MusicXML (.musicxml)
Introduction
The standard open format for exchanging digital sheet music.
MusicXML was designed from the ground up for sharing sheet music files between applications, and for archiving sheet music files for use in the future. You can count on MusicXML files being readable and usable by a wide range of music notation applications, now and in the future. MusicXML complements the native file formats used by Finale and other programs, which are designed for rapid, interactive use. https://www.musicxml.com/
Compatibility Level: Basic, good test coverage.
MusicXML is a very complex format allowing the same thing to be specified in multiple different ways. The format itself is very mature and supports a vast amount of notation elements to be described. This also makes it quite complex to handle as applications might have to deal with elements which are not supported by the application itself.
Additionally the different applications supporting MusicXML have their own slight dialects and expectations to where elements are placed (as element positions can be relatively adjusted). This can easily cause visual discrepancies when exchanging files across applications.
Feature Table
Number of total supported features: 36% (63/175)
Number of relevant supported features: 18% (26/143)
Table Legend
The following table describes the support of the different features of the input format.
Columns
- Feature: The related feature. If marked with ⭐ its a new or changed feature compared to the previous version of this format (e.g. a feature added in Guitar Pro 6)
- Data Model: Whether alphaTab supports storing this information in its own data model (e.g. from other formats).
- Reading: Whether alphaTab can read this information from the file format.
- Rendering: Whether alphaTab can display the information in the music sheet when rendered (display might differ from reference software).
- Audio: Whether alphaTab can generate audio information for this feature.
- alphaTex: Whether this feature is supported when describing music notation with alphaTex.
Values
- ✅ Supported - The feature is fully supported by alphaTab.
- ⚠️ Partial - The feature is partially supported by alphaTab, hover the item to see more details.
- ❌ Not Supported - The feature is not supported by alphaTab.
- ✅ Ignored - The feature is ignored from the input format because it is considered not relevant for display or playback. This is opinionated based on the feature set in alphaTab, open a feature request if you need it.
Feature | Data Model | Reading | Rendering | Audio | alphaTex |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Score Level (Timewise) | |||||
General Support | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not Supported | |||
Score Level (Partwise) | |||||
Work Title / Movement Title | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Work Number / Movement Number | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Score Composer and Copyright (identification) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Score Information (credit) | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Layout And Font Information (defaults) | ⚠️ Partial | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Track and Staff Level | |||||
Score Part Information (Name) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Score Part Information (Identification) | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Score Part Midi Instrument (Instrument, Pan, Volume, Channel) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
Score Part Midi Device | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Score Part Player | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Score Part Instrument | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Part Groups - General | ✅ Supported | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Part Groups - Details (Symbol, Barline, Time, Footnote, Level) | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Bar Level | |||||
Attributes > Clefs | ✅ Supported | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Attributes > Directives | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Attributes > Divisions | ✅ Ignored | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Attributes > Footnote | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported |
Attributes > For Part (Transpose) | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Attributes > Instruments | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Attributes > Key Signatures | ✅ Supported | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
Attributes > Level | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Attributes > Style > Beat Repeat | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported |
Attributes > Style > Measure Repeat | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
Attributes > Style > Multiple Rest | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported |
Attributes > Style > Slash | ⚠️ Partial | ❌ Not Supported | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial | ⚠️ Partial |
Attributes > Part Symbol | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported |
Attributes > Staff Details > Capo | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
Attributes > Staff Details > Line Details | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported |
Attributes > Staff Details > Staff Lines | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Attributes > Staff Details > Staff Size | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported |
Attributes > Staff Details > Staff Tuning | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
Attributes > Staff Details > Staff Type | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored |
Attributes > Staves | ✅ Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
Attributes > Time Signature (Beats) | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
Attributes > Time Signature (Senza Misura) | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported |
Attributes > Transpose | ✅ Supported | ⚠️ Partial | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Supported |
Backup | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Ignored | |
Bar Lines > Bar Style | ⚠️ Partial | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Supported | ✅ Ignored | ✅ Supported |
Bar Lines > Footnote / Level | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ❌ Not Supported | ✅ Ignored | ❌ Not Supported |
Bar Lines > Segno/Coda |