Command line usage

PLEASE NOTE: This page was copied from the equivalent page in the MuseScore 3 Handbook. If you find an option that no longer works in MuseScore 4, please report it on GitHub and add a note next to that option on this page. If the option was intentionally removed from MuseScore 4 then please delete it from this page.

MSCORE(1) — General Commands Manual Page

NAME

mscore, MuseScore4 — MuseScore 4 sheet music editor

SYNOPSIS

You can launch MuseScore from the command line by typing

• mscore [options] [filename …] (Mac and Linux/BSD/Unix)

• musescore [options] [filename …] (Linux/BSD/Unix)

• mscore4portable [options] [filename …] (Linux AppImage)

• MuseScore4.exe [options] [filename …] (Windows)

[options] and [filename] are optional. For this to work the MuseScore executable must be in %PATH% (Windows) resp. $PATH (Mac and Linux). If it is not, see Revert to factory settings for detailed instructions on how and where to find and execute the MuseScore executable from the command line on the various supported platforms.

A more detailed synopsis follows:

mscore [-deFfhIiLmnOPRstvw] [-b | --bitrate bitrate] [-c | --config-folder pathname] [-D | --monitor-resolution DPI] [-d | --debug] [-E | --install-extension extension file] [-e | --experimental] [-F | --factory-settings] [-f | --force] [-h | -? | --help] [-I | --dump-midi-in] [-i | --load-icons] [-j | --job file.json] [-L | --layout-debug] [-M | --midi-operations file] [-m | --no-midi] [-n | --new-score] [-O | --dump-midi-out] [-o | --export-to file] [-P | --export-score-parts] [-p | --plugin name] [-R | --revert-settings] [-r | --image-resolution DPI] [-S | --style style] [-s | --no-synthesizer] [-T | --trim-image margin] [-t | --test-mode] [-v | --version] [-w | --no-webview] [-x | --gui-scaling factor] [--diff] [--long-version] [--no-fallback-font] [--raw-diff] [--run-test-script] [--score-media] [--score-meta] [--highlight-config] [--score-parts] [--score-parts-pdf] [--score-transpose] [--sound-profile] [--source-update] [--template-mode] [file ...]

DESCRIPTION

MuseScore is a Free and Open Source WYSIWYG cross-platform multi-lingual music composition and notation software, released under the GNU General Public Licence (GPLv3).

Running mscore without any extra options launches the full graphical MuseScore program and opens any files specified on the command line.

The options are as follows:

• -b | --bitrate bitrate

  Set MP3 output bitrate in kbit/s

• -c | --config-folder pathname

  Override configuration and settings directory

• -D | --monitor-resolution DPI

  Specify monitor resolution (override autodetection)

• -d | --debug

  Start MuseScore in debug mode

• -E | --install-extension extension file

  Install an extension file; soundfonts are loaded by default unless -e is also specified

• -e | --experimental

  Enable experimental features, such as layers
• -F | --factory-settings

  Use only the standard built-in presets (“factory settings”) and delete user preferences; compare with the -R option (see also Revert to factory settings)
• -f | --force

  Ignore score corruption and version mismatch warnings in “converter mode”

• -h | -? | --help

  Display an overview of invocation instructions (doesn’t work on Windows)

• -I | --dump-midi-in

  Display all MIDI input on the console

• -i | --load-icons

  Load icons from the filesystem; useful if you want to edit the MuseScore icons and preview the changes

• -j | --job file.json

  Process a conversion job (see EXAMPLES below)
• -L | --layout-debug

  Start MuseScore in layout debug mode

• -M | --midi-operations file

  Specify MIDI import operations file (see EXAMPLES below)
• -m | --no-midi

  Disable MIDI input

• -n | --new-score

  Start with the New Score wizard regardless whether it’s enabled or disabled in the user preferences

• -O | --dump-midi-out

  Display all MIDI output on the console

• -o | --export-to file

  Export the given (or currently opened) file to the specified output file. The file type depends on the extension of the filename given. This option switches to “converter mode” and avoids the graphical user interface.

• -P | --export-score-parts

  When converting to PDF with the -o option, append each part’s pages to the created PDF file. If the score has no parts, all default parts will temporarily be generated automatically.

