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 |
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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) |
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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 |
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Advanced notation interpretation |
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Yes |
Edit MIDI data |
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Yes |
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Included sampled sounds | N/A |
High-quality Sibelius Sounds (10 GB library) |
Full range of professional-quality |
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 |
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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 |
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Advanced layout features | Yes | ||
Auto Layout options |
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Yes |
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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 |
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Audio recording export | WAV, AIFF, and MP3 | WAV, AIFF, and MP3 | |
Avid Scorch optimized export (app available on the iTunes App Store) |
Yes |
Yes |
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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) |
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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 |
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How to Buy: |
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