# notei

> notei is a music notation editor that runs in your browser, with an assistant built in that helps anyone write, hear and export sheet music.

Official site: [notei.co](https://notei.co/). The editor runs at [app.notei.co](https://app.notei.co). notei launched publicly on 2026-10-06. Contact: hello@notei.co.

## What notei does

- music notation editor that runs in the browser, nothing to install. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- multi-instrument scores (band, orchestra, small group) in one file. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- scores saved to the account and synced between devices. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score. Limits: Free keeps up to 10 scores in the cloud; paid tiers have no limit.
- music-theory assistant that reads the open score and answers in plain language. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- edits you describe in plain words, applied to the score as editable notes. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- generate a short line from scratch as editable notes. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score. Limits: Free 4 bars, 1 part; notei+ 16 bars, 4 parts; full score 32 bars, 8 parts.
- harmonise a line. Tiers: notei+, full score.
- arrange a line for other instruments. Tiers: notei+, full score.
- extend or continue a phrase. Tiers: notei+, full score.
- variation on a phrase. Tiers: notei+, full score.
- notei explains what is off in your writing. Tiers: notei+, full score.
- playback with sampled real instruments. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- transposing instruments (B♭ trumpet, clarinet, E♭ alto sax) written at sounding-correct pitch. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- Transpose tool moves a passage or score to a new key. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- chord symbols above the staff. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- lyrics under the staff. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- note entry by computer keyboard (press 5, then c e g) and by mouse. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- play notes in from a MIDI keyboard. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- MusicXML export. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score. Limits: export writes no ties and no tempo.
- MIDI export. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- PDF export. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score. Limits: watermarked on Free; clean on notei+ and full score.
- WAV audio export. Tiers: notei+, full score.
- open a MusicXML file as an editable score. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score. Limits: the importer reads no tuplets, no ties and no unpitched drums; every import opens at 120 BPM; a minor key arrives under its relative major's name.
- open a MIDI file as an editable score. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.
- open a MuseScore file as an editable score. Tiers: Free, notei+, full score.

## Pricing

- Free: $0 a month.
- notei+: $9 a month, or $4.50 a month for students.
- full score: $18 a month, or $9 a month for students.
- Students get 50% off every paid tier.
- notei+ adds to Free: harmonise a line; arrange a line for other instruments; extend or continue a phrase; variation on a phrase; notei explains what is off in your writing; WAV audio export.

