Close
Main Categories
    Filters
    Preferences
    Search

    Avid Sibelius Comparison

    Avid Sibelius Comparison Chart

    Compare the features of the 3 versions of Sibelius! Use the table below to see which product best suits your needs and to learn more about the capabilities offered.

     

    Sibelius | First

    Sibelius

    Sibelius | Ultimate

     

     

    Ideal for... Composing simple scores with up to 4 instrument parts (staves) Composing simple/moderate music with up to 16 staves Composing, arranging, and publishing scores and parts of any size and complexity; creating notation worksheets and exercises for education
    Number of computers you can install a single copy on n/a

    2, for use by same person (e.g., desktop + laptop)

    Accidentals Normal and double only Normal and double only, bracketed Normal, double, quarter-tones, bracketed
    Metadata Common ones only Full set
    Bar numbers Limited Limited Full range of formats
    Barline types  Single, double, repeat only Single, double, repeat, dotted, early music
    Bars, irregular No No, except pick-up bars Yes
    Beams cross-staff in (keyboard music)     Yes
    Beam/rest groupings Fixed Fixed Customizable
    Brackets and braces Fixed Fixed Customizable
    Change transposition of tranposing instruments     Yes
    Chord symbols appearance and MIDI/text input Limited preset options Limited preset options Fully customizable
    Cue (small) notes     Yes
    Dotted notes: single, double, triple Single dotted Yes Yes
    Guitar chord diagrams Limited Limited Yes
    Guitar scale diagrams     Yes
    Guitar tab Basic only Basic only Full
    Instruments Common only Common, jazz, and world instruments only, with fixed number of staves Full customizable range
    Jazz articulations: scoops, falls, doits, and plops   Yes Yes
    Lines, custom     Yes
    Note values: 512th note (7 beams) to "long" (double breve) 32nd note to breve Yes Yes
    Noteheads, custom     Yes
    Ossia staves     Yes
    Page numbers Automatic Automatic Customizable
    Special symbols     Yes
    Split multirests in parts     Yes
    Staves Up to 4 Up to 16 per system Unlimited number
    Stemlets (half-stems) and "feathered" beams     Yes
    Tuplets Duplets (2:3) to sextuplets (6:4) Duplets (2:3) to nontuplets (9:8) Any (such as 2, 7, 44:31, and nested tuplets)
     
     

    Sibelius | First

    Sibelius

    Sibelius | Ultimate

    Advanced notation interpretation

     

     

    Yes

    Edit MIDI data  

     

    Yes

    Included sampled sounds N/A

    High-quality Sibelius Sounds (10 GB library)

    Full range of professional-quality
    orchestral, jazz, pop, marching
    band, and percussion sounds in Sibelius | Ultimate Sounds (36 GB library)

    Espressivo 2.0   Presets only Customizable rhythmic feel
    Live Tempo (conduct playback by tapping) Limited—playback only Limited—playback only Record, edit, clear, and play
    back Live Tempo
    Playback markings on specified repeats     Yes
    Playback of hairpins, rits, and accels Fixed Fixed Adjustable
    Playback of fermatas Fixed Fixed Adjustable
    Words that affect playback (e.g. legato) Fixed Fixed Editable
     

    Sibelius | First

    Sibelius

    Sibelius | Ultimate

    Annotate

    Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Arrange: automatic arranging and orchestration     Yes
    Comments (sticky notes) Yes

    Yes

    Yes

    Compare different scores or versions     Yes
    Copy and paste to Word and other programs   Low resolution (96 dpi) only Yes
    Display timecode   Single format Customizable format
    Edit Dynamic Parts   Limited Full
    Edit word menus     Yes
    Export a log of changes to a score     Yes
    Export lyrics as text file   Yes Yes
    Filters for editing similar objects   Quick filters only Yes
    Find     Yes
    Focus on staves     Yes
    Graphics export (for creating worksheets and other content)     Yes
    Highlight music Yes Yes Yes
    Ideas Hub 300 library ideas, with the ability to capture your own ideas (editing not supported) Over 2,000 library ideas, with the ability to capture and edit your own ideas and add to the score/library
    Import MusicXML files Yes Yes Yes
    Instrument changes     Yes
    Join scores together     Yes
    Keyboard shortcuts Fixed Fixed Customizable
    Lyric verses allowed 2 5 Unlimited
    Lyrics from text file     Yes
    Note input options Fixed Limited Full
    Panorama scroll view Yes Yes Yes
    Paper and desk textures 40 40 Over 60
    Part extraction     Yes
    Paste As Cue     Yes
    Plug-ins None 38 included Over 140 included
    Inspector window to edit individual objects     Full
    Rehearsal marks   Default only Fully customizable
    Repeat structures Fixed Customizable Fully customizable
    Rulers     Yes
    Score Starter: (40 genre-specific templates) Yes Yes  
    Slide notes and rests   Yes Yes
    Special page breaks     Yes
    Timeline window     Yes
    Swap voices     Yes
    Versions Latest (head) version only Save, view, and print only Yes
    Video, including timecode and hit points   Add video, add/edit hit points Yes
    Viewing options for Magnetic Layout, page margins, note colors, full screen, and more     Yes
    Worksheet Creator     Yes
     

    Sibelius | First

    Sibelius

    Sibelius | Ultimate

    Advanced layout features     Yes
    Auto Layout options  

     

    Yes

    Edit fonts   Limited Full
    Edit staff types     Yes
    Edit text styles     Yes
    Engraving rules (edit hundreds of)     Yes
    Headers/footers   Yes Yes
    House Style import/export   Import Only Yes
    Intelligent Rests   Yes Yes
    Magnetic Layout Fixed Fixed Fully customizable
    Manage Dynamic Parts     Yes
    Manuscript papers (preset score layouts) Includes a few; can\'t create your own Includes a few; can\'t create your own Includes many; can create your own
    Multiple staff size Fixed Fixed Fully customizable
    Note spacing rules Fixed Fixed Customizable
    Reset position/design of objects Limited Limited Yes
    Set default object positions     Yes
    Staff spacing Fixed Manual adjustment only Yes
     

    Sibelius | First

    Sibelius

    Sibelius | Ultimate

    Audio recording export   WAV, AIFF, and MP3 WAV, AIFF, and MP3
    Avid Scorch optimized
    export (app available on
    the iTunes App Store)
     

    Yes

    Yes

    Email score as .sib or .pdf   Yes Yes
    Graphics file export   PDF export only Standard bitmap and
    vector formats (SVG, EPS,
    PNG, JPG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, and PDF)
    MIDI file export—Type 0
    and Type 1 for any device
      Yes Yes
    MusicXML file export
    (compressed or uncompressed)
      Yes Yes
    Previous version export   Yes Yes
    Publish directly to ScoreExchange.com   Yes Yes
    Scorch (browser plug-in)
    web page export
      Yes Yes
    Share to YouTube,
    Facebook, SoundCloud
      Yes Yes
    Sibelius | Cloud Sharing 10 scores 20 scores Unlimited (up to
    1 GB storage)
    Video file (export your
    score as)
      Yes Yes
     

    Sibelius | First

    Sibelius

    Sibelius | Ultimate

    How to Buy:

    Visit Avid\'s website to
    download for free

    Buy Now

    Buy Now