MuseScore Studio 4.5 Beta is now available

Hi everyone,

We're pleased to announce that the Beta release for MuseScore Studio 4.5 is now available. You can download it for:

• Windows (MSI installer, portable)
• macOS (DMG)
• Linux (64-bit Intel/AMD)

Once the beta is installed, it will show up on your machine as “MuseScore 4 Testing”. You can install it alongside your current version of MuseScore 4, but note that the two versions will share preferences and workspaces. Also, scores saved with 4.5 cannot be opened in older versions of MuseScore 4.

If you find any issues, please report them on GitHub. As always, please check first that the issue hasn’t already been raised, and ideally try to reproduce it in the latest nightly build before reporting.

What's new in this update?

See Our near-term plans for MuseScore Studio to learn what's included in the version 4.5 update. Specifically worth highlighting are:

• New percussion input system
• New dynamics input feature
• Input by duration mode
• Option+click/drag to copy/paste
• Move measures up/down systems (plus ability to lock systems to prevent reflow)
• Laissez-vibrer (l.v.) ties
• Large time signatures
• Automatic masking of text elements through barlines (specifically dynamics, expression text, lyrics)
• System marking controls (See the 'Layout' panel, formerly known as 'Instruments')
• Automatic creation of ties at repeats and jumps, plus options to extend slurs and lyric extension lines over repeats and jumps
• Automatic creation of courtesy clefs, key, and time signatures at repeats and jumps
• Generally improved selection behaviour

Also see Engraving improvements in MuseScore Studio 4.5.

New MuseSounds features

Playback support for l.v. ties requires MuseSampler v.0.100.8, plus the latest version of Muse Keys. This feature currently only works with the Grand Piano set to the 'Studio' preset (which is the default, but also accessible via a sound flag). Support for new libraries will be added in the coming weeks.

Support for the latest percussion sounds isn't quite ready yet, so look out for a Muse Percussion update in the coming days. The update adds sounds for two new combo instruments: Mixed Percussion and General MIDI Percussion; which are available via the Choose Instruments dialog in MuseScore Studio.

You can get these MuseSounds and MuseSampler updates via MuseHub on Windows and macOS, or MuseSounds Manager on Linux. To check which version of the MuseSampler you have, go to MuseScore Studio's Diagnostic menu > Muse Sampler > Check Muse Sampler.

Percussion documentation

While the handbook migration remains a work in progress, beta testers might find it helpful to refer to the documentation on the new Percussion system.

The team will be gradually updating other pages over the coming weeks and will make a separate announcement about the new handbook when it's ready.