From Finale to Dorico, A Migration Guide

Finale Official

While Finale is no longer the future of the notation industry there is a bright new future ahead with Dorico, developed by Steinberg. 

When Dorico launched in 2016, it set a brand new bar for the industry. The dozens of quick releases since then have demonstrated the Dorico team’s passion, dedication, expertise, and long-term commitment—qualities that have been the foundation of Finale’s DNA and success. 

For a limited time, users of any version of Finale or PrintMusic can purchase Dorico Pro – the highest tier of the product – for just $149 (retail price $579).

Here’s how to get started:

 

That’s all there is to it! We know that getting started with a new tool is not always easy, so here are some resources and answers to some frequently asked questions about making the switch to Dorico as seamless as possible.

Frequently asked questions

What resources are available to help me learn Dorico quickly?

We recommend that all new users start with the Dorico First Steps guide. Even if you are very familiar with Finale or another music notation application, this project-based guide will help you to learn the basics of working with Dorico step by step. Dorico itself also includes contextual help: look for question mark icons in the interface and dialogs, and click them to be taken to the relevant information in the Operation Manual.

Are there tutorials specifically for Finale users transitioning to Dorico?

Yes. Music publisher and engraver Ben Byram-Wigfield, who used Finale for more than twenty years, produced a short series of videos to help Finale users make a successful transition to Dorico. You can find them on the Dorico YouTube channel.

Can I import my existing Finale files into Dorico? If so, how?

Dorico cannot directly import Finale .mus or .musx files. Dorico can, however, import MusicXML 4.0 files, so to bring a Finale file into Dorico, first export it as MusicXML from Finale, then import that MusicXML file into Dorico. Please note that you can batch export files from Finale to the MusicXML format by following the Exporting MusicXML Files from Finale guide.

Finale’s proprietary file format was specifically designed to be read only by Finale, making it difficult for other software to interpret. Much of the way a score is displayed in Finale depends on algorithms and routines unique to Finale’s code, which process the document when opened.

In contrast, MusicXML is designed for file exchange between different notation programs and is more suitable for this purpose. Steinberg is gathering tips and tricks to help ensure a smooth export/import process, which will be published on the Dorico blog soon. Since Dorico is actively being developed, MusicXML imports will likely continue to improve over time.

In the meantime, please review the follow resources:

How does Dorico handle MusicXML files compared to Finale?

Finale’s support for MusicXML is exceedingly mature, and is probably the most complete of any music notation software. By comparison, Dorico’s support for MusicXML is less mature, but Steinberg has been working hard to make both import and export more complete.

What is the quality of imported Finale files when opened in Dorico?

In general, the musical content of your Finale file is transferred with high fidelity, and basic layout information such as page size and staff size is transferred. Specific graphical adjustments to individual items are not typically transferred. Dorico provides an extensive set of options to allow you to choose how much of the information in the MusicXML file should be preserved, and how much Dorico should be allowed to recalculate according to its own default behaviors. In general, we recommend allowing Dorico to use as many of its automatic features as possible when importing MusicXML files.

What are the system requirements for Dorico?

System requirements for Dorico can be found on the Steinberg website.

Does Dorico run smoothly on the same hardware I use for Finale?

Dorico should run well on any computer that meets the system requirements. With very large projects, Dorico requires more system resources than Finale, but in typical use, if your computer runs Finale smoothly, it should also run Dorico smoothly.

Can I use my existing sound libraries and virtual instruments with Dorico?

Yes, any VST3-compatible sound libraries and virtual instruments can be used with Dorico. Finale’s ARIA Player works well with Dorico, and members of the user community have developed playback templates for several Garritan libraries. Additionally, NotePerformer from Wallander Instruments works especially well with Dorico, including NotePerformer Playback Engines (NPPE).

Are there any known compatibility issues with third-party plug-ins or VSTs?

Dorico supports all VST3-compatible plug-ins. If you have VST2.x plug-ins that you rely on, you can run these in Dorico Pro for Windows and for macOS by manually allowing them in Dorico’s preferences; VST2.x plug-ins are not supported on Apple silicon Macs (those with M-series processors) unless you run using Rosetta emulation. Dorico does not support Audio Units plug-ins on macOS.

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