MuseScore and Dorico can't open a Sibelius .sib file. To move the score, you export it from Sibelius as MusicXML and open that. This guide shows you how, and what to do if you don't have Sibelius, or only have a PDF.
Which of these is you?
- You have Sibelius and a .sib file
- You only have the free Sibelius First
- You've lost Sibelius, or you never had it
- You only have a PDF of the score
Each one has a path below.
Step 1: Export MusicXML from Sibelius
- Open the score in Sibelius.
- Choose File → Export → MusicXML.
- Pick compressed (.mxl). It's smaller, and it's the one that can carry pictures.
- Click Export.
This works in Sibelius Artist and Ultimate. The free Sibelius First can open MusicXML but can't export it. If that's what you have, Avid's download page says First comes with a 30-day trial of Sibelius Ultimate, which is plenty of time to export your scores.
Got a whole folder of scores? In Sibelius Ultimate, open Home → Plug-ins → Batch Processing and run Convert Folder of Scores to MusicXML.
On Sibelius 5 or 6, you need the free Dolet 6 plug-in instead, because built-in export started with Sibelius 7.
Step 2: Open it in MuseScore
In MuseScore, choose File → Open and pick the .mxl file. That's all.
If the layout looks different from Sibelius, that's normal. MuseScore sets the page again in its own way.
Step 3: Or open it in Dorico
In Dorico, choose File → Open to open the file as a new project, or File → Import → MusicXML to add it to the project you already have open.
For a cleaner result, first open Preferences → MusicXML and turn off most of the Import options. Dorico then lays the page out itself. If something still looks wrong, this guide fixes the common problems.
Step 4: Check three things
- Instruments. If a player switches instruments in the score, check that each one came across.
- Text. Tempo marks and playing instructions such as pizz. and arco sometimes arrive as plain text. Fix any that did.
- Sound. In Dorico, check the sounds in Setup mode, because playback doesn't travel with the file.
No Sibelius, or only a PDF?
If you have a PDF that was exported from Sibelius, you don't need the .sib file. Tutti reads the music straight from the PDF.
- Open tutti-studio.com, sign in, and drop the PDF on the page. Click Check compatibility for free. Nothing is uploaded at this point and no free pages are used.
- When you see This score is supported., choose the pages you want and click Convert pages.
- When you see Your MusicXML is ready, click Download MusicXML.
- Open the file in MuseScore or Dorico, as in step 2 or 3.
If Tutti says We can't convert this PDF., it is most likely a scan or a photo. Reading a PDF directly is the accurate route, which is why it comes first; recognising notes from a picture is far less reliable, and PDF to MusicXML: Best Free and Paid Converters shows how much.
If you still want to try recognition, PhotoScore and ScanScore are the established tools for scans. Each reads the page and exports MusicXML that you open in MuseScore or Dorico as in step 2 or 3, and PDF to MusicXML: Best Free and Paid Converters shows which suits which kind of page. Sibelius also opens MIDI files, which keep the notes and timing but not the layout.
If the page is short, or the scan is poor, retyping it in Sibelius or hiring someone to do it will probably cost you less time than correcting the recognition.
Quick summary
MuseScore and Dorico can't read .sib files. Export MusicXML from Sibelius Artist or Ultimate, or start the Ultimate trial if you only have First, then open that file. If you only have a PDF, Tutti turns it into MusicXML.
Ready to try? Drop your PDF on tutti-studio.com and run the free check.