• -p | --plugin name

  Execute the named plugin

• -R | --revert-settings

  Use only the standard built-in presets (“factory settings”) but do not delete user preferences; compare with the -F option

• -r | --image-resolution DPI

  Set image resolution for conversion to PNG files. Default: 300 DPI (actually, the value of “Resolution” of the PNG option group in the Export tab of the preferences)
• -S | --style style

  Load a style file first; useful for use with the -o option

• -s | --no-synthesizer

  Disable the integrated software synthesizer

• -T | --trim-image margin

  Trim exported PNG and SVG images to remove whitespace surrounding the score. The specified margin, in pixels, will be retained (use 0 for a tightly cropped image). When exporting to SVG, this option only works with single-page scores.

• -t | --test-mode

  Set test mode flag for all files, includes --template-mode

• -v | --version

  Display the name and version of the application without starting the graphical user interface (doesn’t work on Windows)

• -w | --no-webview

  Disable the web view component in the Start Center

• -x | --gui-scaling factor

  Scale the score display and other GUI elements by the specified factor; intended for use with high-resolution displays

• --diff

  Print a conditioned diff between the given scores

• --long-version

  Display the full name, version and git revision of the application without starting the graphical user interface (doesn’t work on Windows)

• --no-fallback-font

  Don’t use Bravura as fallback musical font

• --raw-diff

  Print a raw diff between the given scores

• --run-test-script

  Run script tests listed in the command line arguments

• --score-media

  Export all media (except MP3) for a given score as a single JSON document to stdout

• --highlight-config

  Set highlight to svg, generated from a given score

• --score-meta

  Export score metadata to JSON document and print it to stdout

• --score-parts

  Generate parts data for the given score and save them to separate mscz files

• --score-parts-pdf

  Generate parts data for the given score and export it as a single JSON document to stdout

• --score-transpose

  Transpose the given score and export the data to a single JSON file, print it to stdout

• --sound-profile sound-profile

  Use with '-o .mp3' or with '-j ', override the sound profile in the given score(s). Possible values: "MuseScore Basic", "Muse Sounds"

• --source-update

  Update the source in the given score

• --template-mode

  Save files in template mode (e.g. without page sizes)

MuseScore also supports the automatic Qt command line options.

Batch conversion job JSON format

The argument to the -j option must be the pathname of a file comprised of a valid JSON document honoring the following specification:

• The top-level element must be a JSONArray, which may be empty.

• Each array element must be a JSONObject with the following keys:

  • in: Value is the name of the input file (score to convert), as JSONString.

  • plugin: Value is the filename of a plugin (with the .qml extension), which will be read from either the global or per-user plugin path and executed before the conversion output happens, as JSONString. Optional, but at least one of plugin and out must be given.

  • out: Value is the conversion output target, as defined below. Optional, but at least one of plugin and out must be given.

• The conversion output target may be a filename (with extension, which decided the format to convert to), as JSONString.

• The conversion output target may be a JSONArray of filenames as JSONString, as above, which will cause the score to be written to multiple output files (in multiple output formats) sequentially, without being closed, re-opened and re-processed in between.

• If the conversion output target is a JSONArray, one or more of its elements may also be, each, a JSONArray of two JSONStrings (called first and second half in the following description). This will cause part extraction: for each such two-tuple, all extant parts of the score will be saved individually, with filenames being composed by concatenating the first half, the name (title) of the part, and the second half. The resulting string must be a valid filename (with extension, determining the output format). If a score has no parts (excerpts) defined, this will be silently ignored without error.

• Valid file extensions for output are:

  • flac

    Free Lossless Audio Codec (compressed audio)

  • metajson

    various score metadata (JSON)

  • mid

    standard MIDI file

  • midi

    standard MIDI file

  • mlog

    internal file sanity check log (JSON)

  • mp3

    MPEG Layer III (lossy compressed audio)

  • mpos

    measure positions (XML)

  • mscx

    uncompressed MuseScore file

  • mscz

    compressed MuseScore file

  • musicxml

    uncompressed MusicXML file

  • mxl

    compressed MusicXML file

  • ogg

    OGG Vorbis (lossy compressed audio)

  • pdf

    portable document file (print)

  • png

    portable network graphics (image) — Individual files, one per score page, with a hyphen-minus followed by the page number placed before the file extension, will be generated.

  • spos

    segment positions (XML)

  • svg

    scalable vector graphics (image)

  • wav

    RIFF Waveform (uncompressed audio)

  • xml

    uncompressed MusicXML file

See below for an example.

ENVIRONMENT

• SKIP_LIBJACK

  Set this (the value does not matter) to skip initialization of the JACK Audio Connection Kit library, in case it causes trouble.

