Question by Brett M: Which music notation software best fits someone writing music for a small band (attention Finale users)?
I’ve been a musician for about 12 years now, and lately I’ve been getting requests for sheet music for some of my work. It’s embarrassing to say that I don’t have software capable of printing professional sheet music.
Years ago, I used Noteworthy Composer (www.noteworthysoftware.com) because I was just starting out. It’s become more of a professional thing since, and Noteworthy is nowhere near as complex and diverse as Finale or Sibelius. I feel like I’m using Notepad when there are programs like Microsoft Word.
Finale is amazing after trying the demo so far, but I’m worried that I’m spending too much for what I’d actually use it for. I don’t need the fancy orchestral instruments (I already have Propellerheads’ Reason), and I’m only writing sheets for the piano part, possibly drums, guitars, and strings. Are there still reasons why Finale would be the best choice? I’m wondering what current Finale users have to say about the product. Is it worth the money?
Being a student, I can get the academic version of Finale 2010 for $ 220, but I’m wondering if there is any other software that will simply let me write sheet music with a professional style at a better price.
Best answer:
Answer by L. Choi
Sibelius
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