MagicScore review
A Windows-only notation suite with MIDI, MusicXML, tablature, and a one-time license option.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
MagicScore is a Windows desktop music notation and composition product family for musicians, composers, arrangers, educators, students, ensembles, and songwriters. Its priced product is MagicScore Maestro 8, which covers score creation, editing, playback, and printing. The workflow supports Quick Input, keyboard, mouse, step-time, and real-time note entry, as well as MIDI keyboard recording and playback. That breadth makes it relevant to people who need to move from drafting a score to preparing parts or exporting a finished file, rather than only entering notes.
The published plans show four ways to buy Maestro 8: Month subscription at $6.99 per month, Quarter subscription at $11.99 per quarter, Annual subscription at $27.99 per year, and Full license at $69.95 one time. Each plan names the same software, so the listed choice is about payment term rather than a stated feature ladder. For someone who expects to keep composing with it, the one-time license avoids recurring billing; shorter subscription terms offer a lower initial commitment. There is no free plan, so buyers should choose based on whether they want to pay periodically or own a full license.
Feature coverage extends beyond standard notation: users can extract and format instrumental parts, work with guitar tablature, fingering, chords, and diagrams, and edit lyrics. MusicXML, MIDI, and Karaoke import/export support exchange and playback workflows, while PDF and image export address printable scores and WAV or MP3 export provides audio files. Web publishing with embedded score playback is also included. The main constraint is platform: MagicScore is documented for Windows, which rules it out for macOS or Linux users. It is a fit for Windows musicians who want notation plus arrangement and export tools at a defined price; those needing another desktop platform should look elsewhere.
MagicScore pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Offers several note-entry methods, including MIDI keyboard and real-time input.
- Supports MusicXML and MIDI import/export, plus PDF, image, WAV, and MP3 export.
- Includes part extraction, guitar tablature, lyrics editing, and web publishing.
- Where it doesn't
- Runs on Windows, so it does not suit users on other platforms.
- No free plan is offered.
- Current listed plans cover Maestro 8; the full license costs $69.95 upfront.
MagicScore fact sheet, pricing and score →
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