Finale or Sibelius

which one is the best Finale or sibelius and why??

i am going to buy sibelius 4 or finale 2006 and i can't find a better eay to find which one is the best!!

It just depends on what you prefer. I like FINALE's interface more, so I go with that. In terms of features you can more or less do the same thing in both programs.

-Chris

that is a pretty tough choice, flip a coin.

that is a pretty tough choice, flip a coin.

...Then choose Finale. ;)

...but Sibelius has pretty sounding opening music....

...but Sibelius has pretty sounding opening music....

Which, incidentally, was written on Finale. Little known fact but it's true.

Get Finale!!!! Its SOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than Sibelius. Sibelius is so hard to use!!! When I downloaded the demo (I had the same question), I was very put down by how not user-friendly it was. When I used the demo, it seemed that to enter a note, you have to type the note NAME (A, F, G, whatever note) onto the keyboard!!! (Whether or not this is true on the real version, I don't know, because I got Finale ;) ) Finale is so much easier to use because all you have to do to enter notes is use the arrow keys and the enter key! Besides, Finale 2006 is TOP 'O THE LINE!!!!!!!! Its supposed to be the best program out there!! (I got Allegro, which is very good, and saves you money :happy: ) Download the demos of each one and you'll see that FINALE IS A MILLION TIMES BETTER THAN SIBELIUS! Finale is just so much more user friendly. They have excellent customer service as well. So, my bottom line is this: GET FINALE!!!!!!! You won't regret it!

A Finale user,

William

That's funny, because I've used both Finale and Sibelius, and I found Finale next to impossible to learn to use (I tried to learn how to use it for around two years, and had a lot of trouble dealing with anything beyond basic note writing), and then when I got Sibelius it took me less than an hour to figure out how to use most of the features, and within a couple days I was entering notes quickly and putting whatever I needed into the score. I've been a Sibelius user since then.

Having gotten Finale Notepad so as to be able to read other people's Finale files, I now still have to say that Sibelius is a lot more intuitive in the way it handles most things... multiple voices on a staff, for example.

One thing that Sibelius definitely has going for it: it's a superior typesetting tool. For those who write everything out on paper and use the computer mainly to generate more legible scores, Sibelius is absolutely the better piece of software.

In general, though, it comes down to which interface you prefer. Both are capable of doing the same things. While it seems most of those who posted in this thread prefer the Finale interface, I greatly prefer the Sibelius one.

hmmmm!!!! i just got confiuse!!!! :happy:

I've never tried Sibelius, but I'm getting along fine with Finale. My impression of the two programs is that Finale is more flexible, capable of more in the long run, but harder to learn. Sibelius, on the other hand, is more approachable, but it can't do some of the more obscure things Finale can. There are a lot of tools in Finale that, at first, might make someone say, "Why would I ever use that?" But I've used them on the odd occasion.

Finale is not imposible to learn! Are you kidding?!? I found Sibelius impossible to learn! Its so confusing! On Finale, everything is just laid out in front of you! :) Trust me on this, Finale is better than Sibelius! To tell you the truth, I have NO IDEA how people even USE Sibelius. (No offense to all you Sibelius users out there) Well, thats my view. GET FINALE!!!! :)

William

To whoever first posed the question, Sibelius or Finale: Just go to the program's respective wepages and download a demo of both of them. See which one you like better.

In my experience, I never wanted to use Sibelius. I always thought it was too hard, coming from using Encore for about a year. And so I tried Finale. What I found is that Finale was EVEN HARDER to use than Sibelius. So I used a little program called Mozart for a year and a half, and then I started using Sibelius. I've never wanted to use Finale because of the interface. There are too many things going on, I have to switch to a mode to do something that is in logical sequence from another thing, which was in a different mode! Why would I have to do that? Sibelius lets me do many things right after one another, without a second thought. I like to spend my time composing, not looking around for the correct tool to create a tremolo.

So I used a little program called Mozart for a year and a half, and then I started using Sibelius.

Hey, I use Mozart as well!

I have been a strong Finale User and I've also been to demonstration worshops on Sibelius. I honestly can say that Sibelius is not any eaiser to use than finale... It works much the same way.. A few tasks are easier on it.. but then a few tasks are easier on Finale. You have more customization options with Finale but I just don't see the point in me learning a brand new program (yeah.. you have to learn Sibelius) when I can do the same things in Finale...

Download the demos and see which one you like the best.. but the serious publish houses still use Finale all the way.

but the serious publish houses still use Finale all the way

This is off the topic, but where did you get this information from? I really doubt any publishing company uses Finale OR Sibelius for output, as the output is atrocious on both programs. This is not an opinion...any trained eye can see problems with the output. Big publishers probably use some type of engraving software that may convert finale or sibelius files into an engraving format. I would never print my music from a notation editor because the results are poor. So why would a major publishing company do it?

And if you are concerned about output, Sibelius or Finale both produce the same crappy output, so do not base your decision on this factor. Base your decision on ease of use and functionality. From what I heard, and observed myself, Sibelius seems easier to pick up.

