- MuseScore Studio vs MuseScore.com
- What you can do with free MuseScore Studio
- What MuseScore.com PRO adds
- How to get MuseScore Studio free and avoid the wrong download
- Do you need MuseHub?
- Can you use MuseScore on a Chromebook?
- Importing scores: MusicXML beats MIDI
- Who uses MuseScore Studio
- Is MuseScore enough for most musicians?
- Frequently asked questions
Yes, MuseScore is free. MuseScore says there's only one version of its notation software, MuseScore Studio, with no limitations, and you download it for free from musescore.org. The PRO, PRO+ and Premium plans are for MuseScore.com, the separate sheet music sharing site.
Most of the confusion comes from those two names. MuseScore Studio is the program you write scores in. MuseScore.com is a website where people share and find sheet music, and that's where the upgrade prompts come from. Here's how to tell them apart and what each one gives you free.
MuseScore Studio vs MuseScore.com
| MuseScore Studio | MuseScore.com | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Notation software you install | Sheet music sharing website |
| Free? | Yes, one version with no limitations | Free accounts, plus PRO, PRO+ and Premium |
| Where you get it | musescore.org | musescore.com |
| Licence | GNU GPLv2 | Website terms |
MuseScore's FAQ is clear on the software side: MuseScore is released under the GNU GPLv2 licence, and the PRO, PRO+ and Premium plans are sold for MuseScore.com. The FAQ also says MuseScore.com offers free accounts, with a Pro account for those who want more.
What you can do with free MuseScore Studio
- Write, edit and print full scores with no feature limits, because MuseScore says there's only one version.
- Export audio files and your .mscz score files.
- Use what you make however you like. MuseScore's FAQ says it doesn't impose any ownership or licence on your work, whether that's sheet music, exported audio or the score files.
That third point answers a question a lot of teachers and arrangers ask: you can use MuseScore commercially, and your scores are yours.
What MuseScore.com PRO adds
MuseScore.com's upgrade page lists what its PRO+ membership is for. It's about the website, not the notation software:
- Downloading music from the site in your preferred formats.
- An ad-free experience on MuseScore.com.
- Professionally transcribed scores from publishers.
- Better access to Official Scores PDF downloads while the membership is active.
So if you only want to write music, you don't need any of this. If you mainly download other people's arrangements, MuseScore.com is the part that asks you to upgrade.
How to get MuseScore Studio free and avoid the wrong download
- Go to musescore.org, which is the home of MuseScore Studio.
- Choose the download for your computer.
- Install it and open a new score. There's no trial and nothing to activate, because MuseScore says there's one version with no limitations.
- Only create a MuseScore.com account if you want to share scores online or browse other people's.
MuseScore's FAQ also says support is by email and the community forums, not by phone, so the forums are the place to start if something goes wrong.
Do you need MuseHub?
No. The musescore.org home page says MuseHub is the official distributor of MuseScore Studio and Muse Sounds, but it also offers a link to download MuseScore Studio without MuseHub. If you only want the notation program, take that direct download.
Can you use MuseScore on a Chromebook?
Yes, with a workaround. MuseScore's FAQ says its desktop program works on a Chromebook through Chrome OS's built-in Linux environment, called Crostini. You turn Linux on in Settings, then install MuseScore as an AppImage so you don't need the command line each time.
Importing scores: MusicXML beats MIDI
If you're moving scores in from another app, MuseScore's FAQ recommends MusicXML for importing and exporting sheet music. It explains that MIDI was designed for playback, so it doesn't carry everything you see on a printed score, and MIDI imports can look messy even though MuseScore does its best to tidy them.
Who uses MuseScore Studio
The musescore.org home page says MuseScore Studio is used by schools, conservatories, choirs and orchestras, and that it's built by an open source community. That's a good sign for anyone worried that free means basic: the same program is used for classroom worksheets and full orchestral parts.
The site also points to a Sheet Music Scanner that scans a printed score so you can edit it in MuseScore Studio, which is handy if you're digitising old parts for a choir or band.
Is MuseScore enough for most musicians?
For students, teachers, choirs and hobby composers, yes. You get full notation software for nothing, and you own what you write. If you're looking for music to play rather than write, my guide to free sheet music covers sites beyond MuseScore.com, and my roundup of MuseScore alternatives compares other notation apps if you want a different workflow.
If you do decide to try a MuseScore.com membership, one detail from MuseScore's FAQ saves a support email: it says the registration process takes about 1 hour, and cancellations can be made after that.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
My verdict: MuseScore Studio is free, complete and open source, and it's the part most people mean when they ask. The upgrade offers you see belong to MuseScore.com, so ignore them unless you want that site's downloads and ad-free browsing.
Frequently asked questions
Is MuseScore Studio completely free?
Yes. MuseScore says there's only one version, with no limitations, and you download it free from musescore.org.
What is MuseScore PRO?
PRO, PRO+ and Premium are memberships for MuseScore.com, the sheet music sharing website. They're not needed to use the MuseScore Studio software.
Can I use MuseScore commercially?
Yes. MuseScore's FAQ says it doesn't impose any ownership or licence on your work, including sheet music, exported audio and score files.
What licence is MuseScore released under?
MuseScore is released under the GNU GPLv2 licence, according to its FAQ.
Does MuseScore have phone support?
No. MuseScore's FAQ says support is by email, and its community forums are there to help too.
Do I need MuseHub to install MuseScore Studio?
No. MuseScore's site offers a download of MuseScore Studio without MuseHub, which is the official distributor.
Does MuseScore work on Chromebook?
Yes. MuseScore's FAQ says the desktop program works through Chrome OS's built-in Linux environment, Crostini, installed as an AppImage.
Which file format is best for importing into MuseScore?
MuseScore's FAQ recommends MusicXML for importing and exporting sheet music, because MIDI was designed for playback.
Can I share scores on MuseScore.com for free?
Yes. MuseScore's FAQ says MuseScore.com offers free accounts, with a Pro account for people who want more.
Who uses MuseScore Studio?
MuseScore says MuseScore Studio is used by schools, conservatories, choirs and orchestras, and it's built by an open source community.
