write sheet music online
you can write sheet music online in a notation editor that runs in the browser, typing or clicking notes onto a staff and hearing them played back as you go. the score is saved to your account.
- check note entry speed, playback, storage, exports and imports.
- MusicXML export matters most if you might switch programs later.
- set key, time signature and tempo before you enter notes.
can you write sheet music online for free?
yes. several browser-based notation editors have free plans, including notei, Flat and Noteflight, each with a cap on how many scores you keep. notei's free plan includes the full editor, sampled playback, the assistant, and MusicXML, MIDI and PDF export, with a watermark on the PDF and up to 10 cloud scores.
ranked lists: the best online music notation software and the best free music notation software.
what to check before you pick an online editor
- how fast notes go in. clicking every note with the mouse gets slow after a few bars. look for computer-keyboard entry and, if you play piano, MIDI keyboard input.
- playback you can judge by. sampled instruments tell you far more about a passage than a beep does, especially for chords and low brass.
- where your scores live. an online editor usually saves to an account. check how many scores the free tier keeps.
- what you can get out. if you might move to other software later, MusicXML export matters more than anything else on this list.
- what you can bring in. if you already have scores from another program, check which files it imports and what gets lost on the way.
- your device. a browser editor runs on a Mac, a Windows PC or a Chromebook, but test it on the screen size you will actually use.
which export format to use
the format you export decides what the person receiving it can do with it. this is the short version.
| format | what it keeps | use it when | what it can't do |
|---|---|---|---|
| MusicXML | notes, rhythms, parts, key and time signatures | moving a score to MuseScore, Sibelius or Dorico | layout and some details may change in the other program |
| MIDI | pitches, timing and instrument tracks | bringing the music into a DAW to produce it | no notation: spelling, beaming and layout are gone |
| exactly what the page looks like | printing parts or sending something to read | can't be edited as music | |
| WAV | the sound of the playback | sharing a mock-up people can listen to | no notes at all, only audio |
writing a score online, step by step
- start a new score and choose the instruments. for a band or small group, add every part now so they share one file.
- set the key signature, time signature and tempo before entering notes. changing them later is possible, but it is easier to get right first.
- enter the melody first, one bar at a time, then add harmony parts, chord symbols and lyrics.
- play it back after every few bars. your ear catches wrong notes faster than your eye does.
- export in the format the next person needs, using the table above.
how this works in notei
notei is a notation editor that runs in the browser, with nothing to install. you save your scores to your free notei account. the free tier keeps up to 10 scores in the cloud, and the paid tiers have no limit.
- enter notes from the computer keyboard, with the mouse, or by playing a MIDI keyboard.
- write for several instruments in one score, including transposing instruments such as B♭ trumpet and E♭ alto sax.
- add chord symbols above the staff and lyrics under it.
- play the score back with sampled real instruments.
- export MusicXML, MIDI and PDF on every tier. PDF carries a watermark on the free tier, and WAV export is on the paid tiers.
- open MusicXML, MIDI and MuseScore files as editable scores.
the limits, stated plainly: MusicXML export writes no ties and no tempo, and the MusicXML importer reads no tuplets, ties or unpitched drums. every import opens at 120 BPM, and a minor key arrives under its relative major's name, so check those after you import. the same limits are listed on the notei vs MuseScore page.
if a part has to be handed to a B♭ or E♭ player, the free transposer shows what key they read it in.
common questions about writing music online
what is the best free website to write sheet music?
it depends on how you write. Flat suits writing together with others, Noteflight pairs its editor with a sheet music catalogue, and notei adds an assistant that reads your score. our notation software comparison lists each one's free plan side by side.
do I need an account to write sheet music online?
usually yes, because an online editor saves your scores to an account. notei needs a free account; no card is needed to start.
can I move a score from an online editor to MuseScore or Sibelius?
yes, through MusicXML, which almost every notation program opens. export MusicXML from the online editor, then open it in the other program and check ties, tuplets and the tempo marking.
can I write sheet music online on a phone?
a browser editor opens on a tablet or phone, but a small screen makes note entry slow. a laptop, a Chromebook or a tablet with a keyboard is far easier for anything longer than a few bars.
sources
- MusicXML 4.0 specification, W3C Music Notation Community Group
- MDN: Web MIDI API (MIDI keyboards in the browser)
- Wikipedia: scorewriter
related guides: music notation on a Chromebook, how to make a lead sheet, MSCZ to PDF and how to open an MSCZ file online.
this guide is part of the how to write sheet music series. notei publishes it, and notei is our product.
written and checked by the notei team. how these guides are written and corrected.