iWriteMusic review
A mobile-first notation app for multi-part scores, with PDF, JPG, and MIDI export.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
iWriteMusic is music notation software for musicians, teachers, students, composers, songwriters, arrangers, singers, and instrumentalists who want to write and hear scores on mobile devices. It supports multiple tracks and voices, percussion and drum notation, chord symbols, lyrics, and changes to time, key, clef, and tempo. Separate iPhone and iPad apps are available, along with an Android version; the iPad app can run on Apple Silicon Macs. Its mobile focus suits composing and arranging away from a traditional desktop workflow.
For multi-part writing, iWriteMusic can automatically create parts and manage them alongside the score. Song and partial transposition, layout controls, and AirPrint printing help with preparing notation for performance or teaching. A playback mixer offers solo, mute, voice selection, looping, and swing options. Exports include PDF and JPG sheet music and Standard MIDI files; GarageBand is the listed integration. This combination will appeal to users who need notation, playback, and shareable outputs within a mobile-oriented tool.
The free / SE version has feature limitations, limited song storage, and no Standard MIDI export. The paid editions differ by device: iWriteMusic is the iPhone app, while iWriteMusic Pro is the iPad app and includes automatically generated parts. Pricing varies by platform and region, and the published starting price is 9.99. The current documented version is 3.6.12 and does not include MusicXML export, so interoperability is a constraint for users moving notation between score-editing applications. Choose iWriteMusic for mobile multi-part work and MIDI/PDF/JPG output; consider another notation tool if MusicXML exchange is essential.
iWriteMusic pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Writes multi-track, multi-voice scores with percussion, chords, and lyrics
- Automatically creates and manages parts; supports transposition
- Playback mixer and PDF, JPG, and Standard MIDI export
- Where it doesn't
- No MusicXML export in the current documented version
- Free / SE limits song storage and omits Standard MIDI export
- Separate iPhone and iPad apps have different feature sets
iWriteMusic fact sheet, pricing and score →
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