MuseScore, MuseScore 3, MuseScore Studio 4
For MuseScore 4 users, see MuseScore, MuseScore 3, MuseScore Studio 4.
What does this handbook cover
This handbook describes features of MuseScore, the music notation program for Windows, macOS, and Linux supporting a wide variety of file formats and input methods. MuseScore Studio features an easy to use WYSIWYG editor with audio score playback for results that look and sound beautiful, rivaling commercial offerings like Finale and Sibelius. "MuseScore" got named "MuseScore Studio" as of version 4.3, see online announcement.
MuseScore is released as a free and open-source software. Musescore 3 is released under the GNU General Public License version 2. Musescore Studio 4 is released under the GNU General Public License version 3. To learn more about the GPL license, visit http://www.gnu.org or http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html. To download MuseScore 3.6.2, see Installation: Download and installation chapter.
MuseScore is developed and supported by non paid volunteers and managed by Muse Group employees. MuseScore BVBA is a subsidiary of Muse Group. Source: wikipedia, forum discussion.
What is not covered in this handbook
The following items are often referred to as "MuseScore". However, as explained above, this handbook uses "MuseScore" to refer to Notation software itself only, "MuseScore" is not used to refer to any of the following unless otherwise specified.
- The score viewer and playback mobile apps (Android, iOS), or
- The score viewer and playback interface provided by musescore.com
See How and where to ask for support
Different versions of MuseScore
MuseScore is open-source. Its source code is available at github.
MuseScore 3.6.2 is the last official release of MuseScore 3, see Version information. For forks (wikipedia), see "External Link" section.
MuseScore Studio 4 is a result of continuous development from MuseScore 3.6.2. It has huge playback and countless engraving improvements. After MuseScore 3.6.2 was released, most of the software development moved on to MuseScore Studio 4. Muse Group employees no longer work on bug fixing of Musescore 3.6.2. Due to the substantial change in programming framework and library, some proposed improvements of Musescore 3.6.2 are impossible to be merged into MuseScore Studio 4. Reimplementation of important features is not yet complete, see also this issue, this forum topic, and this forum topic.
When choosing a MuseScore version to create scores, users should take note of the company's distribution versioning and feature implementation philosophy, and consider production needs. For example MuseScore 3.6.2 Linux supports audio and MIDI routing with JACK, which has implications for automation and video synchronization. Source: https://github.com/orgs/musescore/discussions/13745
MuseScore 3 and MuseScore Studio 4 can be installed and opened side by side on the same OS, see Version 3 and 4 installations side-by-side. Score files are opened by default with the last installed Musescore version, see Change default programs in Windows and Problem with Shortcuts to MuseScore 4 files. You can always choose manually with "Right-click > Open with". Note that MuseScore native format (*.mscz and *.mscx) are backward compatible - MuseScore Studio 4 opens MuseScore 3's *.mscz without error, see Native format compatibility
External Links
Notable forks (wikipedia):
- Musescore 3.7 Evolution
- https://github.com/Jojo-Schmitz/MuseScore/wiki
- Forum discussion End of Life plan for 3.x
- MuseScore3.0dev-PianoTutor