## How notei compares (as of 2026-10-26)

- MuseScore Studio + MuseScore.com: active; MuseScore Studio 4.7.5 released September 8, 2026. Install: MuseScore Studio is a desktop install for Windows 10+, macOS 11+ and Linux (AppImage and distro packages). the download page lists no browser version. scores can be saved to MuseScore.com. Free tier: MuseScore Studio is free with no limitations, under the GNU GPL. MuseScore.com accounts can be free or paid. Where MuseScore Studio + MuseScore.com is better: MuseScore Studio is completely free with no feature limits, under the GNU GPL licence; it is a desktop app that works offline, on Windows, macOS and Linux; MuseScore.com hosts a library of 4.1M community-contributed compositions; MuseSounds playback libraries for realistic playback; a wide export range: MusicXML, MIDI, MEI, PDF, PNG, SVG and audio.
- Flat: active. Install: runs in the browser with no install; native apps for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android are also available. Free tier: Flat Basic is free, limited to 15 scores and 30 instruments, with real-time collaboration and MusicXML/MIDI import. Flat Power removes the Flat logo from print and export. Where Flat is better: real-time co-editing of one score, free on every plan; native apps on Mac, Windows, iOS and Android as well as the browser, with offline composing; PDF and photo import (OMR) into editable scores; a mature classroom product: assignments, auto-graded theory worksheets and LMS grade sync; a large community (6M+ on flat.io's home page).
- Noteflight: active (Noteflight LLC, a Hal Leonard company). Install: an online, browser-based editor. officially supported browsers: Chrome 54+, Safari 10.1+, Edge 80+, Firefox 51+ and Mobile Safari on iOS 15+. Free tier: Noteflight Basic is $0, with up to 10 scores and basic notation features. Where Noteflight is better: Premium includes 80,000+ digital sheet music titles from Hal Leonard, ArrangeMe and the Noteflight community; Noteflight Learn: a private, COPPA-compliant school site with Google Classroom sync; SoundCheck, a performance assessment add-on for instant pitch and rhythm feedback; sell arrangements through ArrangeMe.
- Finale: discontinued: MakeMusic ended development and sales on 2024-08-26. Finale keeps working where installed (barring OS changes); authorization on new devices continues indefinitely per the latest update; technical support ended in August 2025; macOS Sequoia is not supported. Install: desktop software, with separate Windows and Mac editions; development has ended. Free tier: no free tier, and no longer sold. owners can still re-download installers for versions they bought. Where Finale is better: existing installs keep working (barring OS changes), and new-device authorization continues, so owners can keep opening their Finale files and re-download any version they bought; Finale owners get discounted pricing on Dorico Pro, now bought directly from Steinberg.
- Sibelius (Avid), including the free Sibelius First: active. Install: a desktop install plus mobile apps, with no browser-based editor listed. Avid's Cloud publishing lets others view and play a score in any browser. Free tier: Sibelius First is free and needs an Avid account; the download includes a 30-day Sibelius Ultimate trial. Avid's own pages give different staff limits: up to 8 staves on the comparison page, up to 4 on the mobile page. Where Sibelius is better: professional engraving: publication-quality scores, premium fonts, house styles, automatic part generation; native mobile apps on iPad, iPhone, Android and Chromebook alongside desktop; a large Ultimate sound library (35 GB) plus third-party VST3/AU instruments; video sync and timecode support for scoring to picture (Ultimate); education content: 1,700+ built-in projects and worksheets.
- Dorico (Steinberg), including the free Dorico SE: active; current version Dorico 6. Install: a desktop install for macOS and Windows, plus an iPad app; no browser version is listed. Free tier: Dorico SE is free forever, for up to eight players. Dorico for iPad is free for one or two players, four with a free Steinberg ID; an optional subscription unlocks larger ensembles and Engrave mode. Where Dorico is better: automatic professional engraving and layout, with deep customization in Dorico Pro; Dorico SE is free forever for up to eight players and includes a piano-roll Key Editor and VST 3 support; arranging tools: explode or reduce music across instruments, and voiced parts from chord symbols; an iPad app compatible with desktop projects; a discounted Dorico Pro crossgrade for Finale owners.

