Sheet music scanner apps compared: PlayScore 2, ScanScore, Soundslice, Sheet Music Scanner, Newzik and Duly Noted
Looking for an app that reads sheet music and plays it back – a PlayScore alternative, or just the right scanner for the way you practise? Here are six of them side by side: what they run on, what they cost, what they read, and whether they play repeats, D.S. and coda in the right order.
We make Duly Noted, so we are not neutral. That is why every fact about the other apps links to the maker's own website, help pages or app store listing, checked on 16 October 2026, and why each section says what that app does better than ours.
The short answer
- Photograph a page on your phone and hear it at once, without uploading it anywhere: PlayScore 2.
- Correct every note and send the result to a notation program: ScanScore on a Mac or PC, or Soundslice in the browser.
- Practise along with real recordings, or teach: Soundslice.
- Keep your whole library on an iPad and read from it on stage: Newzik.
- Hear a lead sheet with its chords played, and the repeats, D.S. and coda followed, on any device with a browser: Duly Noted.
At a glance
"Not mentioned" means we could not find it on the maker's own pages – not that the feature is missing. The sections below link to the source for every row.
| Feature | Duly Noted | PlayScore 2 | ScanScore | Soundslice | Sheet Music Scanner | Newzik |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs in a web browser | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes (Newzik Web) |
| Apps | – | iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows | Mac, Windows | – | iPhone, iPad, Android | iPhone, iPad |
| Paid from | €3 for 3 pieces | $5.99 (subscription) | $9 for a year (one staff) | $5 a month | $4.99 (in-app purchase) | €29.99 once |
| Free | First piece, up to 4 pages | Single pages from a photo | 14-day trial | 2 scans a month, 1 page each | Not mentioned | 3 scores, 10 converted pages |
| Reads | PDF, photo, MusicXML | Photo, image, PDF (Professional) | PDF, image | PDF, image, MusicXML | Photo, image, PDF | PDF, scan, MusicXML |
| Repeats and 1st/2nd endings | Played in order | Played in order | Played; check and fix by hand | Read and played | Repeat signs read; endings not mentioned | Recognised; playback not mentioned |
| D.S., D.C. and coda | Read and played in order | Played with a paid setting; not on Android | Played; check and fix by hand | Not read by the scanner; add in the editor | Codas not supported | Recognised; playback not mentioned |
| Plays chords from chord symbols | Yes, chords and bass | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| Edit notes | No – chords and road map only | Not mentioned | Yes, full editor | Yes, full editor | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
| MusicXML export | No (MIDI) | Yes (Professional) | Yes | Yes (paid plans) | Yes | Yes (Premium) |
PlayScore 2
PlayScore 2 from Organum photographs sheet music and plays it. It is a native app that does the recognition on the device itself.
| PlayScore 2 | What the maker says |
|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows; on a Mac the iPad app runs on Apple silicon (M1 or later). No browser version is mentioned. Sources: playscore.co: FAQ, App Store (US) |
| Price | Productivity and Professional, each as a 1-month or 12-month subscription: $5.99 / $34.99 and $6.99 / $59.99 in the US App Store. The website shows no prices. Source: App Store (US) |
| Free | Play single pages from a photo, with tempo, loops, count-in and metronome, no time limit and no ads. PDFs need Professional. Sources: playscore.co: without a subscription, playscore.co: how to use |
| Reads | Camera photos, JPG and TIF images and PDFs. Not handwritten music or guitar tab. Sources: playscore.co: FAQ, playscore.co: how to use |
| Exports | MIDI and MusicXML (MusicXML with Professional). Source: playscore.co: FAQ |
| Playing order | Repeats, 1st and 2nd endings, D.C., D.S., segno, coda and Fine are observed in playback. D.S. and D.C. need the "Lyrics and text" setting: off by default, subscription only, and according to the help pages not yet available on Android. Sources: playscore.co: D.S., D.C., coda, fine, playscore.co: Windows help |
| Chords | Recognises chord names as text on Apple devices and exports them. Playing an accompaniment from chord symbols is not mentioned. Source: playscore.co: specification |
| Editing | No note editor is mentioned; the advice is to export MusicXML to a score editor. Source: playscore.co: how to use |
What PlayScore 2 does better
- Recognition on the device: your music is not uploaded, no sign-in is needed, and a page plays at once (playscore.co: features).
- Big scores: no limit on staves per system if the image is good, 23 instruments to choose from per staff, and volume or mute for each part.
- MusicXML export to Dorico, MuseScore and other notation programs.
- Swing playback, tuning between 380 and 466 Hz, and an interface in eight languages.
