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Sibelius export workflow

Sibelius to editable sheet music

Export a Sibelius score through its built-in MusicXML workflow, preview and play the interchange file locally, and move a checked copy into the NotationAI score editor.

Honest conversion route

A Sibelius .sib document is an application project, not a web interchange file. Use File → Export → MusicXML in Sibelius, choose compressed or uncompressed MusicXML, and open that exported copy below.

Accepted after export: .musicxml, .xml, or .mxl. Native .sib files are not accepted.

Open the MusicXML exported by Sibelius

Choose the exported .mxl, .musicxml, or .xml file. The local tool does not accept or upload your original .sib document.

Open MusicXML

Parsing and engraving run locally in your browser. This tool does not upload the score.

Local · zero Token

Drop a .musicxml, .xml, or .mxl file here

or choose one file from this device · instant preview up to 2 MB

Source-specific workflow

From Sibelius to a checked editable score

The preview is an import test, not proof of perfect fidelity. Complete these steps before treating the converted document as a new source of truth.

  1. 1

    Create a MusicXML handoff in Sibelius

    Open the finished score, choose File → Export → MusicXML, and select compressed MusicXML or uncompressed MusicXML. Save a separate export so the Sibelius document remains the authoritative backup.

  2. 2

    Inspect the interchange result

    Open the exported file below. The browser normalizes it to MusicXML, engraves the score, and enables playback before you commit to editing or cloud saving.

  3. 3

    Check house-style-dependent notation

    Compare instrument changes, transposing score state, hidden objects, Magnetic Layout positions, special lines, and page breaks. Continue in the editor only after the musical content is sound.

What fidelity really means for this route

First confirm musical meaning, then inspect application-specific engraving and playback. A clean preview can still need deliberate editorial correction.

Usually carried

  • Core notation, multiple voices, lyrics, chord symbols, dynamics, and common lines
  • Part and staff definitions, instrument names, clefs, keys, meters, and transpositions
  • Many positions and layout instructions that Sibelius writes to MusicXML

Verify carefully

  • House styles, Magnetic Layout choices, custom symbols, fonts, and text wildcards
  • Instrument changes, ossia or extra staves, complex tuplets, and cross-staff passages
  • Hidden objects, graphic placement, page turns, and part-specific layout

Not promised

  • Sibelius plugins, Ideas, version history, comments, and application preferences
  • Virtual-instrument assignments, mixer processing, and Sibelius playback dictionaries
  • A guaranteed replica of the source house style or exact line and page spacing

Questions before you convert

Can I upload a Sibelius .sib file here?

No. Export the score from Sibelius as MusicXML or MXL first. Rejecting .sib avoids an unreliable claim that a browser can reconstruct a proprietary project without Sibelius.

Does compressed MusicXML preserve more than uncompressed XML?

The musical notation is broadly equivalent. A compressed MXL package is smaller and can include graphics, while an uncompressed file is easier to inspect. Verify imported graphics separately.

Will Sibelius parts keep their exact formatting?

Not necessarily. MusicXML can carry layout information, but dynamic-part formatting and house-style behavior remain application-specific. Export and review the material that matters for each part.

Continue with real score workflows

Start with a local format check, explore an open public score, or move the verified document into the full editor.

Focused tool

Open the format tool

Use the same local import capability without the source-specific export guide.

Public scores

Try an open score first

Preview, play, and open a public-domain score in the editor.

Full editor

Start an editable score

Edit notation, play the score, save versions, share, and collaborate.

Related input routes

MusicXML to editable sheet music

Open partwise MusicXML locally, inspect and play the engraving, download a normalized copy, and continue in the NotationAI editor without an AI conversion charge.

Open route →

MXL to editable sheet music

Open a compressed MusicXML MXL package locally, follow its declared score document, preview and play the notation, and continue with an editable normalized score.

Open route →

Finale to editable sheet music

Export Finale projects to MusicXML, verify the score in a private local preview, and continue with an editable browser copy while retaining the original Finale files.

Open route →