Music Notation Software Recommendations?

I am just curious as to what the rest of you like to use!

I started out on Noteflight! It was fantastic in so many ways, especially with how affordable it is and how many options and how much control you have over everything! The only thing I hated was how terrible it sounded. The instrument recordings that played your notation just sounded atrocious, and completely unrealistic.

After Noteflight I tried Finale, which had good sound and some good functionality and customizability, however, it just didn't feel right to me for whatever reason.

Nowadays, I use the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 that I bought myself and have been using StaffPad ever since (which, after spending so much money, I low key don't have a choice...). I love a LOT of things about it, but it is definitely a newer program that has a LOT to be worked out, and honestly, there are a lot of disappointments with it as well. It isn't nearly as customizable as Noteflight, but the sound is incredible (except for the choir add-on, which is beyond unfortunate (screams and cries internally).

So what do you use and suggest (maybe even for what budget?)
I'd love to hear!

Thanks!

Hello Gayzelle,

I have been using MuseScore since 3 years and I have been composing since 1 1/2 years. In the beginning, MuseScore was pretty limited with lay-out, but the crew releases many updates, so it is always developing. The most important reason for me why I use MuseScore is because I am a student, who saves money for his driver's license. In other words, I have no money to spend... It namely is completely free to download.

It really is a great program for composing almost all kinds of music and it can be compared with Sibelius, but there is one really big problem for me. Since I generally compose contemporary classical and avant garde music, I need the ability in the program to use contemporary techniques and notations. However, these are not supported very well in MuseScore and when I want to export all parts of for example a symphony orchestra, I have to lay-out each part and many errors can occur, which makes the file corrupt, which leads to that I cannot open the file anymore and the score is lost. . . Note that this is only with more experimental notations. 

The sounds you are talking about is an issue for every notation program. The main point of such a program is to notate the score that is to be played by real performers, not by a computer. At this moment, there are a few soundfonts that come close to the real sounds of instruments, but a live recording is still the best way. If you still want a very realistic soundfont, you will need to pay at least 200 euros, concluding from the ones I am familiar with.

MuseScore has a terrible strandard soundfont, but thank God that you can change it or completely replace it for other ones. The sountfont I use is the SonatinaSymphonicOrchestra soundfont, or something like that. It is free and the sounds are not terrible. 

When you do not write avant garde music, you should definetely try MuseScore, because it is free.

Furthermore, I have now Noteflight, because we use this program in class (for a final project) so that the teacher can see what we are doing and if there is enough process. To be honest, I hate it. There is no option to create your own shortkeys and for an avant garde composer it is even more terrible than MuseScore. Therefore I am going to ask my teacher if I can use MuseScore instead.

If you want the best known notation program, you should look at Sibelius. It is the most recommended program and it has a lot of features, which on the other hand can also drown you in an ocean of possibilities as a beginner.

Hopefully, this is useful for you. If you have any questions, do not haste to ask them!

Writing contemporary techniques is a nightmare in Finale (which is what I know best). You can do many things, but other are impossible. And, although you were able to write them, the playback is another pain...

Now I'm testing Dorico, which is pretty good, but it has a lot of things not implemented yet.

I have also used musescore and I think it's very good.

In all, I think the best you can do is get one of them and use it. The more you use it, the best results.

I use Finale for final engraving but I write and render with Notion.  I don't write with contemporary techniques as Luis does so I haven't encountered these limitations.

Notion is very intuitive to use and has an ok set of packaged sounds, but it can also use any VST you may choose in the future and is able to be customized for each.  I use GPO and the EW libraries and both work well.  The price is about $150US and there are crossgrades available if you have another notation program.

Finale will work with other VSTs but I only use GPO with it.  They are both made by the same company so they are pretty seamless.

I also have Sibelius and Overture, but don't use them much.  Since the original developers left for Steinberg (Dorico) I'm not sure how much development is going into the future of Sibelius.  It will handle other VSTs, but you need to either be a programming genius or by one of the soundsets available for it.  Overture has a lot of nice features for playback and can use a variety of VSTs,  but it's not very user friendly.   Like Luis, I've learned Finale and am most comfortable with it.  

I use StaffPad also for jotting ideas, sort of an electronic manuscript paper but I wouldn't use it for rendering or final engraving.

I tried the Dorico demo and after all the hype, I wasn't that impressed.  I know some love it.

Like Luis said, get one and use it and allow for the learning curve they all have.  If playback is what's important to you, You'll need to look to one that can handle various VSTs.

MuseScore is the software that I use. I do not use it for the sound, but rather to print out scores. The sound quality isn't great, but it works for my purpose.