Sibelius or Finale both produce the same crappy output

I'm really curious to see what makes you say that Chopin, I may not be an expert but I'm perfectly satisfied with the outputs of both programs and when comparing them to scores I find from major publishers I see no difference...

Please explain that a bit, preferably with some examples because from just that statement I have to disagree with you.

Please explain that a bit, preferably with some examples because from just that statement I have to disagree with you.

I am talking about the very fine details. Sure, the output is readable. But I am mainly refering to antialiasing, better notation graphics, and better spacing. Look very closely at finale or sibelius...and tell me you can't find any jagged edges. Finale and Sibelius have not mastered that, the note heads and graphics are jagged and not smoothed, which is why they are NOT used by the major publishing companies. This may sound small, but printing antialiased graphics with a laser printer on paper will look so much better, and this presentation is crucial especially if you are selling sheet music for $5 a copy.

This is off the topic, but where did you get this information from? I really doubt any publishing company uses Finale OR Sibelius for output, as the output is atrocious on both programs.[/b]

This is indeed true... The companies do their own engraving. However Every publisher accepts Finale... Hal Lennorad for example still does not accpet Sibelius accross the board on all their projects... in my own dealings with them.... This is funny seeing as how they also have promoted Sibelius at different times. I don't have it on Paper however.. just my own experience here.

Finale is accepted accross the board.

Which is still not a reason to pick Sibelius over Finale. There are plenty of publishing houses out there, and if you're big enough for Hal Leonard to even consider publishing your work, there are plenty of publishers that will take Sibelius format.

Besides, what did publishers do before Finale and Sibelius ever existed? I'm sure every publisher out there will accept a PDF file or a hard copy.

I am talking about the very fine details. Sure, the output is readable. But I am mainly refering to antialiasing, better notation graphics, and better spacing. Look very closely at finale or sibelius...and tell me you can't find any jagged edges. Finale and Sibelius have not mastered that, the note heads and graphics are jagged and not smoothed, which is why they are NOT used by the major publishing companies. This may sound small, but printing antialiased graphics with a laser printer on paper will look so much better, and this presentation is crucial especially if you are selling sheet music for $5 a copy.

The output of either FInale or Sibelius is dependant on the type of printer you are using and the resolution in which you are printing.

I have been using Finale for over 10 years and the quality of the printing has been directly related to that of my printer. I dare anyone to find "jagged noteheads" or graphics in any of my scores.

As for your assertion that neither Finale nor Sibelius are used by "the major publishing companies", there are many professional composers and engravers who can dispute that claim.

If the sample of your Nocturne posted on this website is your idea of acceptable printing then I find it difficult to understand how you can trash Finale or Sibelius. If that was rendered using Personal Composer, then that company needs to work on its software a bit longer.

I used PC many years ago when it first came out (at least 15 years ago) as a DOS program. At that time it was the only program for music notation for DOS-based computers, since Finale was a MAC-only program back then.

Check out LilyPond's essay about computer engraving ;-)

This is indeed true... The companies do their own engraving. However Every publisher accepts Finale... Hal Lennorad for example still does not accpet Sibelius accross the board on all their projects... in my own dealings with them.... This is funny seeing as how they also have promoted Sibelius at different times. I don't have it on Paper however.. just my own experience here.

Finale is accepted accross the board.

I'd be hard pressed to name a major publishing company that doesn't make use of Finale or Sibelius for their publications. You mention Hal Leonard? They use both Finale and Sibelius extensively for their publications.

Check out LilyPond's essay about computer engraving ;-)

I've seen it before, and I think it's absurd. The example they take from Finale (version 2003, which most definitely is not sold today) is not what you get if you enter the notes into Finale 2003 with the default settings. Whoever did that example had to have modified their settings intentionally to get it to look like that.

Check out LilyPond's essay about computer engraving ;-)

besides, there are a few laughable engraving errors in the "fine examples" of lilypond's output.

I think ANY software can be made to put out crappy engraving wen badly used...

likewise, any software, when properly used, can give you professional results.

I've seen some excellent examples of Sibelius engraving.

I myself use Finale to achieve professional results (and very rapidly, I might add).

The end result of this thread is: which way of working is the most comfortable for you.

Sibelius works in page view and has a different way of doing note input from Finale.

Finale (normally) works in a scroll view, again with a different approach from Sibelius.

The only way to know which one is for you, is to try each company's free demos.

I wouldn't let myself be influenced by overblown rhetoric about the quality of the output of Finale and Sibelius, nor how other programs are "so much better". These two programs are the industry standards. If you eventually move on to studying music in college and university, you will be using one of these two programs (as a matter of fact, one of the requirements when I first applied to do my master's degree - which I finished 2 years ago - was the ability to use either FInale or Sibelius. Yes, the university I went to actually requires you have a computer, printer and "professional software such as Finale or Sibelius").

I find Finale to be much easier to use than Sibelius. I downloaded the demo of Finale in December 2004, and I got right to composing... it was so easy and much more powerful than Sibelius. I bought the full version of Finale 2005 last January, and have since then upgraded to 2006. It gets more powerful everytime, and all these people complaining about how its impossible to use must be computer-retarded.... its very easy.... TRUST ME, becuase I AM THE COMPUTER GOD.