Updated September 2012
Every year brings major updates and improvements to many of the major music notation software companies. New features are added, others dropped, prices change, and ease of use goes up and down. This document shows the major features and key comments regarding several of the big names in sheet music notation programs. All have been reviewed in greater depth here on MusicEdMagic and whenever possible links are provided to Amazon.com to provide the most up to date pricing and availability on each product. Feel free to leave a comment below and voice your own personal opinion on each of these programs.
2012 Comparison of Professional Music Notation Software Programs
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Sibelius 7 |
Finale 2012 | Maestro Composer | Notion 3 |
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| Current Pricing |  Available via Maestro Composer's web site |
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| Site License? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Academic Pricing? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Upgrade Pricing? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Crossgrade Pricing? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| MEdM Editor Rating |   |
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| MEdM Review | Read our review of Sibelius 7 |
Read our review of Finale 2012 |
Read our review of Maestro Composer |
Read our review of Notation 3 |
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| Max # of Staves | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
| Custom Staff Styles |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Complex time signatures | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| US/UK Terminology | Both | Both | US | US | |
| Tablature support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Plugin Support | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Live tempo, vamping, and skip ahead support | Live tempo (tap time support) | No | Yes | All* | |
| Input via MIDI | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Input via microphone | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
| Input via scanner | Yes, with PhotoScore | Yes, with SmartScore Lite (included) | Yes, not included | Yes, not included | |
| Exports to | MIDI, MusicXML | MIDI, MusicXML | MusicXML, Karaoke, MIDI | MIDI, Music XML | |
| Imports from | MIDI, MusicXML | MIDI, MusicXML | MIDI, MusicXML, Karaoke | MIDI, Music XML | |
| Imports image file formats for use in scores |
TIFF | JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF,TIFF,EPS | JPG, GIF | No | |
| Parts dynamically linked to score |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Custom note head styles | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Video support | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| Audio Output | MIDI, VST, WAV |
MIDI, VST, WAV, MP3 |
WAV, MP3 | MIDI, VST, WAV | |
| Save files as | WAV, MIDI, TIFF, EPS, BMP, PNG, EPS | MIDI, MP3, WAV, AIFF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, EPS | TIFF, PNG, JPEG, GIF, WMF, EMF, WEB | MIDI, Music XML, WAV | |
| Open files in | StarPlay | SmartMusic Studio | N/A | N/A | |
| Teacher Control (computer lab capable) |
No | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Support options | Phone (9 months free, $99/yr after), online forum, email | Phone, online forum, email | Email, online forum | Email, Phone | |
| Additional Info | Scores can be posted on Internet using the Sibelius Scorch plugin | Over 300 educational worksheets, range checking,magnetic layout | Maestro Composer for MS Word allows interactive insertion of music notation into Word documents. No need to cut and paste between the two programs. |
- Pro-Audio Mixer |
* Live tempo, vamping, and skip ahead during performance, specify exact rhythms for tempo control or use default beat, pause on fermatas,cutoffs support, take 2nd ending support, navigate the score while performing
Disclosure notice: The owner of this web site has had a previous writing relationship with the authors of the Maestro Composer software in which he was compensated for services rendered. However, no payments of any kind were received by the author in regard to the information or reviews on this site.