It remains a solid yet inexpeensive tool - just $50. I then switched to ScoreWriter, which has been owned by a number of companies (GenieSoft, CakeWalk, and now SonicScore). The first notation sofware I used on an IBM-compatible PC was MusicTime. Sibelius First (also see Avid Sibelius Link farther down).Finale Notepad (also see Finale link farther down). ![]() Keep in mind they are also dealing with a lot of legacy code that also affects what can be bolted onto existing software and in some cases, it might not be wise to do it that way even if technically possible.Here are links to free Music Notation Software But for sure, it isn't a matter of programming skill they are fine in that area. I've done that and feel like they are very receptive to enhancement suggestions. You want something in Finale, let it be known to the team at MM. So $, talent but more importantly, prioritization is what drives things in terms of software development. Same with enhancing how accidentals are handled (I've seen the preferences setup for Dorico online and it's more inclusive and useful than how Finale handles accidental checking, and even better than JW Accidentals, since I can't make any changes to the latter without it crashing Finale). If enough people make it known that updated versions of JW Plugins are critical for using Finale moving forward, then that's something that might rise to a higher priority. But it also may be a matter of whether or not some feature requests rise to the top. It might be $, sure (I have no way of knowing). I find it hard to believe that the engineers/programmers at MM can't do some of the things that are found in some competing products like Dorico or Sibelius. I think, to your earlier point that you've made in other threads as well, it's not just a matter of lack of capital or lack of skill, it's also a matter of prioritization. I keep remembering how the old MM people were and how different the Boulder folks are. One thing for sure is MM could help by not being so closed off from its user base. The smufl font upgrade was a real upgrade and will be a strong advantage as it matures. Somebody in a management position sold the file sharing feature as a big deal and all would embrace it. MM management apparently doesn't see a real return spending such resources in improving Finale. ![]() Companies are always looking to conserve resources whenever possible. No money to do it or don't have the technical talent to do it. MM or any company don't do things because, one of, or both of, two reasons. Dorico just isn't ready for prime time yet. Believe me Sibelius has its own set of quirks. I have a good friend that makes his living composing music. Perhaps it doesn't sound like it but music is an expensive degree. Music majors are generally broke all the time. At KU in the music department where I am very familiar the kids use Musescore for only one reason. I have heard rumors that Musescore 4 is about to be released so we'll see if that brings it closer. Musescore is not even in the same zipcode as Finale. Would I start learning it today, probably not. Yes, I am still using it, because I used it for 25 years. So many things young people are used to won't work in Finale. We can not even select non-consecutive music and copy it. Or try to option-drag text or a chord symbol to quickly duplicate it. Yes, we still can not add our own key commands to a menu idem. To demonstrate how far behind Finale is, just think of the fact that it doesn't even have a key command editor. But this is not enough to bring in new customers. Is Finale better? Sure, especially if you need the advanced features it offers, like I do. At my College 95 percent of our students now prefer Musescore over Finale. No iPad version, a user interface that is completely outdated, sluggish in so many ways, and still not fun to learn at all. Do you younger folks even know that Finale once was the unrivaled notation software for Mac and PC? Well, sleeping through the years, Finale has completely missed the train and has now been taken over by even free notation software like Musescore at Colleges and otherwise. ![]() I was one of the first guys back in Germany to start using Finale.
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