# The Best Music Notation Software 2026 February: for all levels **URL:** https://www.compsmag.com/best/music-notation-software/ **Author:** Ayushi Chauhan **Published:** 2023-05-18 **Updated:** 2023-10-18 **Categories:** Best **Tags:** latest list, updated September 2023 **Reading Time:** 10 min --- Music notation software, which is also called music writing or [music](https://compsmag.com/best/music-streaming-services/)composition software, lets musicians write and create music on their computer or other device. Use the table below to compare the **best Music Notation software** that is currently available. Music notation software gives you more power than ever, whether you are a skilled musician or a music student. In the past, music pieces were made with a pen and paper. Now is the time to use the technology we have to save time and effort while making amazing songs and tracks. You can save your musical thoughts in digital form with music notation software. You can also change the notes and play them back to hear what they sound like. Read on to find out why music writing software is helpful and what the best tools are for making musical notes. ## Best Music Notation Software Comparison Table ### MuseScore ![Best Music Notation Software](https://compsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/42-14.jpg) MuseScore is one of the Best Music Notation Software for artists who need to write down music. You can put this program on your [Windows](https://compsmag.com/best/windows-apps/)machine and use it to make notes. This open-source app can do anything it wants. This powerful tool for professionals is easy to use, and you can use a MIDI [keyboard](https://compsmag.com/best/keyboards/)to enter information. You can make music here for guitar, piano, jazz, choir, band, orchestra, marching, and more. It also lets you import and export with other apps that use MusicXML, MIDI, and other formats. #### The Good 1. Open-source software 2. Many features and functions #### The Bad 1. Advanced features may need plugins or extensions. ### Musink ![Best Music Notation Software](https://compsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/43-14-1024x517.jpg) Musink Best Music Notation Software will change the way you write music. With this tool, you can now write beautiful sheet music at a lightning-fast speed. Here, it's easier to write music notes, activity books, and MIDI files. You can use any MIDI device to play back your score and hear how it sounds. You can also use a MIDI keyboard to enter notes into this program. It also has templates that you can use to turn your notes into editable PDF files. #### The Good 1. Easy music notation interface 2. Easy composition tools 3. Plays and records MIDI. 1. Few layout and formatting options 2. Not as feature-packed as other software. ### Notion 6 ![Best Music Notation Software](https://compsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/44-13.jpg) Notion 6 was the most complete program we looked at. It had all the important editing tools you could ever need. It's also very flexible, since artists can add notes by using a MIDI keyboard, playing virtual instruments on the screen, or writing notes directly on the digital staves. Since a recent software update, you can even write your score on a computer with a smart pen, since the program can read handwriting. Its instrument sample library, which has sounds from the London Symphony Orchestra, Neil Zaza, and the Wooten brothers, really pleased us. The software also works well on Mac, Windows, and iOs systems, so you can start writing a piece on your home computer and finish editing it on your iPad or iPhone. #### The Good 1. Multimedia and music notation software. 2. Teamwork tools 3. Productivity tool integration 1. May overwhelm music notation software seekers. ### Sibelius ![Best Music Notation Software](https://compsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/45-14.jpg) This is a Best Music Notation Software for professional artists, but the interface is surprisingly easy to use, so even if you're new to composing, you won't feel overwhelmed. Like Notion 6, this software is updated and changed by a team of developers on a daily basis. But the musical sounds in Notion were a little more impressive, and we couldn't find a "video" window in Sibelius that would have let us watch a movie and score it at the same time. Even with all of that, it's a really great app. You can enter sounds with a computer [mouse](https://compsmag.com/best/best-mouse/), a virtual piano or guitar fretboard, or by plugging a MIDI keyboard into your computer's USB port. It also adds the right rests and note appearances automatically, so you can work quickly on a tune without having to change the score as you go. #### The Good 1. Professional music notation software 2. Enhanced notation tools 3. Excellent playback 1. Comparatively expensive. ### PLAYSCORE 2 ![Best Music Notation Software](https://compsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/46-13.jpg) PlayScore 2 is a Best Music Notation Software that claims to understand all the symbols of standard music writing and can play all kinds of sheet music and scores. It is impressive that it can also read SATB voice scores, chamber music, songs, and music for piano. It can even be used as a MIDI transcription tool in your DAW. PlayScore 2 can export both MIDI and MusicXML. This means that your scores can be opened in almost any notation tool, on both Mac and PC. Just take a picture of your score with your phone, and you can edit, rearrange, and arrange it for different instruments in your DAW. The parts can even be printed out! #### The Good 1. Innovative sheet music digitization technology 2. Playing scanned scores live 3. Recognizing musical notation well 1. Editing scanned scores is limited. ### DORICO ![Best Music Notation Software](https://compsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/47-11.jpg) Steinberg's Dorico is a Best Music Notation Software bit of a newcomer to the world of engraving tools. The program costs just a little less than Sibelius, but it has about the same number of features. Dorico stands out because it has a built-in MIDI editor and VST support, which makes the playing quality better. This choice between workflows could be a game-changer for artists who are more used to using a DAW. Sibelius has a built-in sound library with 36 GB of synthesized and recorded instruments, but it won't be able to compete with the playback you can make with a built-in MIDI editor that lets you control velocity and expression as well as VST instruments and effects. #### The Good 1. Modern, user-friendly interface 2. Intelligent auto-notation and formatting tools 3. Excellent engraving and publishing support 1. Newer software with fewer users ### Noteflight ![Best Music Notation Software](https://compsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/48-11.jpg) Noteflight is a Best Music Notation Software tool for writing music notation that is easy to use and runs smoothly. It can be used by both artists and composers, and it has many features that let you make it your own. The app works with iPhone, Windows, and Android devices, among others. Noteflight is a website where people can share their songs and work together with others in real time. It is a useful tool for both students and teachers because it works with learning systems like Google Classroom. The app also has an online community where its users can talk with each other. #### The Good 1. Cloud-based music score creator and sharer 2. Live editing and feedback features 3. Individuals and schools can afford it. 1. Limited offline functionality without internet. ## FAQs --- *End of Article*