There has been a rather seismic shift in recent weeks in the world of music notation.  As you may have heard, Finale music notation software is being sunset (what a pleasant term) by its parent company MakeMusic.  This has caused a large outcry, lament and shift in this corner of the music industry.  Finale was/is a beloved, at times thoroughly frustrating and long-standing piece of software with thousands of users over the last 35 years.  It’s quite an achievement to have a software platform last this long, go through so many various updates in computing in general and the music industry at large.  Finale, along with Sibelius and other programs during the 80s and 90s, really brought the music engraving world into the digital age and fundamentally changed the job of a music engraver and copyist, just as much as it changed the creative workflow of composers, arrangers, and orchestrators.
 
The surprise timing of this announcement was met with shock, sadness, resignation, and I think, some excitement. 
I have heard from dozens of my clients who work in Finale, wondering what to do now and what to do going forward in the near-term and the long-term.
 
First, let’s go over the facts and dispel some of the panicked concerns I’ve heard from many:
 

1. MakeMusic has discontinued all new development of Finale. That means Finale will not receive updates, not just feature updates, but any updates in regard to compatibility with future OS changes, etc. 
2. You can no longer purchase Finale, or an upgrade from a previous UNLESS you purchase the Dorico Pro crossgrade.  More on this later.
3. Initially, MakeMusic was going to restrict the ability to activate new installations of Finale on any system starting on August 26th, 2025.  They have now changed that policy and will allow activations of Finale (if you have already purchased it) for “the foreseeable future”.

 
What all the above DOES NOT MEAN:
 

1. 1.That the next time you load Finale it will no longer function.
   - If your system was compatible with Finale before this announcement, it will be today and for some time to come.  I had many clients call me panicking that they would not have access to their files after this.  That is not the case.
   
   
2. Finale will no longer function for daily use. 
   - This sunsetting schedule does not take away functions or capabilities of the program.  All features in the program today will function just as they always have.
   
   
3. I need to convert all my files into a new notation software today. 
   - No, you do not need to do this, especially in a rush.  Finale is not going away tomorrow and all the work you have in this program is not inaccessible.

 
 
Knowing all this, the next question is, now what?  MakeMusic has partnered with Steinberg to offer a crossgrade to Dorico, and Avid, the parent company of Sibelius, has now matched this offer.  MakeMusic is making the case that Dorico is the logical successor to Finale, in terms of capability, functionality, and user customization of the program.  Personally, this remains to be seen, but my initial work in Dorico is promising.  I’ll post further updates on my progress in Dorico another time.
 
My advice to my clients has been to, first, take a deep breath and slow down any decision making.  As I mentioned above, Finale is not going away and if you keep your current set up the same, it will work, in theory, for as long as you want it to.  Musicians in this area tend to not be on the bleeding edge of all tech advances and I’m sure many are not running the latest OS on either Mac or PC, so there’s no immediate danger of waking up and all your Finale files being inaccessible.
 
Whatever may be in store for you and your future workflow or notation program of choice, begin by assessing what you actually need, not only out of your current set up, but how to deal with any sort of archive you have.  Many of my clients have asked whether they should completely convert their older Finale files into Dorico files.  I would not rush to do this.  First, make sure you have good backups of all your files, finale or PDFs (this is really important).  Next, if you have not accessed a file in 5 years or more, are you really worried about needing in the future so desperately that it needs to be completely re-engraved today? Probably not.  What may be a good idea is to export a xml file of the score to have that to go along with your finale file and PDFs.  That way, you have access to the notation in whatever form you need, whenever you need it.  However, converting files via xml to another notation software does not mean it will load in perfectly without having to edit anything.  Also, any formatting in linked parts, etc., will not copy over.  So, you will essentially be starting over again on each piece. 
 
 
Next, and this is a highly personal decision, decide if it’s worth learning a new software.  I often compare learning a notation software to learning an instrument.  You can learn basics fairly quickly, but mastery can take years depending on how much you use it.  If you are a composer largely working on your own self-published pieces, then you may be fine working in Finale for the next 3-5 years or longer.  Again, there is nothing about Finale today that will completely stop working in the future (depending on your OS, etc.).  No one knows for sure if some random security update will interfere with Finale, but it seems like if you keep things as they are, you can just keep using the software.  Even publishers and other larger companies shouldn’t feel the need to rush out and change everything today; there’s no advantage.
 
Another question I have gotten frequently from my clients since this announcement is if Dorico is the best option to replace Finale.  It may be, but it may not be the best fit for you and your workflow.  Dorico does have more of a menu-based workflow and settings structure like Finale, but that doesn’t necessarily follow that it’s the best option for you.  If you are writing mostly small ensemble or single instrument pieces, chord charts and rhythm parts, etc., Finale had way too many features and functions that you would never use.  The same would be the case of either Dorico (specifically Dorico Pro) or Sibelius Ultimate.  Both Dorico and Sibelius have less expensive versions and even free versions of the software that may do all you need.  The learning curve on these versions will be much less as there are not as many features and functions in these versions as there will be in the top-tier versions.  Also, there are several iPad-based options, like StaffPad, that can give you great features and ease of use without the high initial expense in time and money of these other programs. 
 
