A delightfully nerdy take on new Notation Express updates for Dorico and a major overhaul to the PDF Batch Utilities. Plus, the notation software tools hiding in plain sight, and where they could go next.
Scoring Notes
NAMM 2026: An interview with Sam Butler and Joe Plazak
From NAMM 2026: Avid’s Sam Butler and Joe Plazak on Sibelius’s development philosophy, how user feedback shapes priorities, where users should feel progress since last year, plus automation/AI, cross-platform realities, and Avid’s long-term commitment.
NAMM 2026: An interview with Chris Swaffer
From NAMM 2026: Fender’s Chris Swaffer on Notion, what the Fender name signals, refinement and cross-platform consistency, under-the-radar improvements, accessibility, Studio Pro interoperability, and intelligent assistance in service of musicians.
NAMM 2026: An interview with Sebastian Murgul
From NAMM 2026: Sebastian Murgul of klang.io on why AI transcription is finally practical, where the hardest musical problems remain, how accuracy earns musicians’ trust, plus MusicXML/MIDI interoperability and real-world use cases.
NAMM 2026: An interview with John Barron
From NAMM 2026: Steinberg’s John Barron on Dorico’s current development phase, guiding design principles, where users should feel progress since last year, under-the-radar features, playback realism, workflow interoperability, and automation in service of notation.
Perfect Pitch: Unlocking Jacob Collier’s musical brilliance
People with perfect or “absolute” pitch hear every single sound as precise musical notes. Is this extraordinary talent a blessing or a curse? In this episode, our friends at Twenty Thousand Hertz dive into the neuroscience, pluses and pitfalls of absolute pitch.
A Scoring Notes holiday shopping trip
We do some Black Friday shopping for deals in music notation software products as well as related (and not-so-related) technology.
Cleo Huggins, the designer of the first music font [encore]
There was a time when there were no music fonts — and then there was one. Cleo Huggins, the designer of Sonata, the very first music font, tells us all about setting the standard for a new era in music notation.
The lowdown on updates
Recent updates abound in Dorico, MuseScore Studio, Sibelius, and across the Apple operating systems. Whether you use all of these products or just one of them, we help you get current with the latest features and improvements.
With freelancing comes responsibility
Paul Beck, principal librarian of the Milwaukee Symphony, discusses his experience both as a freelance music preparer and salaried performance librarian, and offers practical advice for anyone seeking freedom — and responsibility — as a freelancer.