Finale music notation software review

Finale music notation software is a powerful, industry standard program used by some of the world’s best composers, arrangers, engravers and music publishers. Favoured thanks to its ease of use and high-quality sound and print results, Finale version 26 offers intuitive automation options: users can streamline their process by customising favourite commands, and this version boasts improved recognition of multiple articulations. Note input can be performed via a mouse and computer keyboard or users can play notes in with a MIDI keyboard. Alternatively, scanning music into Finale is quick and easy with PlayScore 2, accurately transferring sheet music into the software as a MusicXML file.

As with other music notation programs, Finale enables users to export music as PDF, MIDI and MusicXML, as well as MP3 audio. The software is compatible forward and backwards, which is ideal for collaborative working and teaching.

One of the most attractive features of Finale software is the playback sound quality – the instrument library includes 500 Garritan sounds to really bring pieces to life.

Finale offers a free 30 day trial of the full software (omitting the Garritan sounds) for both Windows and Mac users. Finale version 26 is priced at £429 for new users, and £99 for those upgrading from a previous version. User manuals are available for both Mac and Windows, as well as Finale tutorials to guide users through the software.

For a smaller, cheaper alternative to Finale v.26, there is Finale PrintMusic; this software works in much the same way as the full version and is perfect for creating publisher-quality sheet music. Priced at £89.95, users can enhance playback with VST and AU instrument plug-ins, and share their music as MP3 files.

Many students and teachers also utilise other software in the Finale family. Finale NotePad is another mini version of Finale music notation software that is available as a free Windows download. Finale NotePad is ideal for creating smaller works of up to eight staves, and is compatible with the other Finale family music notation software.

PlayScore 2 can be utilised to scan music into Finale as a MusicXML file in minutes. Using Music OMR technology, PlayScore 2 accurately captures all elements of sheet music – from notes to the most detailed articulation. Creators can easily transfer music into Finale with PlayScore 2, simplifying the workflow process considerably.

By Michelle Sciarrotta.

Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash.