# Best score scanning app for Dorico?



## Virtuoso (Jan 2, 2022)

Can anyone recommend a really good score scanning app for Dorico? By which I mean one that will translate a full orchestral score with minimal clean up required. I tried ScanScore, but the results (from a very clear pdf) were utter garbage. I wish this was a built-in feature of Dorico!

Any other suggestions?


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## PhilA (Jan 3, 2022)

Dorico and Steinberb appear to be pushing NewZik at the moment. It’s a Score cataloging tool like ForScore but have scanning and conversion built in. I’ve only tried it with piano scores but it was extremely accurate. You can free trial it as a test. Downside is unlike ForScore it’s subscription based ☹️


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## ed buller (Jan 3, 2022)

A review of optical music recognition software - Scoring Notes


A review of four leading optical music recognition, or "music scanning" apps, and how they work with music notation software.




www.scoringnotes.com





best

ed


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## ptram (Jan 3, 2022)

How are you, with scanning software in general? I've recently installed Sheet Music Scanner on my iPhone. The first page of the resulting MIDI file is usually good. Going on, the mess is so high that I usually start entering the notes by hand.

Is it an issue with that software, of is it typical for all these software to be only effective with very simple scores, and much less with full orchestral scores?

Paolo


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## MCS (Jan 15, 2022)

I have tried the "big names" SmartScore 64 and PhotoScore on orchestral scores many times. If you have a super clean PDF version (a print out provided by the publisher for example) both of them do an average to good job. I had no luck for "normally" scanned scores though. If you are lucky both software can do most of the work for you but be prepared to spend a noteworthy amount of time cleaning up the conversion result. In my experience the outcome of the conversion is not really predictable for different scores (in terms of quality and accuracy).
I also have compared their results to Newzik and its feature to turn PDFs into live scores (you can download an XML or midi file after conversion) The conversion time is 10 to 20 times longer and the result was the worst of all 3.


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## playscore2 (Aug 19, 2022)

Thank you Ed for reposting Scoring Notes's review! PlayScore 2 is very accurate and our premium subscription allows you to export MusicXML files to Dorico smoothly and easily. It requires very little clean up once you've exported your MusicXML. 

Daniel Spreadbury from Dorico has actually recommended PlayScore to users! https://blog.dorico.com/2021/09/an-interview-with-playscore-creator-anthony-wilkes


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