and aren't ranked! Each software brings with it their own challenges, strengths, and weaknesses.

Music transcribers notate music by ear, or with the aid of special music software, from audio or video files. These audio files, also referred to as source materials, should be of high quality to guarantee accurate, speedy, and cost effective transcriptions. Occasionally, we receive audio files that comprise incomplete songs, music with no tonal center, poor performances, and lyrics that conflict with the script.

An integrated score takes both the script and the music contents and combines them into one document, so the music director doesn’t need to flip back and forth between script and score or guess what the dialogue is.

You have your story, the script, and moments in your show where songs are to occur. Now what? Maybe you're staring at a blank piece of staff paper or an empty Logic Pro session waiting for creativity to strike. Here are some tips on crafting a song for musical theatre. 

What is a piano vocal score and why is it so important? A piano vocal score is a notated piece of sheet music that contains the essential elements and bare bones of a musical.