MakeMusic ended Finale development and sales on August 26, 2024, after approximately 35 years. Technical support ended on August 25, 2025. The application has not necessarily vanished from existing computers: MakeMusic says registered users can still download installers and manage authorization through their accounts for the foreseeable future. That access is conditional, however, because future operating-system, hardware and third-party-software changes may make Finale unusable.
The special Finale-to-Dorico crossgrade through the Finale eStore also ended on July 23, 2026. Users should preserve their Finale archive now and test a replacement against real projects rather than assuming any program will convert every score perfectly.
What MakeMusic discontinued
MakeMusic’s August 2024 announcement covered Finale, Finale PrintMusic, Finale Notepad, Finale SongWriter and associated Finale products. The company stopped further development, updates, new sales and upgrades through its eStore. It said installed copies could continue working on computers where they were already installed, barring operating-system changes, and offered a one-year continuation of technical support for Finale versions including v27.
MakeMusic attributed the decision to the difficulty of maintaining Finale’s aging technology across changing Mac and Windows systems and the complexity of millions of lines of code. That is the company’s explanation, not an independently verified financial or engineering diagnosis. MakeMusic described Finale as a notation product with an approximately 35-year history dating to its release by predecessor Coda Music Technologies. Read the announcements at MakeMusic’s press release and the Finale transition letter.
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- 96-page wirebound book
- 12 staves per page
- Music Notation Guide.
The impact extends beyond the application itself. Professional engravers, composers, schools, publishers and arrangers may have decades of files tied to Finale templates, fonts, expressions, plug-ins, shortcuts, libraries and playback setups.
Can you still use Finale?
| Question | Current answer |
|---|---|
| Can I buy Finale from MakeMusic? | No. Sales and upgrades have ended. |
| Are software updates coming? | No. |
| Is technical support available? | No. Support ended August 25, 2025, and new support tickets stopped being accepted August 26, 2025. |
| Can registered users download installers? | MakeMusic says registered users can download registered Finale products from their MakeMusic accounts. |
| Can users authorize copies? | MakeMusic says in-app authorization remains active and can be managed through a MakeMusic account. |
| Will Finale work forever? | No. MakeMusic gives no guarantee against future operating-system, hardware or compatibility changes. |
Formal help is now limited to existing documentation, community forums, user groups and other written resources. A crashed computer may therefore be recoverable if the installer and account access still work, but an old installer found on an unofficial download site is not a dependable recovery plan. The current support position is documented by MakeMusic’s Help Center.
Rank #2
- Wide Staff Manuscript Paper
- Perfect for Students
- 32 8–1/2'' x 8–1/2''
- Six Staves per Page
- 32 Pages
Preserve your Finale archive before changing computers
- Download installers: Save every registered Finale version you own, including copies for the operating systems on which they work.
- Secure account and license records: Store your MakeMusic login, serial numbers, authorization information and purchase records in a password manager or other secure archive.
- Back up native files: Keep both
.musand.musxfiles, with clear project names and dates. - Export interchange files: Use MusicXML, including Finale v27’s highlighted MusicXML 4.0 export, for migration to another notation program.
- Export visual references: Make PDFs of approved scores and parts. PDFs preserve what the page looked like even when an import later changes spacing.
- Export playback references: Save MIDI or audio when playback, orchestration or timing matters.
- Collect dependencies: Back up custom fonts, libraries, templates, expressions, percussion maps, plug-ins, sound libraries and any external files used by the project.
- Keep a legacy environment: A working older computer or disk image can remain a practical way to open important files, provided it is backed up and tested.
Do not wait for an operating-system upgrade or hardware failure to discover that a font, plug-in, printer driver, audio driver or virtual instrument is no longer compatible.
How to migrate Finale files safely
MusicXML carries musical structure between notation programs, but it is not a promise of identical engraving or playback. Layout, text positions, custom articulations, percussion notation, ossias, contemporary notation, fonts, linked parts and playback instructions may need repair.
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Rank #3
Prepare each source file
- Open it in the last working Finale installation and resolve missing-font, missing-library or corruption warnings.
- Save a clean copy without overwriting the archive.
- Export an approved PDF, MusicXML and, where useful, MIDI or audio.
Inspect the imported score
Import the MusicXML into the candidate replacement and compare it page by page with the PDF. Check rhythms, tuplets, lyrics, repeats, articulations, dynamics, hairpins, text, transpositions, percussion, system and staff spacing, page turns and every part layout. Test playback only after the notation is correct.
