For piano teachers

Image to MusicXML: from a photo of piano music to a file your notation software opens

The music you need is in a photo on your phone, a screenshot from a website or a picture a student sent you. Your notation software can't edit a picture. It needs MusicXML, the standard format that MuseScore, Sibelius, Dorico and most other notation programs open.

PlayableNotes reads a photo or screenshot of piano music into a real, editable score. You listen to it, fix anything that's wrong and download MusicXML. The whole thing usually takes a few minutes.

Convert your first image →

50 free reading credits for new accounts. No card needed, no subscription.

Why convert an image instead of retyping it

Entering a page of piano music by hand means every note, rest, accidental and tie, in both hands. Recognition does that first pass for you. See how sheet music OCR works. What's left is the part that needs a musician anyway: checking the result against the page.

MusicXML is the right target when you want to keep working on the notation: re-engrave it, add fingering, combine it with other material, or print a clean edition. If you only want to hear the music or play it into a DAW, MIDI is the simpler format, and PlayableNotes exports that too, for free. See sheet music to MIDI.

How to convert an image of sheet music to MusicXML

1. Take a good picture

The photo matters more than anything else you control. Before you upload:

• Flat. Press the book open or lay the sheet on a table. Curved lines near the spine are hard to read.
• Sharp. Hold still, or rest your elbows on the table. Tap to focus on the notes.
• Evenly lit. Avoid shadows from your phone or your hand, and glare from overhead lights on glossy paper.
• The whole page. Get all four edges in the frame. One page per photo.

A screenshot of a clean digital score is usually easier to read than a photo of a worn printed copy.

2. Upload and check the pages

Upload your photos or screenshots. You see the pages, in order, before anything is read, along with the number of credits the reading will use. Reading usually takes a minute or two.

3. Listen, then fix what's wrong

Press play and the notes light up as they sound on a sampled piano. Follow along with the original. Music recognition can make mistakes, so compare carefully:

• Accidentals, ties and notes on ledger lines
• Bars that sound a beat too long or short
• Repeats, first and second endings
• Clef and key changes partway through

Click any wrong note to fix it, ask the AI to fix a passage, or retake that photo. A reading that fails costs nothing.

4. Download MusicXML

Download the MusicXML and open it in your notation program. Downloads are free, so you can export again after more corrections.

What to check after you open it in your notation software

MusicXML carries the notes well, but no program preserves every detail of another program's layout. Plan a short check after import.

Our PDF to MuseScore worked example shows what that looks like in practice. A Clementi sonatina movement was read in PlayableNotes, exported as MusicXML and opened in MuseScore:

• All 333 written notes, their rhythms and both repeated sections came through.
• One problem was fixed before export: a time-signature change at bar 5 that wasn't in the original.
• The tempo word "Spiritoso" was missing from the MusicXML and was added back in MuseScore.
• The composer credit and some expression details weren't all preserved automatically and still needed editorial attention.

Expect similar small jobs with your own pages. Keep the original image open next to the score while you check.

That example started from a PDF. If your music is a PDF rather than a picture, see converting a piano PDF to an editable score. The steps are the same.

Already have MusicXML? It works the other way too

Importing a MusicXML file into PlayableNotes is free and uses no reading credits. That's useful when you've already corrected a score elsewhere and want to:

• Hear it on a sampled piano, with the notes lighting up.
• Make a student version. Type "make the left hand easier, keep the right hand exactly as it is" or "put it in a key with no sharps or flats". Each change usually takes about a minute. See simplifying piano sheet music.
• Send a practice link. Your student opens it in a browser without an account.

Every change is saved as its own version, and the original is always one click away. Each version downloads as MusicXML, MIDI or PDF.

Who this is for

Piano teachers with a page from an old method book, a photocopy or a photo from a student's lesson notes, who want a clean, editable copy. If the goal is an easier version for a student, you can make it in PlayableNotes before you export. See the Minuet worked example →

Arrangers and engravers who need the notes of a piano part in MuseScore, Sibelius or Dorico without typing them in.

Church and school accompanists working from a photo of a page, who need a new key or a cleaner print. Transposing is free →

PlayableNotes reads piano music only: a treble and a bass staff played together. It isn't the right tool for choir, band or orchestral scores, guitar tab or single-line parts. For a broader comparison of scanners, see the best sheet music scanners for piano.

What it costs

Reading a new page is the only thing that uses credits: 1 credit per line of music (the treble and bass staves together, from the left edge to the right). A typical piano page has 5 to 7 lines.

You see the credit count before reading starts. You're never charged more than that, you're charged less if fewer lines are found, and pages without music aren't counted. MusicXML, MIDI and PDF downloads, MusicXML imports, playback, editing, practice links and up to 100 AI changes a day are free. Credits never expire, and unused credits from a purchase can be refunded within 30 days. Credits are sold to US billing addresses only, for now. See full pricing →

Turn your image into MusicXML →

Upload a page. Your first 50 lines are free.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert an image of sheet music to MusicXML?

Upload a photo or screenshot of the piano music to PlayableNotes. It reads the page into a score in a minute or two. Listen, fix any wrong notes, then download MusicXML. The download is free.

Can I convert a photo from my phone?

Yes. Upload one page per photo. Photograph each page flat, sharp and evenly lit, with the whole page in the picture.

Will the MusicXML open in MuseScore?

Yes, MuseScore opens MusicXML. Our worked example shows a real import, including what needed fixing afterwards. Sibelius, Dorico and most other notation programs also open MusicXML. Check the result in your program.

Is it free?

New accounts get 50 free reading credits, enough for roughly 7 to 10 typical piano pages. Reading uses 1 credit per line of music. Downloads and MusicXML imports are free. More credits come in one-time packs from $10 for 100, with no subscription.

How long does it take?

Usually a few minutes: reading takes a minute or two, and any change you ask for takes about a minute. Leave time to check the score before you export.

What if it reads something wrong?

Recognition can make mistakes, so always compare with the original. Click a wrong note to correct it, ask the AI to fix a passage, or retake the photo. A reading that fails costs nothing.

Can it read handwritten music, or scores for other instruments?

PlayableNotes reads piano music: a treble and a bass staff together. It doesn't advertise support for handwritten music, so try a page before relying on it.

Can I upload any sheet music?

Upload only music you own or have permission to copy and adapt. PlayableNotes is a tool for music teachers, and its terms ask you to use the results to prepare material for your teaching. Your uploads stay private to your account. Read the terms.