MuseScore
MuseScore is a free, open-source music notation software used by students, hobbyists, professionals and educators to create, edit and share musical scores. It offers a WYSIWYG interface for entering notes via keyboard, mouse or MIDI input, supports unlimited staves with multiple voices per staff, and includes audio playback, dynamics, articulations and other musical markings. The app can import and export MusicXML and MIDI files, render scores to PDF, and lets users collaborate and share compositions through the MuseScore online community. It is available in more than 50 languages and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
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1 suggestionMuseScore continues to ship as an Intel-only build on macOS, despite being actively maintained and receiving regular updates (the latest stable release is version 4.6.5 as of December 2025). While the current Intel build runs acceptably under Rosetta 2 on Apple Silicon Macs, Apple is removing Rosetta 2 in macOS 28 (September 2028), after which this app will stop launching entirely. The MuseScore development team has not yet released a native Apple Silicon build, despite community requests dating back to 2020. Since you still have over two years before the September 2028 deadline, monitor the MuseScore GitHub repository and release notes for an announcement of native Apple Silicon support. If native support does not arrive by mid-2028, you may need to consider alternatives like Finale (commercial, has native support), Dorico (commercial, native support), or NotateMe (iPad-based, syncs to Mac via cloud). For now, your current MuseScore installation will continue to work, but planning ahead for the transition is wise.
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