Installing MuseSounds

MuseSounds is a library of sophisticated plugins that provide realistic playback for MuseScore Studio.

Installation

Muse Hub (Windows and macOS)

On Windows and macOS, MuseSounds are installed via the Muse Hub utility, which can also be used to install MuseScore Studio. If you don't have Muse Hub yet you can download it for free from musehub.com.

Once installed, Muse Hub is found in the Windows system tray (shortcut Win+B to focus), or the macOS menu bar (press VO+M twice to focus while VoiceOver is running).

When Muse Hub is open, click Get under any sound you’d like to have in your library, and it will begin downloading and installing right away.

Muse Hub also contains a range of effects plugins. Download and install these from the Effects tab.

Once a plugin is fully downloaded, it will appear in the Mixer the next time you launch MuseScore Studio.

Muse Sounds Manager (Linux only)

On Linux, MuseSounds are installed via Muse Sounds Manager, which you can download from musescore.org as a DEB or RPM package for 64-bit Intel/AMD architectures (not ARM currently).

When Muse Sounds Manager is open, click Get under any sound you’d like to have in your library, and it will begin downloading and installing right away.

Once a plugin is fully downloaded, it will appear in the Mixer the next time you launch MuseScore Studio.

Using MuseSounds in MuseScore Studio

Any MuseSounds plugins you’ve downloaded will be automatically assigned to the appropriate instruments in your score.

You can tell MuseScore Studio to always use available MuseSounds plugins via the Playback Setup dialog.

1. Go to view → Playback setup

2. Select MuseSounds in the Profiles section

3. Leave Set as default for new scores checked if you want all future scores to also use MuseSounds

4. Click OK

The MuseSounds playback profile will ensure that all MuseSounds plugins will be assigned to every available instrument in your score. You can also manually assign a MuseSounds plugin to a single instrument via the Mixer. This can be helpful for scores with more than one instrument, where you may wish to combine Muse Sounds plugins with other VSTs or Soundfonts.

1. Go to View → Mixer to show the Mixer (Shortcut: F10)

2. Hover over a plugin slot next to Sound

3. Click the dropdown button that appears

4. Navigate to MuseSounds and select a sound from the desired library

Available sounds in MuseSounds

MuseSounds currently supports the following instruments:

Brass

• Bass Trombone

• Cimbasso

• Horn in F

• Horns a6

• Trombone

• Trombones a3

• Trumpet

• Trumpets a4

• Tuba

Choir

• Altos

• Basses

• Full Choir

• Men

• Sopranos

• Tenors

• Women

Drumline

• Marching Bass Drums

• Marching Cymbals

• Marching Snares

• Marching Tenors

• Show Style Tenors

Guitars Vol. 1

• Acoustic Nylon

• Acoustic Steel Picked

• Acoustic Steel Plucked

• Electric Bass

• Electric LP - Clean

• Electric LP - Heavy

• Electric LP - Lead

• Electric SC - Clean

• Electric SC - Heavy

• Electric SC - Lead

Harp

• Harp

Keys

• Celesta

• Dream Piano

• Grand Piano

• Hammond Organ

• Harpsichord

• Soft Piano

• Suitcase Piano

• Upright Piano

• Wurly 200A

Percussion

• Bass Drum

• Bell Tree

• Bongos

• Cabasa

• Castanets

• Claves

• Cowbell

• Crotales

• Drum Kit

• Field Drum

• Glockenspiel

• Gong

• Marimba

• Mark Tree

• Metronome

• Piatti

• Shaker

• Sleigh Bells

• Snare Drum

• Sus.Cymbal

• Taikos

• Tam-tam

• Tambourine

• Timbales

• Timpani

• Toms

• Triangle

• Tubular Bells

• Vibraphone

• Wood Blocks

• Xylophone

Strings

• Contrabasses

• Viola (Solo)

• Violas

• Violin 1 (Solo)

• Violin 2 (Solo)

• Violins 1

• Violins 2

• Violoncello (Solo)

• Violoncellos

Woodwinds

• Alto Flute

• Alto Sax

• Baritone Sax

• Bass Clarinet

• Bass Flute

• Bassoon

• Clarinet in Bb

• Clarinet in Eb

• Contrabass Flute

• Contrabassoon

• English Horn

• Flute 1

• Flute 2

• Oboe

• Piccolo

• Soprano Sax

• Tenor Sax

Any instruments not supported by MuseSounds will remain assigned to MS Basic by default.