Plugins

Plugins are small piece of code that add a particular feature to MuseScore. By adding a plugin, a new menu will be appended to the Plugins menu in MuseScore to accomplish a given action on the score or a part of it. Plugins are a way to let users with minimal programming skills add features to the software. To develop plugins, checkout the documentation .

Some plugins are already delivered with MuseScore. You can find more plugins in the plugin repository .

Installation

Note that some plugins may require the installation of other components (e.g. fonts...) to work. Check the plugin's documentation for more information.

Most plugins are provided as zip files, so download the plugin .zip file and uncompress it to one of the directories mentioned below.
Some are provided as a .js file, download and place into one of these directories.
Some are provided as a .txt file, download, place in one of these directories and rename it, so it ends with .js

Windows

MuseScore looks for plugins in %ProgramFiles%\MuseScore\Plugins (resp. %ProgramFiles(x86)%\MuseScore\Plugins for the 64-bit versions) and in %LOCALAPPDATA%\MusE\MuseScore\plugins on Vista and Seven or C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Local Settings\Application Data\MusE\MuseScore\plugins (adjusted to your language version) on XP.

Mac OS X

On Mac OS X, MuseScore looks for plugins in the MuseScore bundle in /Applications/MuseScore.app/Contents/Resources/plugins and in ~/Library/Application Support/MusE/MuseScore/plugins. To be able to move files in the app bundle, right click (Control-click) on MuseScore.app and choose "Show package contents" to reveal the Contents directory. Be careful to use Contents/Resources/plugins and not Contents/plugins.

Linux

In Linux, MuseScore looks for plugins in /usr/share/mscore-1.2/plugins and in ~/.local/share/data/MusE/MuseScore/plugins.

In any of the above cases, restart MuseScore to allow the new plugin(s) to load.
In MuseScore 2.0+ the plugin then needs to get enabled in Menu -> Edit -> Preferences -> Plugins, followed by another restart.

Prior to MuseScore 2.0 a score needs to be open for the Plugins menu to become available.

Plugins installed by default

ABC import

This plugin uses a web service (http://abc2xml.appspot.com/) to open an ABC file in MuseScore. It supports ABC 1.6. The ABC file is sent to the web service, and a MusicXML file is returned. The plugin then displays it as a new score.
An improved version is available from the plugin repository .

Break Every X Measures

This plugin enters line breaks in the interval selected by you on the selected measures or, if no measures are selected, the entire score.

Break 4

This is an older version of the Break Every X Measures plugin and was part of MuseScore 0.9.5. It may still be available in your installation.
It inserts line breaks every 4 measures on the entire score.

Chord Chart

This plugin creates a new score with all the chord names supported by MuseScore in Jazz style
Since version 1.2 it is called "Create Chord Chart", found under "Plugins -> Lead Sheet" and lets you select the chord style file to use.
An improved version is available from the plugin repository .

Color Notes

This plugin colors the note head of all notes in all staves and voices, according to the BoomWhackers convention. Each pitch has a different color. C and C# have a different color. C# and Db have the same color.
To color all the notes in black, right click on a note head -> Select -> All similar elements. Right-click again on the note head -> Color -> Pick black. You could also use the "Remove Notes Color" plugin or the improved version from the Plug-In Repository for this.

Create Score

This plugin creates a new piano score with 4 quarters C D E F. It's a good start to learn how to make a new score and add notes from a plugin.

Font Test

This plugin is identical to the Note Names plugin, but uses a different font. It is not part of MuseScore anymore, but was part of 1.0 and as such might still be available in your installation.

Note Names

This plugin displays the English name of the top note of a chord in voice 1 in the top staff above the note head (as a Staff Text )
An improved and extended version is available from the plugin repository

Remove Notes

This plugin removes the given (bottom, middle, or top) note of all 3-note chords in voice 1 of the top staff.

Save Online ...

This Plugin is not in the Plugins menu, but in the File Menu (File → Save Online...). It is a plugin nonetheless and is used to send your Score to MuseScore.com, see Share scores online for documentation.

Temperament Tuning

This plugin was part of MuseScore 0.9.6 and is the newer version of the Tuning plugin (see below). It later got moved to the plugin repository , so check its documentation there.

Test

This plugin is just a test and display a dialog box "Hello MuseScore". It's a good base to start learning plugin development. It is not part of MuseScore anymore, but was part of 1.0 and earlier and as such may still be available in your installation.
As a remnant from having installed version 0.9.6.3 and earlier, you may also find one of the same name in the Create menu (Create → Test).

Tuning

This plugin was part of MuseScore 0.9.5 and is the older version of the Temperament Tuning plugin (see above). It may still be available in your installation.
It applies a user defined tuning to all notes of all chords of voices 1-3 (but not voice 4!) of all staves.