A Christmas update from MuseScore
Our last news update is already from a couple of months ago with the maintenance release of MuseScore 1.1. It has been a successful release with more than half a million downloads and counting. Something we are very proud of. Since then some of our attention has shifted to the next major release, MuseScore 2.0, to make it the best release ever. To join this effort, check out the MuseScore nightly builds and report bugs in the issue tracker. Another part of our attention went to something else, something mobile.
A while back, Werner kicked off the development of MuseScore for mobile devices with a post on the developer mailing list:
"The initial goal would be to display and playback MuseScore scores on mobile devices, so we are not talking about creating sheet music. With iOS devices dominating the mobile market, we will first be looking at iOS and afterwards moving up to Android, Windows Phone 7 and other platforms."
All I want for Christmas
Today, we are proud to show you the first glimpse of a MuseScore Player for iOS. For the occasion, Werner created Christmas app for iPad holding 50 scores he typeset. The app comes with several features: display of the scores, playback, tempo change, font resize with reflow and transpose. There is still some work to do on transpose, but this app proves to be pretty stable and we are very happy with the result. The app is now available in the app store.
We called the app the Ultimate Christmas Songbook, because we would like to see it become the largest collection of public domain Christmas sheet music. So we welcome everyone to contribute songs to the group on MuseScore.com. If you are new to MuseScore.com, here are the instructions to join this cause. Every contributor will get a coupon to download the app for free. One note: only public domain scores will be accepted, so mark your uploaded songs as public domain.
Demo time
Developers
This app is made with open source software which you can find in the MuseScore code repository under the directory libmscore. So developers, if you want to make your own app with this library, feel free to contact us on the developer mailing list, on IRC, or just leave a message via the contact form.
What's next?
This app is made for iPad but Werner and Lasconic are working hard to make it available for iPhone, iPod Touch and Android as well. Here is a screenshot from the MuseScore Player for Android in development.
As soon as the MuseScore Player successfully runs on iOS and Android, we can start the development of a player app, which is connected to your MuseScore.com account. Thus, your sheet music experience will become completely digital: create your scores with MuseScore, upload & share them on MuseScore.com and finally have them with you all the time on your mobile device.
All of this is previewed for the spring of 2012. Also scheduled for next year is the release of MuseScore 2.0 so there is a lot to look forward to. It will be a splendid year. Happy holidays!
Comments
What about version 1.2?
It has some bugfixws in it I'm very much looking forward to!
In reply to What about version 1.2? It by ChurchOrganist
There will be indeed another maintenance release of MuseScore, version 1.2. This release will also include some changes on the file format to facilitate the upgrade to MuseScore 2.0 which will ensure that the typesetting of scores made with 1.x will render the same in MuseScore 2.0. Apart from that, there are indeed some bug fixes in the pipe line.
Wow, that's really great! Good luck in 2012!
So I don't have an iPad or other kind of tablet or mobile device... is there a way to access this collection of public domain sheet music without owning one of these devices?
Hmmm, it looks like it is accessible here:
http://musescore.com/groups/ultimate-christmas-songbook/sheetmusic
Ok, sorry, that wasn't very clear from the post. Thanks for all the hard work, it looks like a very bright year ahead for MuseScore!
When Version 1.1 of MuseScore was released, it was my intention of conveying my appreciation at the time. I suppose I became so engrossed working with the new version that is slipped my mind.
MuseScore Version 1.1 has been a HUGE improvement and a big productivity gain in my work. The improvements for working with lead sheets and jazz charts have saved me tons of time. Previously, I had created my own custom XML files for chord symbols, but this was a tedious and error prone process. As well, creating reliable lead sheet templates was a big chore. Combined with the updated transposing functionality, the new lead sheet templates and chord styles create a top notch tool for producing high quality lead sheets and jazz charts. I love the 'Real Book' and 'Symbol' chord symbols.
Over the past six months, I have repeatedly had fellow musicians ask me for copies of my charts and express appreciation for having clear, readable, correctly transposed lead sheets. You help me to look good !!
Thanks so much MuseScore. Thank you Werner, Lasconic and Co.
Very much looking forward to an Android MuseScore reader. What a huge, huge addition that would be.
Time for another donation ...
Thanks,
Ken Parrish
AKA: Euler Operator
Lowell, MA
Hallelujah!
I love you guys!
I've been hoping for a good iPad midi player for a long time.
I typeset all my MIDI files on MuseScore, but I use a midi app
on the iPad to playback the music.
When you release MuseScore, please add a metronome feature.
That's the one thing MuseScore is sorely missing.
Since the iPad app is a music player app, a metronome is a no-brainer.
Thank you.
I'm so grateful for Musescore. I really love the program. I've used it a great deal with my voice and piano students. I never would have thought a program this powerful would be released for free. Thank you for your generosity and commitment to excellence.
--Maureen M.
No Chords in the Cristmas Book? :)
In reply to No Chords in the Cristmas by G-Sun
Some of the songs have chords, others don't.
I note from the nightly builds that support for lute tablature is projected. Can you estimate when there might be a stable release with this functionality?
In reply to Tablature by Dougie
No there is no estimate of when MuseScore 2.0 will released. As often in open source, it will be released when ready and of course, you can help to make it ready by testing, reporting bugs, creating patches etc...
In reply to No there is no estimate of by [DELETED] 5
Q: I note from the nightly builds that support for lute tablature is projected. Can you estimate when there might be a stable release with this functionality?
A: No there is no estimate of when MuseScore 2.0 will released. As often in open source, it will be released when ready and of course, you can help to make it ready by testing, reporting bugs, creating patches etc...
This was Submitted by lasconic on December 28, 2011 - 2:53pm. Is there by any chance further estimation for this functionality by now (20th of july 2012).
In reply to Further estimation of the release with tablature-support by Generaattori
Current thought from the dev team is: "Later this year"
Which probably means early next year, but then we all may get a nice Chirstmas Present :)