how to open an MSCZ file online
an MSCZ file is a score saved by MuseScore, the free notation program. to open one without installing MuseScore, import it into a music notation editor that runs in the browser, such as notei, where it opens as sheet music you can play back and edit. to open it on a desktop computer instead, install MuseScore Studio, which is free.
- .mscz is MuseScore's own score format, next to the uncompressed .mscx.
- notei opens MuseScore files in the browser, on a free account, with nothing to install.
- if a file will not open, ask for a MusicXML export instead. almost every notation program reads it.
what is an MSCZ file?
an MSCZ file is the compressed native score format of MuseScore Studio. MuseScore's handbook lists its "native format files (*.mscz and *.mscx)" next to the formats it imports and exports, such as MusicXML and MIDI. one MSCZ file holds the notes, instruments, layout and text of a whole score.
so it carries far more than a MIDI file, and much more than a PDF, which is only a picture of the page.
that is why people send MSCZ files: the person who receives one can carry on editing the music. the catch is that most other programs were built around MusicXML, the shared exchange format, and not around MuseScore's own files.
three ways to open an MSCZ file
| way to open it | what you need | can you edit the notes? | what you can export |
|---|---|---|---|
| import it into notei in the browser | a web browser and a free notei account | yes, as an editable score with playback | MusicXML and MIDI on every plan, PDF with a watermark on the free plan |
| install MuseScore Studio | a Windows, Mac or Linux computer you can install software on | yes, in the program that made the file | MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, PNG, SVG, MEI and audio |
| ask the sender for MusicXML | whoever made the score, with MuseScore open | yes, in almost any notation program | depends on the program you open it in |
| ask the sender for a PDF | any PDF reader | no, it is a picture of the page | nothing, but it prints exactly as it looks |
open an MSCZ file in notei, step by step
- go to app.notei.co in any modern browser. this works the same way on a Chromebook.
- sign in, or make a free notei account. your scores are saved to it, and the free plan keeps up to 10 of them.
- open the .mscz file from the editor. it arrives as a normal notei score that you can edit.
- press play and listen through once. playback uses sampled real instruments, which makes wrong notes and odd rhythms easy to hear.
- compare it bar by bar with the original, or with a PDF of it, before you delete anything.
what to check after you open it
an import is a translation from one program's model of music into another's, so check the details that tend to move. look at ties, tuplets and drum parts first, then the tempo marking and the key name. if you take the MusicXML route instead, notei's MusicXML importer reads no tuplets, ties or unpitched drums today, every import opens at 120 BPM, and a minor key arrives under its relative major's name. fix those by hand, then save.
chord symbols, lyrics and dynamics are worth a quick look too. if a passage looks crowded after import, the notes are usually right and only the spacing has changed.
if the file won't open
- ask for MusicXML. in MuseScore Studio the sender chooses File, then Export, then MusicXML. it is the most widely read notation format there is.
- check the extension. a MuseScore score ends in .mscz or .mscx. a file ending in .mid or .midi is MIDI, which notei also opens, and .musicxml, .xml or .mxl is MusicXML.
- check it is a file, not a link. a score shared on MuseScore.com is a web page. you need the file itself, so ask the person who wrote it to send the .mscz or a MusicXML export.
common questions about MSCZ files
can I open an MSCZ file without MuseScore?
yes. a browser-based notation editor that imports MuseScore files, such as notei, opens an MSCZ file as an editable score with no install. the other option is to ask whoever made it for a MusicXML or PDF export, which any notation program or PDF reader can open.
is an MSCZ file the same as MusicXML?
no. MSCZ is MuseScore's own format, and MusicXML is an open exchange format that Sibelius, Dorico, Finale, MuseScore and notei all read. MuseScore can save a score as either one, so MusicXML is the safer choice when you send a score to someone who uses a different program.
can I turn an MSCZ file into a PDF?
yes. export it as PDF from MuseScore Studio, or open it in notei and export PDF there. the free notei plan adds a watermark to PDFs, and notei+ and full score export clean PDFs. the MSCZ to PDF guide walks through both routes.
can I open an MSCZ file on a Chromebook or an iPad?
MuseScore Studio has no ChromeOS or iPad build, so a browser editor is the practical route. notei runs in the browser on a Chromebook, a tablet, a Mac or a Windows PC, and opens the file there. see music notation on a Chromebook for the details.
does it cost anything to open one in notei?
no. opening files, editing, playback, and MusicXML and MIDI export are on the free plan. the paid plans add watermark-free PDF, WAV audio export, more assistant credits and tools such as harmonise and arrange.
sources
- MuseScore Studio handbook: opening and saving scores (native .mscz and .mscx files, and the formats MuseScore imports)
- MuseScore Studio handbook: file export (File, then Export, and the export formats)
- MuseScore Studio download page (Windows, macOS and Linux builds)
- MusicXML 4.0 specification, W3C Music Notation Community Group
this page is part of the how to write sheet music guide series. notei publishes it, and notei is our product. related: notei vs MuseScore, MSCZ to PDF, writing sheet music online and what the notei editor does.
written and checked by the notei team. how these guides are written and corrected.