LilyPond is free desktop software for engraving music scores on GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows. It takes score information in a human-readable text format and automatically lays out spacing, line and page breaks, and clashes among lyrics, notes, and chords. It also shapes slurs and beams. Its notation range includes classical, early, and modern music, along with tablature, vocal music, lead sheets, educational materials, and orchestral projects. Users can adjust layout settings, create text-based style sheets, and extend the software with its built-in Scheme language. Programs and scripts can edit or generate LilyPond files, and other applications can use its command-line tool. The official site describes integration with LaTeX and HTML and an extension for OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice. User-developed editing tools listed on the site include Frescobaldi, Denemo, and Spontini-Editor; these are outside LilyPond’s core. Its text workflow can work with speech recognition and screen readers. LilyPond is published under the GNU General Public License.
Who it is for
It suits musicians and arrangers who are comfortable working with score information as text, including those preparing educational or orchestral material. The text-based workflow may also suit users of speech-recognition software or screen readers.
What is good
- Free software for GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Supports tablature, vocal scores, and orchestral projects.
- Automatically handles layout and notation collisions.
- Files can be generated or edited by scripts.
- Text workflow can be used with screen readers.
What to know first
- Windows binaries do not support Windows 7 or 8.
- macOS binaries require macOS 10.15 or higher.
- Third-party editors are developed outside LilyPond’s core.
Verdict
LilyPond offers extensive notation and layout control through a text-based workflow. Check the listed operating-system requirements before choosing a release.
LilyPond plans and pricing
All plansCompared on music notation software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Deployment
- desktop
- MusicXML support
- Yes
- MIDI support
- Yes
- Parts extraction
- Yes
- Tablature support
- Yes
