Product Overview of Sibelius
Sibelius, developed and maintained by Avid, is a comprehensive and industry-standard music notation software designed to assist musicians, composers, and music educators in creating, editing, and publishing high-quality musical scores.
Core Functionality
At its core, Sibelius enables users to create, edit, and print musical scores with unparalleled precision and flexibility. It supports a wide range of musical notations, making it suitable for various genres including orchestral, choral, jazz, pop, folk, rock, and chamber music. The software allows for the input of notes using MIDI keyboards, computer keyboards, or mouse input, and also integrates seamlessly with other devices such as the Apple Pencil for iPad users.
Music Notation
Sibelius offers a rich set of music notation tools, including support for a wide array of musical symbols, chord symbols, lyrics, dynamics, articulations, and more. Users can add detailed elements such as guitar tablature, guitar chord diagrams, expression text, and graphics to their scores, giving them the ability to create highly detailed and dynamic compositions.
Score Playback
The software features a powerful playback engine that allows users to listen to their compositions with realistic instrument sounds. It includes a high-quality sample library of over 35GB, providing a variety of musical instrumentation. Users can also integrate third-party sound libraries, such as NotePerformer, to enhance the playback experience. The playback can be synchronized with video or integrated with DAW software via the ReWire standard.
Layout and Formatting
Sibelius provides advanced layout and formatting options to produce professional-looking sheet music. Users can adjust page sizes, margins, system spacing, and engraving rules to achieve the desired visual results. The software also features intelligent spacing and alignment of notes and elements, ensuring that the scores are always well-organized and visually appealing.
Collaboration and Sharing
Sibelius facilitates collaboration through its cloud sharing capabilities, allowing users to share their scores online or on social media. This feature is particularly useful for proofing scores, rehearsing, and collaborating with other musicians. The software also supports MusicXML format, enabling easy import and export of scores from other music notation software.
Orchestration and Arrangement
The software includes an “Arrange” feature that simplifies the process of orchestrating additional instrument parts from existing ones. Users can select an orchestration style, and Sibelius will automatically create new parts based on the sources. It also allows users to “explode” chords across different parts and consolidate multiple parts into one with ease.
Additional Features
- Plug-ins and Customization: Sibelius comes with over 140 included plug-ins and allows users to download and install many more, enhancing its functionality for complex engraving, notation, layout, and other tasks.
- Version Tracking and Comparison: The software includes version tracking and comparison features, which are useful for managing different versions of a score.
- Timeline Window and Live Tempo: New features include a Timeline window for quick navigation and Live Tempo for “conducting” tempo playback, adding more control over the playback experience.
- Education Tools: Sibelius offers features for creating worksheets and exercises, making it a valuable tool for music education.
Pricing and Versions
Sibelius is available in several tiers to meet different needs:
- Sibelius First: A free version that allows composing simple scores with up to four staves.
- Sibelius: Suitable for small to mid-size ensembles with up to 16 staves, available at $9.99 per month.
- Sibelius Ultimate: The full-featured version for composing, arranging, and publishing scores of any size and complexity, available at $19.99 per month. There are also discounted packages for students, teachers, and institutions.
In summary, Sibelius is a powerful and versatile music notation software that offers a wide range of features and functionalities, making it an indispensable tool for musicians, composers, and music educators. Its ability to create, edit, and publish high-quality scores, combined with its advanced playback and collaboration features, sets it apart as a leading solution in the music notation software market.