--- name: "mscore" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "musescore" version: "4.7.5-1" release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/mscore" --- # mscore(1) MuseScore 4 sheet music editor ## NAME **mscore**, **musescore** – MuseScore 4 sheet music editor ## SYNOPSIS **mscore** \[**-deFfhIiLmnOPRstvw**\] \[**-b** \| **--bitrate** *bitrate*\] \[**-c** \| **--config-folder** *pathname*\] \[**-D** \| **--monitor-resolution** *DPI*\] \[**-E** \| **--install-extension** *extension file*\] \[**-j** \| **--job** *file.json*\] \[**-M** \| **--midi-operations** *file*\] \[**-o** \| **--export-to** *file*\] \[**-p** \| **--plugin** *name*\] \[**-r** \| **--image-resolution** *DPI*\] \[**-S** \| **--style** *style*\] \[**-T** \| **--trim-image** *margin*\] \[**-x** \| **--gui-scaling** *factor*\] \[**--debug**\] \[**--diff**\] \[**--dump-midi-in**\] \[**--dump-midi-out**\] \[**--experimental**\] \[**--export-score-parts**\] \[**--factory-settings**\] \[**--force**\] \[**--help**\] \[**--layout-debug**\] \[**--load-icons**\] \[**--long-version**\] \[**--new-score**\] \[**--no-fallback-font**\] \[**--no-midi**\] \[**--no-synthesizer**\] \[**--raw-diff**\] \[**--revert-settings**\] \[**--run-test-script**\] \[**--save-online**\] \[**--score-media**\] \[**--highlight-config**\] \[**--score-mp3**\] \[**--score-parts**\] \[**--score-parts-pdf**\] \[**--score-transpose**\] \[**--template-mode**\] \[**--test-mode**\] \[**--transpose**\] \[**--version**\] \[*file ...*\] ## DESCRIPTION **MuseScore** is a Free and Open Source WYSIWYG cross-platform multi-lingual music composition and notation software, released under the GNU General Public Licence (GPLv2). Running **mscore** without any extra options launches the full graphical MuseScore program and opens any files specified on the command line. The options are as follows: - **-b** \| **--bitrate** *bitrate* Set MP3 output bitrate in kbit/s - **-c** \| **--config-folder** *pathname* Override configuration and settings directory - **-D** \| **--monitor-resolution** *DPI* Specify monitor resolution (override autodetection) - **-d** \| **--debug** Start MuseScore in debug mode - **-E** \| **--install-extension** *extension file* Install an extension file; soundfonts are loaded by default unless **-e** is also specified - **-e** \| **--experimental** Enable experimental features, such as layers - **-F** \| **--factory-settings** Revert all settings, shortcuts, workspaces, extensions, translations, etc. to factory defaults; compare with the **-R** option - **-f** \| **--force** Ignore score corruption and version mismatch warnings in “converter mode” - **-h** \| **--help** Display an overview of invocation instructions - **-I** \| **--dump-midi-in** Display all MIDI input on the console - **-i** \| **--load-icons** Load icons from the filesystem; useful if you want to edit the MuseScore icons and preview the changes - **-j** \| **--job** *file.json* Process a conversion job (see EXAMPLES below) - **-L** \| **--layout-debug** Start MuseScore in layout debug mode - **-M** \| **--midi-operations** *file* Specify MIDI import operations file (see EXAMPLES below) - **-m** \| **--no-midi** Disable MIDI input - **-n** \| **--new-score** Start with the New Score wizard regardless whether it's enabled or disabled in the user preferences - **-O** \| **--dump-midi-out** Display all MIDI output on the console - **-o** \| **--export-to** *file* Export the given (or currently opened) file to the specified output *file*. The file type depends on the extension of the filename given. This option switches to “converter mode” and avoids the graphical user interface. - **-P** \| **--export-score-parts** When converting to PDF with the **-o** option, append each part's pages to the created PDF file. If the score has no parts, all default parts will temporarily be generated automatically. - **-p** \| **--plugin** *name* Execute the named plugin - **-R** \| **--revert-settings** Revert user preferences to factory default but retain shortcuts, workspaces, extensions, translations, etc.; compare with **-F**. - **-r** \| **--image-resolution** *DPI* Set image resolution for conversion to PNG files. Default: 360 DPI (actually, the value of “Resolution” of the PNG option group in the Export tab of the preferences) - **-S** \| **--style** *style* Load a style file first; useful for use with the **-o** option - **-s** \| **--no-synthesizer** Disable the integrated software synthesiser - **-T** \| **--trim-image** *margin* Trim exported PNG and SVG images to remove whitespace surrounding the score. The specified *margin*, in pixels, will be retained (use 0 for a tightly cropped image). When exporting to SVG, this option only works with single-page scores. - **-t** \| **--test-mode** Set test mode flag for all files - **-v** \| **--version** Display the name and version of the application without starting the graphical user interface - **-x** \| **--gui-scaling** *factor* Scale