• XDG_CONFIG_HOME

  User configuration location; defaults to ~/.config if unset.

• XDG_DATA_HOME

  User data location; defaults to ~/.local/share if unset.

Note that MuseScore also supports the normal Qt environment variables such as QT_QPA_GENERIC_PLUGINS, QT_QPA_PLATFORM, QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME, QT_QPA_PLATFORM_PLUGIN_PATH, QT_STYLE_OVERRIDE, DISPLAY, etc.

FILES

/usr/share/mscore-4.0/ contains the application support data (demos, instruments, localization, system-wide plugins, soundfonts, styles, chords, templates and wallpapers). In the Debian packages, system-wide soundfonts are installed into /usr/share/sounds/sf2/, /usr/share/sounds/sf3/ or /usr/share/sounds/sfz/, respectively, instead.

The per-user data (extensions, plugins, soundfonts, styles, templates) and files (images, scores) are normally installed into subdirectories under ~/MuseScore4/ but may be changed in the configuration. Note that snapshot, alpha and beta versions use MuseScore4Development instead of MuseScore4 in all of these paths.

$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/MuseScore/MuseScore4.ini contains the user preferences, list of recently used files and their locations, window sizes and positions, etc. See above for development version paths.

$XDG_DATA_HOME/data/MuseScore/MuseScore4/ contains updated localization files downloaded from within the program, plugin information, cached scores, credentials for the musescore.com community site, session information, synthesizer settings, custom key and time signatures and shortcuts. See above for development version paths.

EXAMPLES

Convert a score to PDF from the command line

mscore -o 'My Score.pdf' 'My Score.mscz'

Run a batch job converting multiple documents

mscore -j job.json

This requires assumes a file job.json exists in the current working directory with content similar to the following:

[
    {
        "in": "MyScore1.mscz",
        "out": "MyScore1.pdf"
    },
    {
        "in": "MyScore2.mscz",
        "plugin": "colornotes.qml",
        "out": [
            "MyScore2-notecolors.pdf",
            "MyScore2-notecolors.svg"
        ]
    },
    {
        "in": "MyScore3.mscz",
        "out": [
            "MyScore3.pdf",
            "MyScore3.musicxml",
            "MyScore3.mid",
            [
                "MyScore3 (",
                " part).pdf"
            ]
        ]
    }
]

If MyScore3.mscz contains excerpts (instrumental parts) then the syntax above would cause files like “MyScore3 (Violin part).pdf” to be generated alongside the conductor’s PDF and MusicXML files, as well as a MIDI file with the full orchestral sound. If MyScore3.mscz has no excerpts defined then only the conductor’s PDF, MusicXML, and orchestral MIDI files will be generated, while the request for part PDFs is silently ignored.

MIDI import operations

The attached midi_import_options.xml is a sample MIDI import operations file for the -M option.

DIAGNOSTICS

The mscore utility exits 0 on success, and >0 if an error occurs.

SEE ALSO

fluidsynth(1), midicsv(1), timidity(1), qtoptions(7)

• https://musescore.org/handbook

  Online Handbook, full user manual

• https://musescore.org/forum

  Support Forum

• https://musescore.org/en/node/278582

  Reverting to factory settings (troubleshooting)

• https://github.com/musescore/MuseScore/issues

  Project Issue Tracker — Please check first to if the bug you’re encountering has already been reported. If you just need help with something, then please use the support forum instead.
• http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/qguiapplication.html#supported-command-line-optio…

  Documentation of automatic Qt command line options

STANDARDS

MuseScore attempts to implement the following standards:

• MusicXML 3.1 (score interchange format)

• SF2 (SoundFont 2.01)

• SF3 (SoundFont with OGG Vorbis-compressed samples)

• SFZ (Sforzato soundfont)

• SMuFL (Standard Music Font Layout 1.20)

HISTORY

MuseScore was split off the MusE sequencer in 2002 and has since become the foremost Open Source notation software.

AUTHORS

MuseScore is developed by MuseScore BVBA and others.

This manual page was written by mirabilos <[e-mail]>.

CAVEATS

The automatic Qt command line options are removed from the argument vector before the application has a chance at option processing; this means that an invocation like mscore -S -reverse has no chance at working because the -reverse is removed by Qt first.

BUGS

• MuseScore Studio does not honor /etc/papersize.

• Probably some more; check the project’s bug tracker (cf. SEE ALSO).