---
name: "lilypond"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "lilypond"
version: "1:2.26.0-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/lilypond"
---

# lilypond(1)

manual page for LilyPond 2.26.0 (running Guile 3.0)

## NAME

LilyPond - manual page for LilyPond 2.26.0 (running Guile 3.0)

## SYNOPSIS

**lilypond** \[*OPTION*\]... *FILE*...

## DESCRIPTION

Typeset music and/or produce MIDI from FILE.

LilyPond produces beautiful music notation. For more information, see https://lilypond.org

## OPTIONS

- **-f**, **--formats**=*FORMATs*

  dump FORMAT,...  Also as separate options:

- **--pdf**

  generate PDF files (default)

- **--svg**

  generate SVG files

- **--png**

  generate PNG files

- **--ps**

  generate PostScript files

- **-E**, **--eps**

  generate Encapsulated PostScript files

- **-O**, **--pspdfopt**=*KEY*

  set ps/pdf optimization to KEY, which is either 'size' (default), 'TeX', or 'TeX-GS'

- **-d**, **--define-default=SYM**\[=*VAL*\]

  set Scheme option SYM to VAL (default: '#t')

- **-d**, **--define-default**=*no-SYM*

  set Scheme option SYM to '#f'

- **-d**, **--define-default**=*help*

  show help for Scheme options

- **-e**, **--evaluate**=*EXPR*

  evaluate scheme code

- **-h**, **--help**

  show this help and exit

- **-H**, **--header**=*FIELD*

  dump \\header field FIELD to file named BASENAME.FIELD

- **-I**, **--include**=*DIR*

  append DIR to search path

- **-i**, **--init**=*FILE*

  use FILE as init file

- **-j**, **--jail**=*USER*,GROUP,JAIL,DIR

  chroot to JAIL, become USER:GROUP and cd into DIR

- **-l**, **--loglevel**=*LOGLEVEL*

  print log messages according to LOGLEVEL, which is either NONE, ERROR, WARN, BASIC, PROGRESS, INFO (default), or DEBUG

- **-o**, **--output**=*FILE*

  write output to FILE (suffix will be added) or to FOLDER, in which case the file name will be taken from the input file.

- **--relocate**

  (ignored)

- **-s**, **--silent**

  no progress, only error messages (equivalent to **--loglevel**=*ERROR*)

- **-v**, **--version**

  show version number and exit

- **-V**, **--verbose**

  be verbose (equivalent to **--loglevel**=*DEBUG*)

- **-w**, **--warranty**

  show warranty and copyright

You found a bug? Please read https://lilypond.org/bug-reports.html

### Top-level directory of LilyPond's data tree:

-

  '/usr/share/lilypond/2.26.0'

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 1996--2026 by

-

  Han-Wen Nienhuys \<hanwen@xs4all.nl\> Jan Nieuwenhuizen \<janneke@gnu.org\> and others.

This program is free software.  It is covered by the GNU General Public License and you are welcome to change it and/or distribute copies of it under certain conditions.  Invoke as \`lilypond **--warranty**' for more information.

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for **LilyPond** is maintained as a Texinfo manual.  If the **info** and **LilyPond** programs are properly installed at your site, the command

-

  **info LilyPond**

should give you access to the complete manual.