## Pages

- [notei: free music notation editor and AI theory assistant](https://notei.co/): notei is a free music notation editor in your browser with an AI music theory assistant. write sheet music, play it back, and ask about your score.
- [about notei, the music notation editor](https://notei.co/about): notei is a music notation editor that runs in your browser, launched on 6 october 2026. what it does, who it is for, what it costs and where to find it.
- [music notation software alternatives, and where notei fits](https://notei.co/alternatives): a neutral, alphabetical overview of music notation software: MuseScore, Sibelius, Dorico, Finale, Flat, Noteflight and notei.
- [notei assistant: AI music theory help that reads your score](https://notei.co/assistant): notei's assistant answers music theory questions about the score you have open and runs plain-language edits. harmonise and arrange are on paid tiers.
- [the best free music notation software in 2026 | notei](https://notei.co/best-free-music-notation-software): six free notation programs ranked by what the free plan gives you: MuseScore Studio, then notei (ours), Flat, Dorico SE, Noteflight and Sibelius First.
- [the best online music notation software in 2026 | notei](https://notei.co/best-online-music-notation-software): browser notation editors ranked by what you can do for free: Flat first, notei (ours) second and Noteflight third, with a source for every fact.
- [can AI write sheet music? | notei](https://notei.co/can-ai-write-sheet-music): can AI write sheet music? what AI notation tools do well, where they slip on rhythm and range, how to check the result, and who owns it.
- [chord identifier: name any chord | notei](https://notei.co/chord-identifier): a free chord identifier: type the notes of a chord and get its name, its inversion and what each note does, plus a table of chord formulas.
- [music notation on a Chromebook, nothing to install | notei](https://notei.co/chromebook-music-notation): write music notation on a Chromebook: notei runs in Chrome with nothing to install. MIDI keyboards, school-managed devices, and other apps on ChromeOS.
- [circle of fifths with key signatures | notei](https://notei.co/circle-of-fifths): an interactive circle of fifths with every major key, its relative minor and its key signature, plus how to use the circle for chords and key changes.
- [notei vs Dorico: a browser editor or Steinberg's scorewriter](https://notei.co/compare/dorico): notei and Dorico compared: the free Dorico SE edition, Elements and Pro, the iPad app, automatic layout, AI features, MusicXML moves and import limits.
- [notei vs Flat: two browser notation editors compared](https://notei.co/compare/flat): notei and Flat both run in the browser. compare free plans, playback, collaboration and AI help, notei's import limits and where Flat wins.
- [notei vs MuseScore: browser notation with an AI assistant](https://notei.co/compare/musescore): notei and MuseScore side by side: where each runs, free plans, playback, AI help, MusicXML import limits, and where MuseScore is the better choice.
- [notei vs Noteflight: online notation editors compared](https://notei.co/compare/noteflight): notei vs Noteflight: free plans, prices, playback, sharing and AI help, checked on each vendor's own pages, plus where Noteflight is the better pick.
- [notei vs Sibelius: browser notation or Avid's scorewriter](https://notei.co/compare/sibelius): notei and Sibelius side by side: free Sibelius First, Artist and Ultimate prices, mobile apps, playback, AI features, MusicXML moves and import limits.
- [does ChatGPT understand music theory? | notei](https://notei.co/does-chatgpt-understand-music-theory): where ChatGPT and other chatbots get music theory wrong, what a 2025 study of RCM Level 6 exam questions found, and how to check an answer.
- [notei features: write, play and export sheet music online](https://notei.co/features): notei's notation editor: type or click notes in, or play them over MIDI, then hear real instruments and export MusicXML or PDF files.
- [the best Finale alternatives in 2026 | notei](https://notei.co/finale-alternative): Finale is discontinued. our ranking of the best Finale alternatives in 2026, then how to move your scores as MusicXML, with a source for every fact.
- [writing music for band and choir | notei](https://notei.co/for/band-and-choir): writing for band and choir: score order, transposed parts, SATB voice ranges and clefs, and spacing rules that make parts easy to learn.
- [sheet music for songwriters: lead sheets | notei](https://notei.co/for/songwriters): sheet music for songwriters: what a lead sheet needs for each part of a song, chord charts and the Nashville number system, and how to write one.
- [how to harmonize a melody, step by step | notei](https://notei.co/harmonize-a-melody): how to harmonize a melody: find the key, plan the cadences, choose chords that contain the melody notes, with a worked Ode to Joy example.
- [how to make a lead sheet: melody, chords and lyrics | notei](https://notei.co/how-to-make-a-lead-sheet): how to make a lead sheet: what goes on one, how to read chord symbols like Cmaj7, Cm7 and C/E, and how to write the melody, chords and lyrics.
