Is the file correct?
We check the MusicXML version, file structure and bar duration. This can reveal an overfull bar, for example.
A correctly filled bar does not prove that the right notes were recognised.
QUALITY YOU CAN CHECK
Musical usability
is the measure.
A file may be technically valid yet contain wrong notes or unusable lyrics. We therefore distinguish file validation, comparison with the musical source, rendering and import.
FOUR LEVELS OF REVIEW
From a valid structure
to usable music.
The pilot is an assisted service. Automated checks support the assessment; human review remains part of the process.
Is the music correct?
The complete score is reviewed against the source, including passages that trigger no automated error message.
Musical context helps, but does not justify invented notes or unreported changes.
Is everything visible?
The review PDF is checked for content, order and relevant notation marks. Lyrics and extender lines receive specific attention.
The review layout may differ from the source.
Can you work with it?
The required import checks are agreed for your notation software. Your own practical assessment completes the pilot.
Opening a file is a first step, not full confirmation of quality.
MUSICAL CONTENT REVIEW
What we examine in the score.
Review follows the musical content. The areas below are our starting point; the source and scoring determine which checks are relevant.
| Area | What we check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Notes & accidentals | Pitch, accidentals and octave indications | A wrong note may sound plausible yet differ from the source. |
| Rhythm & metre | Note values, rests, time signatures and voices within each bar | Correct timing prevents displaced entries and incomplete bars. |
| Parts & staves | Voice assignment, chords, clefs and transposition | After import, the music must be in the right part and at the right pitch. |
| Ties, slurs & repeats | Ties, phrase marks and repeat structure | These marks affect both readability and musical flow. |
| Lyrics | Words, syllables, placement and melisma extender lines | In choral music, the relationship between words and notes must remain clear. |
| Performance | Tempo, dynamics, fermatas and other directions | This information belongs to the score and must not disappear unnoticed. |
OUR DOCUMENTED TRIAL
Transeamus in Sibelius.
A complete choral score, converted with assisted review and imported into Sibelius by the project owner.
THE SCORE
Transeamus
- Scoring
- SATB and piano
- Source
- Digital PDF · 5 pages
- Length
- 70 bars
- Exchange format
- MusicXML 4.0 → Sibelius
What has been confirmed?
The MusicXML 4.0 version imported successfully without the earlier warning about an old format version. The SATB and piano structure, title, tempo and relevant performance directions were present in the supplied Sibelius PDF.
Ron Strik assessed the practical usability positively. This result was achieved through assisted corrections and comparison with the source.
What still needs attention?
Lyric extender lines in the tenor and bass parts in bars 45–48 and 67–70 still need targeted review. This is neither an error-free reference nor an independent measurement across a broad collection of scores.
Practical status recorded on 10 October 2026. The pilot must establish how the method performs with new sources and other users.
FAITHFUL TO THE SOURCE
A source error is not automatically a recognition error.
Printed music can contain mistakes too. We distinguish what the source contains, any editorial correction and interpretation in performance.
We therefore do not change an unusual note solely because another note seems more likely harmonically. Necessary choices are made visible and discussed.
TRANSPARENT EXPECTATIONS
What the pilot still needs to establish.
One successful trial does not mean that every scan will convert equally well. The pilot will help establish how much correction remains, which problems recur and what the complete service costs.
We therefore do not currently publish a general accuracy percentage or guarantee error-free automatic conversion.
Find out how to take part