Originally appearing as a document that composer David MacDonald created for his weekly master class, this bullet-list of score preparation and production notes will improve the quality of your performance materials in no time. To it we have added relevant links from Scoring Notes and other sources.
Score preparation and production, revisited. Six years after the checklist that launched this podcast, we work through it section by section — what the software has solved, what it hasn't, and what wasn't even on the original list.
Dorico 6.2.30 deepens Cantai integration with independent voice playback, adds new options for wiggly glissando line appearance, continues a sustained run of MusicXML export improvements, and fixes more than 40 issues across the application.
LS Iris has always been a distinctive presence in the SMuFL font landscape — a handwritten music font with calligraphic roots and a warmth that sets it apart from the field. After several years off the market, it’s back, newly overhauled and significantly expanded.
The Graphical MIDI Tools plug-in for Sibelius is updated and has spawned three new separate custom tools: a harp tool, a walking bass tool, and a Native American Flute fingering tool.
MuseScore Studio 4.7, the final 4.x release, adds arrowheads on lines, chord brackets, guitar dives, ASIO support on Windows, and workflow improvements for repeat and duration changes.
Sibelius 2026.5 adds VST3 support, expands Sibelius Cloud Sharing to individual parts and score subsets, improves handling of bar rests, and fixes other items.
What happens when your notation software can sing? Richard deCosta, founder of Cantai and the Turing Opera Workshop, discusses bringing expressive vocal synthesis directly to Dorico, Sibelius, and MuseScore.
