Handy
Focus: speech to text, dictation and whisper. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
Desktop App
MuseScore Studio
Free music notation software for writing and printing scores.
Rating
4.7 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
macOS, Windows, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is MuseScore Studio?
MuseScore Studio is free, open-source music notation and composition software. You enter notes on a virtual page, hear them played back by the built-in synthesizer, import and export formats like MusicXML and MIDI, and print or export your score to PDF.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what MuseScore Studio does well
- Plays your score back as you write
- Exports to PDF, MusicXML and MIDI
- Supports MIDI keyboard note entry
Cons: where it falls short
- Takes time to learn the shortcuts
- Aimed at notation, not recording audio
Who MuseScore Studio is for
Musicians, teachers and students who want to write and share sheet music.
Who can skip it
People who only need to play along to existing recordings.
MuseScore Studio alternatives
Not sold on MuseScore Studio? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
mpv
Focus: video player, media and subtitles. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Adds Offline. Same 4.7 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.7Visit
FreeCAD
Focus: 3d modeling, cad and engineering. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Rated 4.6 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
micro
Focus: text editor, terminal and ssh. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Rated 4.6 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Qalculate!
Focus: calculator, unit conversion and maths. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Adds Offline. Rated 4.6 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
VSCodium
Focus: code editor, vs code and privacy. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Adds Offline. Rated 4.6 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Free alternatives to MuseScore Studio
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
OpenSCAD
Focus: 3d modeling, cad and 3d printing. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Rated 4.5 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
OpenWhispr
Focus: dictation, speech to text and whisper. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Rated 4.5 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit
cheat
Focus: cheatsheet, command line and reference. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Rated 4.4 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.4Visit
gPodder
Focus: podcasts, audio and subscriptions. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Rated 4.4 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreeLinux, macOS
4.4Visit
Lapce
Focus: code editor, rust and plugins. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Rated 4.4 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.4Visit
LMMS
Focus: music production, daw and beats. Shares open source and github with MuseScore Studio. Rated 4.4 (MuseScore Studio: 4.7).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.4Visit
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