I've written many articles on this over the years but none are up-to-date excepe a few that are product specific.

Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
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I always work in Music XML, not MIDI, because it preserves much more like text, chords, and dynamics/tempo etc.

This is a very specific function. As mentioned, BIAB does not do this. I’m glad, actually, since I think BIAB should concentrate on what it does best and leave this small niche to others.


What Matt says. With a few exceptions, most apps support MusicXML 3.0 including any scanweare that's any good (the crapware doesn't)

Scanware breaks down into three basic types:

The first is a kind that imports font data from pdf files. Because of copyright concerns, most music pdfs are actually pictures of pages and these do not have font data in them. Not only do these not work with graphic files but scans are useless. Unless you have a specific use like Matt, walk on by.

The next is Black Box scanware, much of it iOS or Android only. Scan it in, export MusicXML 3.0. Some of it is good like Musitek's + Music-to-XML™ while another that's very heavily marketed cannot handle expressions, slurs, hairpins (yet?) so read carefully. I do not like Black Box scanware in spite of all the wonderful claims made by Marketing departments who clearly have never used these apps — see below.

The third kind is full featured scanware. What makes it different from Black Box is that after you scan, it opens a window where you can edit your scan before exporting as MusicXML. Those of us who use it really like that feature. There are two heavyweights in this field, Avid's PhotoScore & NotateMe Ultimate and Musitek's SmartScore 64 Pro which I own.

There are competitive upgrades and special deals for owners of certain notation apps but, sadly, no discounts for BIAB users.
SmartScore 64 Pro Competitive Upgrade



BIAB 2023 Audiophile, 24/60 Core M2 Mac Studio Ultra/8TB/192GB Sonoma, M1 MBAir, 2012 MBP
Digital Performer 11, LogicPro
Finale27.4, Dorico5, Encore5, SmartScorePro64, Notion6, Overture5