ScanScore
ScanScore from Lugert Verlag is a desktop program for scanning sheet music, correcting it in a score editor and exporting it.
| ScanScore | What the maker says |
|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS (10.12 or later) and Windows (8 or later). A phone app, ScanScore Scanner, transfers photos to the desktop program. No browser version is mentioned. Sources: scan-score.com: products, scan-score.com: scanning with your phone |
| Price | Melody (one staff) $9, Ensemble (up to four staves) $39, Professional (unlimited staves) $79 – each a licence valid for 365 days, with no automatic renewal. Sources: scan-score.com: products, scan-score.com: FAQ |
| Free | A 14-day trial with full functionality except file export. Source: scan-score.com: FAQ |
| Reads | PDF, TIFF, JPG and PNG from a scanner or a phone. Not handwritten music, drum notation or guitar tab. Source: scan-score.com: FAQ |
| Exports | PDF, audio, MIDI and MusicXML for MuseScore, Dorico, Sibelius, Finale and others. Source: scan-score.com: products |
| Playing order | Voltas, repeats, segno, coda and To Coda each have playback settings. ScanScore's own guide lists common problems – voltas ignored, repeats in the wrong order, coda or segno doing nothing – and advises checking playback and fixing the symbols by hand. Its tempo guide says playback and MIDI/MP3 export follow the structure, including D.C., D.S., coda and Fine. Sources: scan-score.com: repeats, voltas, segno and codas, scan-score.com: change tempo |
| Chords | Recognises chords and lyrics, even outside the staff, and can transpose chord symbols. An accompaniment from chord symbols is not mentioned. Sources: scan-score.com: FAQ, scan-score.com: products |
| Editing | A full score editor: edit and correct all musical elements, add or delete bars and staves. Source: scan-score.com: products |
What ScanScore does better
- A real score editor: every note, rest and articulation can be corrected before you export.
- Export to the notation programs musicians already use, and to PDF and audio.
- Any number of staves per system in Professional, and scanning with a conventional scanner as well as a phone.
- A one-year licence from $9 that does not renew automatically.
Soundslice
Soundslice is a web platform for learning and teaching music, with a notation editor, a practice player and a sheet music scanner. Like Duly Noted it runs in the browser.
| Soundslice | What the maker says |
|---|---|
| Platforms | The web browser on a phone, tablet or computer; no app to install. Source: soundslice.com: sheet music scanner |
| Price | Plus $5 a month or $50 a year (scanning, 100 pages a month); Teacher $20 a month or $200 a year (200 pages a month). Source: soundslice.com: plans |
| Free | Two trial scans a month, one page and 32 bars each. The notation editor and MusicXML import are free. Sources: soundslice.com: sheet music scanner, soundslice.com: plans |
| Reads | PDFs and images (JPG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, WEBP and more), up to 25 pages per scan; also MusicXML and Guitar Pro files. Source: soundslice.com: sheet music scanner |
| Exports | MusicXML, PDF, MIDI, MP3 and Guitar Pro, on a paid plan. Source: soundslice.com: exporting |
| Playing order | The scanner detects repeat barlines and 1st and 2nd endings, but jumps such as D.S. al Coda and Da Capo are not yet imported – you add them in the editor. Once added, the player follows them. Sources: soundslice.com: supported notations, soundslice.com: repeats and directions |
| Chords | Detects chord names and chord diagrams. The synth plays exactly what is written; an accompaniment from chord symbols is not mentioned. Sources: soundslice.com: supported notations, soundslice.com: synthetic playback |
| Editing | A full notation editor, with the original image shown inline for comparison. Source: soundslice.com: sheet music scanner |
What Soundslice does better
- A full notation and tab editor: you can fix every note, not just the chords and the road map.
- Sheet music synced with real recordings – YouTube videos or your own MP3s and video (soundslice.com: features).
- Teaching tools: private courses, comments to students, and embedding on your own site.
- Scans tablature, percussion and lyrics, and exports MusicXML, PDF, MIDI, MP3 and Guitar Pro.
Sheet Music Scanner
Sheet Music Scanner by David Zemsky is a phone and tablet app that reads printed sheet music and plays it with a choice of instruments.
| Sheet Music Scanner | What the maker says |
|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone and iPad (on a Mac, the iPad app on Apple silicon) and Android (as Sheet Music Scanner Pro). No browser version is mentioned. Sources: App Store (US), Google Play: Sheet Music Scanner Pro |
| Price | Free download with in-app purchases from $4.99 to $34.99 in the US App Store; the listing does not say what each one covers. The website shows no prices. Source: App Store (US) |
| Free | What you can do without paying is not mentioned. Source: sheetmusicscanner.com |
| Reads | The camera, PNG, JPG and TIFF images, PDFs and files from cloud drives. Printed music only – not handwriting or tab. Source: sheetmusicscanner.com |
| Exports | MIDI, MusicXML, audio (M4A, MP3, WAV) and PDF. Source: sheetmusicscanner.com |
| Playing order | Repeat signs are among the recognised symbols, with some limitations. Codas are listed as not currently supported; endings, D.S. and D.C. are not mentioned. Source: sheetmusicscanner.com |
| Chords | Chord symbols are not among the recognised symbols. Source: sheetmusicscanner.com |
| Editing | Not mentioned. Source: sheetmusicscanner.com |
What Sheet Music Scanner does better
- A native scanning app on iPhone, iPad and Android.
