Choosing an edition
Ultimate reads the detail; Lite reads the notes
Both editions share the same OmniScore engine, open PDFs, play back what they read, and send the result to Sibelius or export it for Finale, Dorico and other editors. Ultimate goes further: handwritten input, guitar tab and percussion staves, dynamics and ornaments, text in around 120 languages, and far higher engraving limits. Choose Lite for plain lead sheets; choose Ultimate for anything with real notational detail.
| Capability | Ultimate | Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Handwritten music entry (NotateMe) | Full | Reduced (NotateMe Now) |
| Reads dynamics, articulation and ornaments | Yes | No |
| Guitar tab & percussion staves | 4- & 6-string tab, 1–3 line percussion | 6-line tab only, no percussion |
| Text & lyrics in ~120 languages | Yes | No |
| Maximum voices per staff | 4 | 2 |
| Maximum staves / pages per score | 64 / 400 | 12 / 20 |
| Realistic playback (Espressivo) | Yes | No |
| Transposition, printing & WAV/AIFF export | Yes | No |
Runs on modern Windows and macOS. See the original PhotoScore site for exact system requirements and current pricing.
Espressivo is a trademark of Avid Technology, Inc. Scanning, recording and transcribing copyright music without permission is illegal.