Optical music recognition
Convert PDF sheet music to MusicXML
Upload a PDF or image, review the recognition over the original page, and export an editable score.
Upload your sheet music
Drag a file here or choose one from your computer
PDF, PNG, or JPG · up to 10 MB depending on your plan
How it works
How to convert a PDF to MusicXML
Turn printed sheet music into a score you can edit in three steps, directly in your browser.
- 01
Upload your score
Choose a PDF, PNG, or JPG of printed sheet music and the language of its text, such as titles, directions, and lyrics.
- 02
Review the recognition
Optical music recognition (OMR) reads staves, notes, rests, clefs, and other symbols. You check the result over the original page and correct what needs fixing.
- 03
Export MusicXML
Download a compressed MusicXML (.mxl) file and open it in your notation software to edit, transpose, play back, or print.
Review before export
See every recognized symbol on the original page
No sheet music OCR is perfect. Dense passages, low-quality scans, and unusual layouts can cause mistakes, and they are much easier to fix before the file reaches your notation software.
Features- Recognized notes, rests, clefs, and signs are drawn over the page you uploaded, so errors stand out.
- Remove wrong symbols and add missing ones from a palette of musical symbols.
- Undo and redo corrections and move between the pages of a multi-page PDF.
- Export only when the score looks right.
Works with your notation software
Open the result in MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius, or Dorico
MusicXML is the standard format for exchanging editable music notation. Instead of retyping a PDF note by note, import the exported file into MuseScore, Finale, Sibelius, Dorico, or another application that supports MusicXML, and keep working from there. Import details can vary between applications and versions.
Files and plans
What you can convert
The Free plan includes 3 pages per week for single-page scores up to 1 MB. Pro includes 100 pages per billing period, PDFs with up to 10 pages, and files up to 10 MB.
Compare plans- PDF, PNG, and JPG files of printed or digitally engraved sheet music.
- Scanned pages and photos work best when they are sharp, well lit, and straight.
- Text recognition in English, Portuguese, Spanish, French, German, and Italian.
- Handwritten scores are not recognized reliably.
Questions
PDF to MusicXML: common questions
Can I convert a PDF to MuseScore?
Yes. Convert the PDF to MusicXML with ScoreInspect, then open the exported .mxl file in MuseScore with File → Open. The same file works in other notation applications that import MusicXML.
Does it work with scanned or photographed sheet music?
Yes, as long as the image is sharp and the staff lines are straight. Clean digital PDFs give the most consistent results, and you can correct recognition mistakes before exporting.
Is ScoreInspect free?
There is a Free plan with 3 pages per week and no payment method required. The Pro plan adds more pages, larger files, and multi-page PDFs.
Are my files private?
Your uploads are processed securely, are never published, and are deleted automatically about one hour after processing.
Does ScoreInspect use generative AI?
No. ScoreInspect uses optical music recognition to read the notation on the page. It does not ask an AI model to invent or recreate the music.
Ready to convert your sheet music?
Upload a PDF or image and get an editable MusicXML file in minutes.