So, what is the plan for Engraver’s Mark Music and how best can we serve our clients in this new reality?  First, we are continuing to use Finale, the latest version 27.4.1, today and will continue to do so for as long as the program remains viable.  We maintain an archive, both onsite and off-site, of all files associated with everything project we work on so you can feel secure knowing whatever work we have done together in the past is still available to you.  We will continue to share our Finale files with our clients at the end of the project, for no additional fees.  Many music preparation companies do not do this or charge extra fees for source files.  We do not; never have, never will.
 
Our team is currently putting Dorico through its paces and learning the new workflows and processes we need to ensure our clients have the best experience in the program and the best final product from the software.   We currently offer engraving, editing, copying in Finale and Sibelius, and will bring Dorico online within the coming months.  Our clients who wish to learn or work in Dorico for future projects with us can be assured that we will be ready and able to accommodate that and bring our full knowledge and experience to each and every project.
 
If you have any questions about steps forward for you and your music in this new era, please reach out to use here and let’s start a conversation. 
 
If you are looking for a great writeup on this, check out this  Scoring Notes article.  It gives some good insight into the history of Finale and how it got to this decision.
 

A common question I get asked from composers to music students exploring the various options for music notation software is, “Which one is the best?” Well…. I would guess all of us have certain opinions in the music engraving world, but I think the better question may be, “Which one is best for me?”  To explore this a bit more, let’s take a look at the current state of music notation software and how we got there.
 
The art of music engraving has undergone vast changes in the last 30 years.  Like most of society, the digital revolution and the age of the personal computer completely upended how we work and what functions and capacities are available to the average person.  What once took a team of people all day to do might only take one person a few minutes now. 
 
Music engraving got into the digital age with programs like Finale and Sibelius, both of which started to appear in the late 1980s.  Since then, there have been several other digital music notation options like Musescore, Lilypond and most recently (and successfully) Dorico, along with various apps for the iPad (like NoteFlight and StaffPad and others) have come on the scene.  Finale and Sibelius have, and mostly still do, dominate the music engraving and educational markets while other options have largely remained as niche options of individual composers.  However, these other options are now making great strides in their capabilities and ease of use, making them viable options not only for independent composers and arrangers, but even for major scoring sessions.
 
When I get asked the question of “Which notation software should I use?”, my first response is always a question of my own, “Well, what will you be using it for?”.  This question is, to me, the REAL question to ask yourself if you are looking into the various notation software options.  Knowing where you dream of your music going or what part of the music industry you want to get into may affect your choice. 
 
For example, if you are an independent composer/arranger or even a music teacher, writing simple pieces for a few instruments or musical exercises for your students, then just about any option will work fine.  I would suggest using any of the iPad apps as the learning curve for those is likely to be manageable and you won’t have too many options or menus to get lost in.  Also, Finale, Sibelius and Dorico all have a free version of their notation software which may have all the various options and functions you could need.  There’s no real need for a major investment in time and money if your notation needs are very “local”, meaning the music will be produced and distributed largely by you and just for you or a few others or simplistic, meaning you are not writing avant-garde new age music for specialized instruments. 
 
Where things get a bit more complicated is when your aim is for a larger market OR a larger project.  The free versions of these different softwares will be limited in the number of staves or other functions they have and if you have a larger work, they simply won’t be able to handle that.  Also, if you plan on working with a publishing company or even just other arrangers or composers on a given project, it’s best to choose a software that will grow with you and be able to be used by others seamlessly as well.  This is where the full versions of Finale, Sibelius and Dorico, I feel, are the most appropriate.  There’s no point using a software that won’t have the capabilities you’ll need down the road.
 
So now you may ask, “Ok, I need a full featured music notation software.  Which one should I choose?”  For years, the “big 2” options were Finale and Sibelius.  In professional and educational circles, one or the other has been used for decades.  Using either one of these options will give you all the functionality and capacities you could ever need (and many that you’ll probably never use).  I would also add Dorico to this list.  Being, relatively, the newest kid on the block in the music notation world, Dorico has had some growing pains and, quite frankly, it really wasn’t ready for the big time when it first came out over five years ago.  Now, I truly believe Dorico is not only a viable option, but one that offers some of the most forwarding thinking functionality and ease of use features.  I still don’t see Dorico being used in my end of the music engraving world as much as Finale or Sibelius, but it is certainly gaining ground on both. Professionally, I have used Finale and Sibelius for over 16 years and am looking to add Dorico into the available options here are Engraver’s Mark Music in the coming months.    
 
My final piece of advice is, choose an option that fits your needs now but can grow with you in the future.  If I was starting from scratch today, I would try to learn with each of the free versions of Finale, Sibelius or Dorico and then see which one felt most natural and go with that.  If you’re an independent composer or arranger, there are so many options out there now, and even better, there are so many good options that weren’t available before.  Personally, I used Finale before I learned Sibelius and I still tend to gravitate that way at times.  However, there are long stretches of projects where I am primarily using Sibelius, by my choice or because the client works in that program, and I come to find I enjoy using it as much if not more than Finale. 
 
Again, all these different music notation programs have their advantages and disadvantages; things that drive us nuts and features that are lifesavers.  The best option for you is the one that makes creating your music as seamlessly as possible.  If you have any questions or thoughts on this, please contact Engraver’s Mark Music and let’s see how we can guide you and help get your music out to the world!