How do I insert a mp3 file into musescore as a backing track?

• Jul 31, 2022 - 20:41

How do I insert a mp3 file, wav file, etc. into musescore to use it as a backing track, say for a concerto, where I'm using musescore as a recording utility as opposed to the purpose of generating sheet music?


Comments

Better use the tool for the job. Audacity? Musescore can "record" midi in a very limited way but it is really intended to create sheet music. And it can't play an mp3 without a great deal of tricksy contorsions.

Don't use a wrench to drive in a nail. It can do it, but a hammer does it better.

In reply to by bakertaylor28

I'm not sure how Anvil relates either, but to be clear the suggestion you were given was to use Audacity. Or any audio editor / DAW. Export your audio from MuseScore, load that into your favorite audio editor, and also load the mp3 you want to load. No USB, line in/out, MIDI interface, keyboard, or microphone is involved. Just two audio files - the one you have now, and the one you export from MuseScore - and your favorite audio editor.

In reply to by Marc Sabatella

Yes, one can do that. But the result will not be satisfying. Maybe in rare exceptions ...

The reason: MP3 or WAV files are results of recorded musican performance or they are results of a computer generated production (e.g. Musescore export on different PCs). The clock generators of all involved hardware parts are not perfectly synchonous. Try it: generate MP3s from the same (long) Musescore part on different computers and compare them in a DAW by playing them in parallel from different tracks. Or record a live performance with two independent recorders (e.g. smartphones) and compare. It may work satisfying if their clock generators are accidental perfect, but this is not guaranteed and not standard.
So this will lead to a more or less small difference of the playing time which will not be acceptable. First remarkable is this on a double strike of the base drum or the snare.
OK, there will be a possibility with some good DAWs which offer the opportunity to stretch or compress one of the files but as far as I know Audacity cannot do that.
If human players are involved in this chain, the result will be much worse.

I mentioned only the time difference, but there will be also a pitch difference.

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