MuseScore Studio (branded as MuseScore before 2024) is a free and open-source music notation program for Windows, macOS, and Linux under the Muse Group, which owns the associated online score-sharing platform MuseScore.com and a freemium mobile score viewer and playback app.
MuseScore was created as a fork of the MusE sequencer's codebase. In 2002, Werner Schweer, one of the MusE developers, decided to remove notation support from MusE and create a stand-alone notation program from the codebase.
The MuseScore.org website was created in 2008, and quickly showed a rapidly rising number of MuseScore downloads. By December 2008, the download rate had reached 15,000 per month.
Version 0.9.5 was released in August 2009. By October 2009, MuseScore was being downloaded more than 1000 times per day. By the fourth quarter of 2010, it was being downloaded 80,000 times per month.
What is MuseScore?
MuseScore by MuseScore BVBA and Others (developed by Muse Group) is open-source Windows software in the audio editors & daw category. It ranks 2nd by popularity among audio editors & daw in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2002. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for macOS, Unix-like operating system and Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 4.7.6.261022093, released on October 26, 2026. The version history goes back to December 14, 2022: 28 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 7.2 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 507,827 times. The source code on GitHub (musescore/MuseScore) has 15,284 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 24 of our languages. On Windows it registers 6 file types, including .xml, .mid, .mscx, .mscz and .musicxml. Similar programs include Audacity, LMMS and REAPER.
Project description on GitHub: “MuseScore is an open source and free music notation software. For support, contribution, bug reports, visit MuseScore.org. Fork and make pull requests!”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Frequent updates (about 7.2 a year)
- Also runs on macOS, Unix-like operating system and Linux
- Large user base
- Mature project (since 2002)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: MuseScore is an open-source audio editors & daw tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- Unlimited score length
- Unlimited number of staves per system
- Up to four independent voices per staff
- Score creation wizard and templates
- Automatic part extraction and transposition
- Repeats, including segnos, codas, and measure repeats
- Dynamics, articulations, and other expression markings, with playback support for most
- Custom text markings
- Lyrics
- Chord symbols
- Jazz notation, including lead sheets, slash notation and a “handwritten” font for text
- Swing and shuffle playback
- Mixer for instrument levels and effects
- Percussion notation
AppStream · Flathub
Screenshots
Is MuseScore safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
41C9CA34FBF0B720F229ED3B0C4FF923B5D41A8C24AD9262E1FCE390CD5C34E5· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 28 versions ›28 versions over 4 years · about 7.2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7.6.261022093Latest | October 26, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 4.7.5.260831071 | September 8, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI64-bit MSI |
| 4.7.4.260706075 | July 7, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI64-bit MSI |
| 4.7.3.260608135 | June 11, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 4.7.2.260525085 | May 26, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 4.7.1.260518142 | May 19, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 4.7.0.260513133 | May 13, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSI |
| 4.6.5.253511702 | December 18, 2025 | — | 64-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Musescore.Musescore -echoco install musescore -yscoop install extras/musescoremsiexec /i MuseScore-Studio-4.7.6.261022093-x86_64.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {01637ED5-FA60-42D3-9A48-85F281F607EB} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask musescoreflatpak install flathub org.musescore.MuseScoreInformation
- Publisher
- MuseScore BVBA and Others
- Developer
- Muse Group
- Category
- Audio editors & DAW
- Licence
- GPL-3.0 License
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/musescore/MuseScore
- Written in
- C++
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Other platforms
- macOS, Unix-like operating system, Linux
- Version
- 4.7.6.261022093
- Released
- October 26, 2026
- First release
- 2002
- Added to the catalogue
- December 31, 2022
- Versions listed
- 28
- Updates / year
- 7.2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 507,827
- GitHub stars
- 15,284
- GitHub forks
- 3,362
- Website
- musescore.org
- winget ID
- Musescore.Musescore
- Chocolatey package
- musescore
- Scoop package
- extras/musescore
- MSI product code
- {01637ED5-FA60-42D3-9A48-85F281F607EB}
File types it opens (6)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to MuseScore
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Frequently asked questions
Is MuseScore free?
Yes. MuseScore is open-source software under the GPL-3.0 License licence.
Is MuseScore safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install MuseScore with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can MuseScore be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does MuseScore run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of MuseScore?
The versions page lists all 28 versions with links to their official installer files, back to December 14, 2022.
What are alternatives to MuseScore?
Audacity, LMMS, REAPER, Bespoke Synth and Bitwig Studio. The alternatives page compares them.
