Best Music Notation & Composition Software
Music notation and composition software can be a great assistance to composers and producers alike. With the flurry of features that a lot of these suites provide, there’s not much that a songwriter has to do except actually write the song itself. With notation features and lyric writing ideas abound, it’s a wonder that songs were written before this software came to market. Here are five of the best software suites for notation and composition out there.
Why it's best:
Finale 2010 is an ever-evolving music notation software. It gives uses the tools needed for music composition, arrangement, notation, and even the ability to print engraver-quality sheet music. Users can create exercises, scan existing sheet music, or work from provided temp... read full reviewAvailable From:
Amazon.com $369.99
Why it's a best pick:
Sibelius 6 music notation software features Magnetic Layout, which actually positions each part of a score in the right place, like dynamics, lyrics, and chord symbols. Sibelius 6 has added two new windows for notation on a guitar or keyboard with keyboard & fretboard wi... read full review
Sweetwater $679.97
Why it's a best pick:
NOTION 3.0 composition software has a playback engine with a large library of sampled sounds from London's Symphony Orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studios, Studio One. Users can write for up to 128 instruments in a single score. The composition software's score-entry inter... read full review
Why it's a best pick:
SmartScore Music Scanning Software Songbook Edition allows users to transpose and print entire songs after scanning. Fretboards and chord symbols are recognized, then change as keys are changed. Multiple pages of printed sheet music can be scanned and reconstructed ons... read full review
Amazon.com $149.95
Why it's a best pick:
PG Music Pro Band-in-a-Box 2009 includes Band-in-a-Box 2009, RealBand 2009, Style Sets 0-3, RealTracks Set 1, Real Drums Set 1, Soloist Set 1, and Melodist Set 1. Users can type in the chords for any song using standard chord symbols, then choose a style and Band-in-a-Box au... read full review
Amazon.com