- More than 30 instrument sounds, tempo from 50 to 330 bpm and a pitch standard from 380 to 480 Hz.
- Audio export (MP3, WAV, M4A) as well as MIDI, MusicXML and PDF.
Newzik
Newzik is a sheet music reader and library for musicians, ensembles and schools. Its LiveScore feature turns a PDF or scan into a playable score.
| Newzik | What the maker says |
|---|---|
| Platforms | An app for iPhone and iPad, and Newzik Web in any browser (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android tablets). No Android app. Sources: newzik.com: Newzik Web, Newzik support: Android |
| Price | Essentials €29.99 once; Premium €9.99 a month or €49.99 a year; Premium Lifetime €199. Source: newzik.com: pricing |
| Free | Up to three scores and 10 pages of LiveScore conversion; Premium can be tried free for 7 days. Source: newzik.com: pricing |
| Reads | PDF, images, MusicXML and MIDI; the iOS app scans with the camera, up to 24 pages at a time. A LiveScore conversion takes a few minutes per page. Sources: Newzik support: scanning, newzik.com: AI |
| Exports | A conversion gives a MusicXML file and a playable MIDI file; exporting MusicXML needs Premium. Sources: Newzik support: using LiveScores, Newzik support: PDF to MusicXML |
| Playing order | The recognition lists 1st and 2nd endings, da capo, dal segno, coda and al fine. Whether LiveScore playback follows them is not mentioned. Source: Newzik support: recognised elements |
| Chords | The accompaniment is MIDI generated from the recognised notes; an accompaniment from chord symbols is not mentioned. Source: Newzik support: what are LiveScores |
| Editing | Export MusicXML and edit it in notation software. Source: newzik.com: AI |
What Newzik does better
- A complete sheet music library: setlists, versions, and annotation with pens, highlighters and stamps (newzik.com: app).
- Hands-free page turning with facial movements or a Bluetooth pedal, and an app built to work offline on stage (Newzik support: offline).
- For ensembles: shared setlists and annotations in real time, and rental material from publishers.
- Audio, MIDI or YouTube synced with the score.
Duly Noted
Duly Noted is the web app on this site. It is built for one job: hearing a piece from the sheet music while you practise, in the order it is meant to be played.
| Duly Noted | What it does |
|---|---|
| Platforms | The web browser on a computer, tablet or phone. Nothing to install; the recognition runs on our server in the EU. |
| Price | First piece free (up to 4 pages, no card). Then €3 for 3 pieces (one-off), €5 a month or €39 a year – see pricing. |
| Reads | PDF (printed or scanned), photos – with a camera scanner in the app – and MusicXML. Several pages per piece. |
| Exports | MIDI. |
| Playing order | Repeats, 1st and 2nd endings, segno, coda, D.S., D.C. and Fine, read from the page and played in order – on the free piece too. See how the road map works. |
| Chords | Reads chord symbols and plays them as chords and a bass line, separate voices you can mute to play along. |
| Practice | Tempo change without pitch change, loop, transpose, count-in and metronome. |
| Editing | Chord symbols and the road map, by clicking the bar. The notes themselves cannot be edited. |
Where Duly Noted falls short
- No note editor: if a note is misread, the fix is a cleaner scan.
- No MusicXML export, and no audio export.
- No native app: the page is uploaded to our server and needs a connection; a lead sheet takes about a minute.
- Made for lead sheets, songs, piano music and single parts – not for big ensemble scores.
Common questions
Is there a free PlayScore alternative?
Several have a free tier. Soundslice gives two one-page trial scans a month, Newzik three scores and ten converted pages, and Duly Noted reads your first piece of up to 4 pages free – PDF included. PlayScore 2 itself plays single pages from a photo for free.
Which app plays D.S. al Coda in the right order?
According to the makers: PlayScore 2 (with its paid "Lyrics and text" setting, not on Android), ScanScore (after you check the symbols) and Duly Noted read the jumps and play them. Soundslice plays them once you add them in its editor. Sheet Music Scanner does not support codas, and Newzik does not say. If you need a refresher on the signs themselves, see Repeats, D.S. al Coda and D.C. al Fine.
Which sheet music scanners run in the browser?
Soundslice, Newzik Web and Duly Noted. PlayScore 2, ScanScore and Sheet Music Scanner are installed apps.
Which one should I use to edit the notes?
ScanScore or Soundslice – both have a full notation editor. With PlayScore 2 or Newzik, the makers suggest exporting MusicXML to a notation program. More on how recognition works and fails in optical music recognition explained.
Sources and method
Everything about the other apps comes from the makers' own websites, help pages and app store listings, checked on 16 October 2026; each row above links to its source. Prices are as listed in USD or EUR and can differ by country and change at any time. We left out store ratings and reviews. If something here is wrong or out of date, write to [email protected] and we will correct it.