A transcription is most useful when it lands inside the program you already work in. Maybe MuseScore is where you engrave parts, Sibelius or Finale is your school's standard, or Logic Pro is where the song gets produced. The good news is that Songscription exports the two formats these programs were built to read, so getting a transcription into any of them is a one-step import.
The whole trick is choosing the right file: MusicXML for notation programs, MIDI for DAWs. This guide covers exactly how to import into MuseScore, Sibelius, Finale, and Logic Pro, and what to check once the score is open.
Pick the Right Export First
Every Songscription transcription exports as PDF, MIDI, and MusicXML. For importing, you can ignore the PDF, since it is a fixed image, and choose between the other two by what you want on the far side.
- Going to a notation program (MuseScore, Sibelius, Finale, Dorico): export MusicXML. It carries the written notation, not just the timing.
- Going to a DAW (Logic, Ableton, FL Studio): export MIDI. It gives you the notes as editable data on an instrument track.
- Logic Pro is the crossover: it reads MIDI for production and MusicXML for notation, so pick by which side of Logic you are working on.
If you want the full picture of what each format keeps, see our guide to MusicXML vs MIDI vs PDF.
Importing into MuseScore
MuseScore is free, which makes it the easiest landing spot if you do not already own notation software. Export MusicXML from Songscription, then in MuseScore choose File and Open, and select the .musicxml file. It opens as a normal, editable score, ready to re-lay out, fix, transpose, or print. Our dedicated walkthrough on importing Songscription exports into MuseScore covers the step in more detail, including a couple of small things to tidy after opening.
Importing into Sibelius and Finale
Both of these read MusicXML, so the file is the same as for MuseScore. In Sibelius, use File, then Import, then MusicXML, and pick the exported file. In Finale, use the MusicXML import option under the File menu. Either way the score arrives as editable notation you can engrave to your house style. Because MusicXML is a shared standard, the same export opens in all of them, which is the point of our guide to opening MusicXML in MuseScore, Sibelius, and Finale. Dorico reads MusicXML too, if that is your tool.
Importing into Logic Pro
Logic Pro gives you a choice. For production, export MIDI and drag the file onto a software instrument track; it lands as editable notes in Logic's Piano Roll, where you swap the sound and adjust timing and velocity. For notation, export MusicXML, which Logic's Score Editor reads and lays out as sheet music. Use MIDI when the session is about sounds and arrangement, MusicXML when it is about the written part. Our guide to using Songscription with Logic Pro and FL Studio covers both DAWs, and notes that FL Studio does not read MusicXML, so MIDI is the route there.
What to Check After Import
Expect the notes to be right and the layout to need a light pass. MusicXML carries the notes, rhythms, clefs, and key signature reliably, but every program applies its own engraving rules, so spacing, beaming, and page breaks can shift on open. Give the score a quick read: confirm the time and key signatures, check the hand split if it is a piano part, and re-flow the layout to taste. A MIDI import into a notation program will look rougher, since MIDI carries no notation decisions, which is exactly why MusicXML is the better choice for notation work. To generate the files in the first place, run any recording through audio to sheet music.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I open a Songscription file in MuseScore?
Export the transcription as MusicXML, then in MuseScore use File then Open and select the .musicxml file. It loads as a fully editable score on a regular staff, so you can re-lay it out, fix anything, and print or export your own PDF. MusicXML is the format MuseScore was built to import, so it carries the notation over far more faithfully than a MIDI file would.
What format should I import into Sibelius or Finale?
MusicXML. Both Sibelius and Finale read MusicXML, and it preserves the written notation, notes, rhythms, clefs, and key signature, rather than just raw timing. In Sibelius use File then Import then MusicXML, and in Finale use the MusicXML import option under File. Export MusicXML from Songscription, open it, and you have an editable score in your notation program of choice.
How do I get a Songscription transcription into Logic Pro?
Two ways, depending on what you want. For production, export MIDI and drag it onto a software instrument track, where it becomes editable notes in Logic's Piano Roll. For notation, export MusicXML, which Logic Pro's Score Editor reads and lays out as sheet music. Use MIDI when you care about sounds and timing, and MusicXML when you care about the written score.
Will my notation look exactly the same after importing?
Close, but expect small differences. MusicXML carries the notes, rhythms, clefs, and key signature reliably, but each program applies its own engraving rules, so spacing, beaming, and page layout can shift when the file opens. That is normal and easy to tidy in a minute. Importing a MIDI file into a notation program will look more different, because MIDI does not carry notation decisions at all, which is why MusicXML is the better choice for notation work.