Preserve the conversion record
Save the new native-format project beside the original Finale file and exports. Note manual corrections, and never overwrite the archival source.
Rank #4
- Format: Book
- Category: Textbook - General
- Contributors: By Tom Gerou and Linda Lusk
- Pub Date: 10/1996
- Series: Essential Dictionary Series
Pilot before batch conversion
For a large collection, convert representative files first: a lead sheet, piano score, orchestral score, choral score with lyrics, percussion score, unusual or contemporary notation, and a project with linked parts and custom templates. Prioritize active projects, commercially or legally important scores, reusable templates and works with no surviving PDF or printed copy. Blind batch conversion can create files that open but still require extensive correction.
Choosing a replacement
| Platform | Best fit | Important trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Dorico | Professional engraving, large ensembles and users seeking an actively developed successor path. | Finale users must learn different concepts; imports need checking; Dorico Pro is the full professional tier. Dorico SE is free and Elements is a lower-priced tier. |
| Sibelius | Institutions, publishers, educators and collaborators already using Avid workflows. | License choices and prices vary by region and should be checked in Avid’s current store. Workflow and import behavior differ from Finale. |
| MuseScore Studio | Students, teachers, hobbyists and anyone needing a free desktop application for conventional notation. | Advanced engraving, plug-in workflows and complex professional production may require more manual work. It is not a universal one-to-one Finale replacement. |
| Flat | Browser access, sharing and real-time collaboration. | Account and browser dependence may limit offline work, local archive control, storage or advanced engraving depending on the plan. Flat’s 2026 overview describes notation, collaboration and playback in its free plan; verify live limits before subscribing. |
Dorico
MakeMusic partnered with Steinberg and promoted Dorico as the transition path for Finale users. Dorico 6 was released in 2025 and continues to be developed; see Steinberg’s release announcement. The former $149 Dorico Pro crossgrade was a historical offer, not a current Finale eStore deal: MakeMusic’s site says that offer ended July 23, 2026. Any remaining eligibility in Steinberg’s store should be confirmed directly. Education and multiseat pricing also vary by currency, tax, seat count and eligibility; a 2026 school article reported starting signals of £33 per seat for Elements and £115 per seat for Pro, not universal current prices.
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- 32 Pages
- Wide Staff
- Large 6 Staves per Page
- Music Notation Guide
Sibelius
Sibelius is a credible choice where an employer, publisher, school or collaborator already requires it. Check current subscription or perpetual-license availability, regional pricing and the import of your own representative files at Avid’s product store.
MuseScore Studio
MuseScore Studio’s desktop software is positioned as free and can be a sensible starting point for conventional scores or a no-budget workflow. Test advanced layouts, parts, percussion and publisher requirements before making it the sole archive format. Download it from the official download page.
Flat and specialist tools
Flat is useful when collaboration and access from multiple devices matter more than a desktop-only workflow. LilyPond and similar text-based tools can provide precise, scriptable engraving for technically inclined users, but they are not graphical drop-in replacements for Finale.
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- Score complexity: Lead sheets and classroom exercises have different requirements from orchestral, choral, percussion or contemporary scores.
- Engraving control: Identify whether collisions, spacing, fonts, page turns and publisher-ready parts are essential.
- Parts: Test linked parts, extraction, transposition and cue management.
- Playback: Decide whether you need realistic playback, VST support or only printable notation.
- Collaboration: Browser editing may be a benefit or a liability depending on your collaborators and archive policy.
- Platform and offline use: Confirm Windows, macOS, iPad or browser support and whether an account or internet connection is required.
- Longevity: Prefer active development, clear documentation and independent exports rather than relying on one vendor.
- Institutional compatibility: A school, publisher or employer’s required format can outweigh personal preference.
- Learning curve and cost: Free software may require more manual cleanup, while a professional tier may save production time on complex work.
Users who only need to read old scores do not have to convert everything immediately. A tested Finale installation on an isolated, compatible computer can remain useful, while PDFs, native files and independent backups protect the archive. Anyone who needs future editing should migrate sooner rather than waiting for the old machine, authorization path, fonts or plug-ins to fail.
What the end of Finale means now
Finale is not an application that was deleted overnight. It is a discontinued and unsupported product whose remaining usefulness depends on existing installations, account access and a compatible environment. Secure the software and archive first; then choose Dorico, Sibelius, MuseScore Studio, Flat or another tool by importing representative projects and checking the results. The original Finale files and PDFs should remain part of the permanent record even after a successful migration.
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