- [how to voice chords: piano, band and choir | notei](https://notei.co/how-to-voice-chords): how to voice chords: close and open voicings, shell and rootless voicings, drop 2, spacing and doubling, spelled out for a ii–V–I in C.
- [how to write a chord progression | notei](https://notei.co/how-to-write-a-chord-progression): how to write a chord progression: the chords of a key in Roman numerals, cadences, common progressions like I-V-vi-IV and ii-V-I, and voice leading.
- [how to write a walking bass line | notei](https://notei.co/how-to-write-a-walking-bass-line): write a walking bass line in four steps: roots on beat 1, chord tones and scale steps, then approach notes, with ii–V–I and turnaround examples.
- [how to write sheet music: a beginner's guide | notei](https://notei.co/how-to-write-sheet-music): how to write sheet music step by step: clefs, key and time signatures, note values, stems and beaming, with a table of note lengths.
- [MSCZ to PDF: print a MuseScore score | notei](https://notei.co/mscz-to-pdf): convert an MSCZ file to PDF with MuseScore Studio or in your browser with notei, with the steps for each and what to check before you print.
- [music notation glossary: terms explained | notei](https://notei.co/music-notation-glossary): a music notation glossary: staff, clefs, accidentals, time signatures, ties, tuplets, chord symbols, dynamics and file formats, each in plain words.
- [how to open an MSCZ file online | notei](https://notei.co/open-mscz-file-online): open a MuseScore .mscz file in your browser with no install: three ways to open it, what to check after import, and what to do if it won't open.
- [notei pricing: free editor, notei+ $9, full score $18](https://notei.co/pricing): notei pricing: the notation editor is free, notei+ is $9 a month and full score is $18 a month. students get 50% off every paid tier.
- [notei privacy policy](https://notei.co/privacy): notei’s privacy policy — what we collect, how the ai uses your open score, and your choices. questions: hello@notei.co
- [free printable staff paper PDF maker | notei](https://notei.co/staff-paper): make blank staff paper as a PDF: A4 or US Letter, treble, bass, grand staff or plain staves, in four staff sizes. free, made in your browser.
- [notei terms of service](https://notei.co/terms): notei's terms of service: what notei is, why your music stays yours, and the caveats on AI output. questions: hello@notei.co
- [transposing instruments: written vs concert | notei](https://notei.co/transpose): what concert pitch and written pitch mean, why trumpets, clarinets, saxophones and horns transpose, and how to write their parts. guides for five instruments.
- [alto sax transposition: Eb to concert | notei](https://notei.co/transpose/alto-sax): alto sax is in E♭ and sounds a major 6th lower than written. the concert E♭ scale as the alto reads it, the written keys for band music and the range.
- [Bb trumpet transposition chart and range | notei](https://notei.co/transpose/b-flat-trumpet): B♭ trumpet sounds a major 2nd lower than written. the interval, the concert B♭ scale as the trumpet reads it, common band keys and the usual range.
- [clarinet transposition for B♭, A and E♭ | notei](https://notei.co/transpose/clarinet): B♭ clarinet is written a major 2nd above concert pitch. a worked melody, the A and E♭ clarinet intervals, the range and the registers to write for.
- [French horn transposition: horn in F | notei](https://notei.co/transpose/french-horn): horn in F sounds a perfect 5th lower than written. a worked horn call, the range, old bass clef notation and parts for horns in other keys.
- [tenor sax transposition chart and range | notei](https://notei.co/transpose/tenor-sax): tenor sax is a B♭ instrument written a major 9th above concert pitch. a worked line with octave numbers, the range, and the mistakes to avoid.
- [music transposer for notes and chords | notei](https://notei.co/transposer): transpose note names and chord symbols between concert pitch and B♭, E♭ and F instruments, with spelling that follows the key. free, in your browser.
- [notei updates: what shipped and when](https://notei.co/updates): a dated log of what has shipped in notei, the music notation editor, newest first. every entry is live today, and the log is also an atom feed.
- [write sheet music online, free in your browser | notei](https://notei.co/write-sheet-music-online): write sheet music online in a browser notation editor: what to look for, which export format (MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, WAV) to use, and how notei does it.

## Optional

- [Full text of every page](https://notei.co/llms-full.txt): the pages above as markdown, in one file

## Official profiles

- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@trynotei)
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/trynotei/)
- [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@trynotei)

## Not to be confused with

notei is not open source. notei is not a note-taking app, and it is not affiliated with any of these:

- [Notei GmbH](https://notei.at), an Austrian sheet-music management service.
- [Notei (Google Play app ai.notei)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ai.notei), a grocery receipt-scanning app.
- [NoteAI](https://www.noteai.io), an AI tool that turns videos and documents into summaries and notes.
- [Noteit](https://www.noteit.io), an app for saving and tagging clips in a personal library.