How to migrate from Finale to Sibelius
We understand that it can be frustrating to learn a new tool and learn a new workflow. With familiar note entry and keypad, plus intuitive layout tools, Finale users will feel right at home in Sibelius. There are a couple ways to migrate files to Sibelius to get you up and running quickly with your music library.
Converting Finale files to Sibelius
Finale files can be imported into Sibelius using the MusicXML file format. This is an interchange format for music notation invented by Michael Good of MakeMusic. You can open MusicXML files in Sibelius on desktop and mobile. The following guide shows how to do this on desktop.
Special thanks to Andrew Bishop for providing these editions for demonstration. Check out the Andrew Bishop Orchestral Editions from Art of Sound Music.
To convert files, follow these steps:
1. Export your Finale files to MusicXML. MakeMusic has published a helpful step-by-step guide for this, as well as how to batch export your Finale files.
2. Import your file into Sibelius. There are two methods:
a. You can import the file wholesale with File > Open. Follow the prompts to adjust the import settings.
b. The best settings will vary depending on your source material. If you set up your staves/instruments in Sibelius ahead of time, or use a template, you can use File > Import to map the MusicXML data onto a new score staff by staff.
Sibelius Open File options dialog. These are the default settings and typical for most situations.
3. After you import your file, there may be various cleanup steps needed depending on the content. For example:
a. Correcting text styles for text frames. Sibelius will make its best guess as to which text styles map to which text frames, but depending on the source content it may not be perfect. These can be corrected by selecting the text object and changing the text style in the Text tab of the Ribbon. Font sizes and styles can also be adjusted there, or reset to the default by doing Appearance > Design and Position > Reset Design.
b. Cleaning up Layout. Sometimes the layout doesn’t translate well between Finale and Sibelius. If you don’t wish to preserve the layout of the original, you can select all the content (Home > Select > All) and unlock the layout with Layout > Format > Unlock Format.
c. Document Settings and Gap Before Bar. It is often helpful to make adjustments to the Document Settings, such as staff size or page margins to allow the music to fit better. Also be wary of the Gap Before Bar, which is a value set in the Inspector, often seen in left margins. It’s best practice to set it to zero except for the first system.
d. Turning on Multirests. If importing an individual part with multirests, they may show as many empty bars close together instead of the expected H-bar with a number. Go to Layout > Breaks > Show Multirest to turn them on for the entire score.
e. Use a House Style. Keep in mind that due to the lossy nature of MusicXML, a lot of music engraving nuances will be lost in the conversion. These will be reset to Sibelius’ default settings. If you set up a House Style with your favorite settings, you can import with Appearance > House Style > Import.
To see the import process in action, check out this video on our YouTube channel.
Getting Up to Speed with Sibelius
Finale and Sibelius have different philosophies when it comes to notation software. Finale has a very tool-based approach, where each tool does a specific function and is chosen from the toolbars or menus. Sibelius, by contrast, is much more fluid and freeform. You can click and select what you want and change it how you like. Want to change the pitch of a note? Just click and drag or use the arrow keys. Need to change the beam angle? Click the beam corner and move it to your liking. Need to make a symbol? Hit “z” (for zymbol!) Need to add a dynamic? Just add expression text and start typing!Finale-esque Note Entry
There are two built-in preferences which can help Finale users ease into note entry with Sibelius. In Preferences > Note Input the “Note input preset” dropdown gives two sets of preferences. The default in Sibelius is “Duration before pitch.” The second “Pitch before duration” is a collection of options mimicking Finale’s Speedy Entry.
Sibelius Note Input Preferences found under File > Preferences > Note Input- A “Finale-style” keypad layout, where the quarter note (crotchet) is 5.
Finale-style keypad in Sibelius
Note that this affects the first two keypad layouts, but the remaining four layouts are unchanged (containing beams, articulations, and uncommon accidentals, among others)
- Specify pitch, then duration order of entry.
- MIDI Keyboard for pitch selection.
You can also mix and match these preferences in a “Custom” preferences set to suit your personal needs.
Additional Resources
To help users get familiar with Sibelius, we have published some helpful resources for new users or those who need a refresher.Sibelius Quick Tips: This is a series of short videos on YouTube explaining the various functions of the program, based on the latest version of Sibelius Ultimate. All your most basic questions should be covered here: Sibelius Quick Tips
Essential Keyboard Shortcuts Sheets: Just released is a set of sheets outlining the essential keyboard shortcuts required for most actions in Sibelius. These give you the fundamental tools to getting your music notation work done fast. In Sibelius, it is always preferable to use the keyboard where possible, so learning these shortcuts can speed up your workflow considerably.
Click here to get Shortcut sheets for Windows
Official User Forums: Sibelius also has two official forums for users to interact and ask questions.
- Avid Sibelius Users group on facebook.com
- Legacy Forums on Sibelius.com