the score display and other GUI elements by the specified *factor*; intended for use with high-resolution displays - **--diff** Print a conditioned diff between the given scores - **--long-version** Display the full name, version and git revision of the application without starting the graphical user interface - **--no-fallback-font** Don't use Bravura as fallback musical font - **--raw-diff** Print a raw diff between the given scores - **--run-test-script** Run script tests listed in the command line arguments - **--save-online** Upload score(s) to its source URL. There must already be an online score at that URL, and the user must be signed-in to the account it belongs to. The online score will be replaced with the uploaded file, but the title and description of the online score's webpage will not change. - **--score-media** Export all media (except MP3) for a given score as a single JSON document to stdout - **--highlight-config** Set highlight to svg, generated from a given score - **--score-mp3** Generate an MP3 for the given score and export it as a single JSON document to stdout - **--score-parts** Generate parts data for the given score and save them to separate mscz files - **--score-parts-pdf** Generate parts data for the given score and export it as a single JSON document to stdout - **--score-transpose** Transpose the given score and export the data to a single JSON file, print it to stdout - **--template-mode** Save files in template mode (e.g. without page sizes) - **--transpose** Transpose the given score (only if the -o option is also set), then exports the given file in accordance with the -o option MuseScore supports the automatic Qt command line options (see below). ### Batch conversion job JSON format The argument to the **-j** option must be the pathname of a file comprised of a valid JSON document honouring the following specification: - The top-level element must be a JSONArray, which may be empty. - Each array element must be a JSONObject with the following keys: - in Value is the name of the input file (score to convert), as JSONString. - plugin Value is the filename of a plugin (with the .qml extension), which will be read from either the global or per-user plugin path and executed before the conversion output happens, as JSONString. Optional, but at least one of plugin and out *must* be given. - out Value is the conversion output target, as defined below. Optional, but at least one of plugin and out *must* be given. - transpose Value is a JSONString with the transposing options. Optional. - The conversion output target may be a filename (with extension, which decided the format to convert to), as JSONString. - The conversion output target may be a JSONArray of filenames as JSONString, as above, which will cause the score to be written to multiple output files (in multiple output formats) sequentially, without being closed, re-opened and re-processed in between. - If the conversion output target is a JSONArray, one or more of its elements may also be, each, a JSONArray of two JSONStrings (called first and second half in the following description). This will cause part extraction: for each such two-tuple, all extant parts of the score will be saved *individually*, with filenames being composed by concatenating the first half, the name (title) of the part, and the second half. The resulting string must be a valid filename (with extension, determining the output format). If a score has no parts (excerpts) defined, this will be silently ignored without error. - Valid file extensions for output are: - flac Free Lossless Audio Codec (compressed audio) - metajson various score metadata (JSON) - mid standard MIDI file - midi standard MIDI file - mlog internal file sanity check log (JSON) - mp3 MPEG Layer III (lossy compressed audio) - mpos measure positions (XML) - mscz MuseScore File - mscx MuseScore Uncompressed File - mscs MuseScore Uncompressed File - musicxml uncompressed MusicXML file - mxl compressed MusicXML file - ogg OGG Vorbis (lossy compressed audio) - pdf portable document file (print) - png portable network graphics (image) Individual files, one per score page, with a hyphen-minus followed by the page number placed before the file extension, will be generated. - spos segment positions (XML) - svg scalable vector graphics (image) - wav RIFF Waveform (uncompressed audio) - xml uncompressed MusicXML file See below for an example. ## ENVIRONMENT - SKIP\_LIBJACK Set this (the value does not matter) to skip initialisation of the JACK Audio Connection Kit library, in case it causes trouble. - XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME User configuration location; defaults to *~/.config* if unset. - XDG\_DATA\_HOME User data location; defaults to *~/.local/share* if unset. - XDG\_DOCUMENTS\_DIR Location of works the user created with the application; defaults to *~/Documents* (or a localised version) and can be set in *$XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/user-dirs.dirs*. Note that MuseScore also supports the normal Qt environment variables such as QT\_QPA\_GENERIC\_PLUGINS, QT\_QPA\_PLATFORM, QT\_QPA\_PLATFORMTHEME, QT\_QPA\_PLATFORM\_PLUGIN\_PATH, QT\_STYLE\_OVERRIDE, DISPLAY, etc. ## FILES */usr/share/mscore-4.7/* contains the application support data (demos, instruments, localisation, system-wide plugins, soundfonts, styles, chords, templates and wallpapers). In the Debian packages, system-wide soundfonts are installed into */usr/share/sounds/sf2/*, */usr/share/sounds/sf3/* or */usr/share/sounds/sfz/*, respectively, instead. The per-user data (extensions, plugins, soundfonts, styles, templates) and files (images, scores) are normally installed into subdirectories under *$XDG\_DOCUMENTS\_DIR/MuseScore3/* but may be changed in the configuration. Note that snapshot, alpha and beta versions use *MuseScore3Development* instead of *MuseScore3* in all of these paths. *$XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/MuseScore/MuseScore3.ini* contains the user preferences, list of recently used files and their locations, window sizes and positions, etc. See above for development version paths. *$XDG\_DATA\_HOME/MuseScore/MuseScore3/* contains updated localisation files downloaded from within the program, plugin information, cached scores, credentials for the *musescore.com* community site, session information, synthesiser settings, custom key and time signatures and shortcuts. See above for development version paths. ## EXAMPLES Convert a score to PDF from the command line: ``` mscore -o 'My Score.pdf' 'My Score.mscz' ``` Transpose, then convert a score to PDF from the command line: ``` -o 'My Transposed Score.pdf' --transpose '{"mode": "by_interval", "direction": "up", "transposeInterval": 12, "transposeKeySignatures": true}' 'My Score.mscz' ``` Transpose to another score from the command line: ``` -o 'My Transposed Score.mscz' --transpose '{"mode": "diatonically", "direction": "down", "transposeInterval": 3, "useDoubleSharpsFlats": true}' 'My Score.mscz' ``` Run a batch job converting multiple documents: ``` mscore -j job.json ``` This requires the file *job.json* in the current working directory to have content similar to the following: ``` [ { "in": "Reunion.mscz", "out": "Reunion-coloured.pdf", "plugin": "colornotes.qml" }, { "in": "Reunion.mscz", "out": [ "Reunion.pdf", [ "Reunion (part for ", ").pdf" ], "Reunion.musicxml", "Reunion.mid" ] }, { "in": "Reunion.mscz", "out": "Reunion-transposed.mscz", "transpose": { "mode": "by_interval", "direction": "up", "transposeInterval": 12, "transposeKeySignatures": true } }, { "in": "Reunion.mscz", "out": "Reunion-transposed.pdf", "transpose": { "mode": "diatonically", "direction": "down", "transposeInterval": 2, "useDoubleSharpsFlats": true } }, { "in": "Piece with excerpts.mscz", "out": [ "Piece with excerpts (Partitura).pdf", [ "Piece with excerpts (part for ", ").pdf" ], "Piece with excerpts.mid" ] } ] ``` The last part of the job would, for example, cause files like “*Piece with excerpts (part for Violin).pdf*” to be generated alongside the conductor's partitura and a MIDI file with the full orchestra sound, whereas the equivalent part of the Reunion conversion will be silently ignored (because the Reunion piece (a MuseScore demo) has no excerpts defined). *https://musescore.org/sites/musescore.org/files/midi\_import\_options\_0.xml* is a sample MIDI import operations file for the **-M** option. ## DIAGNOSTICS The **mscore** utility exits 0 on success, and \>0 if an error occurs. ## SEE ALSO [fluidsynth(1)](/fluidsynth/1.md), [midicsv(1)](/midicsv/1.md), [timidity(1)](/timidity/1.md), [qtoptions(7)](/qtoptions/7.md) - *https://handbook.musescore.org* Online Handbook, full user manual - *https://musescore.org/forum* Support Forum - *https://handbook.musescore.org/appendix/command-line-usage* Further documentation of command line options - *http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qguiapplication.html#supported-command-line-options* Documentation of automatic Qt command line options ## STANDARDS MuseScore attempts to implement the following standards: - MusicXML 4.0 (score interchange format) - SF2 (SoundFont 2.01) - SF3 (SoundFont with OGG Vorbis-compressed samples) - SMuFL (Standard Music Font Layout 1.4) ## HISTORY MuseScore was split off the MusE sequencer in 2002 and has since become the foremost Open Source notation software. ## AUTHORS MuseScore is developed by MuseScore Limited. This manual page was written by mirabilos ⟨tg@debian.org⟩. ## CAVEATS The automatic Qt command line options are removed from the argument vector before the application has a chance at option processing; this means that an invocation like ``` mscore -S -reverse ``` has no chance at working because the **-reverse** is removed by Qt first. ## BUGS MuseScore does not honour */etc/papersize*. Probably some more; check the project's bug tracker (cf. SEE ALSO).