RIP Finale Notation. Next notation program to try?

[canezila]

I have used Finale since college-days in the late 90s. Now that it's gone, I can still use it ... for now. I am looking around as I want to be able to move to the next notation program before my Finale version stops and I am stuck.

I looked at the Steinberg Dorio Pro that they are sending the finale users to but, as expected, they have some convoluted licensing propriety download manager that fails via-wine before even getting to see what's going on in the program. So that's a no-go.

Seems logical, that I am now fully entranced in the Linux world since ₂₀₀₆, that I should give Musescore a go.

I am interested to hear from others here about what your notation comfort zone is?

My use case is writing for my orchestra. I write bow warm-ups daily. I notate every piece of music we play and display it on a large display in my classroom. I use a roccat tyon gaming mouse and program all the keys to keyboard shortcuts so its very quick to write into finale. I am fairly sure that is something that can be applied to any modern notation program ... just have to pick one and start

[canezila]

I think I answered my post already with Musescore 4. It seems to offer so much and it already works with Linux. Now its just going to take time to somehow convert 24 years of scores to this new format.

[jazzbassoon]

MuseScore will probably work for you. It sometimes gets some flac for not being able to do professional enough engraving, but that usually is up to you. (Most people are too forgiving of mediocre notation in my opinion). But it may be a good option, especially being free.

The other good option in Linux is lilypond, but it is a very different approach to engraving. You can get very fast with it and it can theoretically do anything you want it to. Sometimes the challenge is knowing how to do that though, but the power is there.

I'm in a bit of the same boat. Used finale for a long time, been using lilypond for maybe a couple of years on and off. Finale has always been my crutch I think to going fully into lilypond. But maybe it's time to send that crutch aside.

I will note that lilypond has a musicxml input, but not an output. So if you collaborate with others, it may not be a great option.

[canezila]

I don't believe it happens but if a company closes, what is the chance they release the source code?

[talby]

Just continue using Finale. If it worked fine for you, and continues to run, why leaving it? I do not see the reason for it. Burden yourself with the effort and trouble coming along with such major change of your workflow if actually needed for a real reason limiting your work, but not because its promotion for sale stops.

[diedeno]

As from August 2025, support stops, and one will not be able to authorize Finale on another computer. If your computer breaks, your workflow is broken.
See: https://www.finalemusic.com/blog/end-of ... president/
Sorry: they changed their minds about the initial announcement.

[Linuxmusician01]

I've asked a question like this 2 years ago (see reply 8 there). Lilypond seems the way to go since Musescore is dropping Linux support and changing in a bad way.

[Babarosa]

"Rosegarden" (a MIDI and Audio-Sequencer) is a feature rich notation software too, for sketches I like to recommend "nted".
https://rosegardenmusic.com/tour/notation/

[Largos]

Frescobaldi is a nice looking app for using with lilypond https://frescobaldi.org/

[merlyn]

I've asked a question like this 2 years ago (see reply 8 there). Lilypond seems the way to go since Musescore is dropping Linux support and changing in a bad way.

You misunderstood. Musescore dropped JACK support, but there is still a Linux version of Musescore, now called Musescore Studio to differentiate the app from the Musescore website. Musescore 4 included new sounds. These have to be downloaded using musehub, which is proprietary. I have managed to do that and it's working.

[Linuxmusician01]

I've asked a question like this 2 years ago (see reply 8 there). Lilypond seems the way to go since Musescore is dropping Linux support and changing in a bad way.

You misunderstood. Musescore dropped JACK support, but there is still a Linux version of Musescore, now called Musescore Studio to differentiate the app from the Musescore website. Musescore 4 included new sounds. These have to be downloaded using musehub, which is proprietary. I have managed to do that and it's working.

Thank you for clearing that up. Weren't there more things they dropped other than Jackaudio support?

[diedeno]

The muse sounds are not downloaded with muse-hub but with a Linux application called 'Linux sound manager'. Muse-hub is for Windows and Mac.
The latest version 4.4.0 includes updates to muse sampler, but the Linux version is not ready. No idea about a time frame. Does not seem to be a big deal.
So the updates free sounds are not available for Linux neither. (e.g. drumline and drumkit sampes)
For Windows and Macs, there are also commercial sounds, e.g. Berlin series, Spitfire audio, Cinesamples. Only usable in Musescore, but very cheap. Like $9.99 for Berlin Brass...
But those will never be available for Linux.
The jack re-integration has been ready for 6 months, but has not been merged. Needs review. It will probably never happen.
But MuseScore is not dropping support for Linux.

This being said, MuseScore is comparable to Dorico or Sibelius, and perfectly capable of producing professional looking scores for orchestra