Dorico

Dorico is a professional music notation software developed by Steinberg. It was announced in 2013 and released in 2016 as a modern successor to traditional notation programs, designed to deliver high-quality engraving, flexible workflow, and scalable output for publishers, ensembles, and individual composers. Dorico uses a flow-based project structure, organizing content into flows, parts, and players, which allows notation to be managed across multiple instruments and formats. It emphasizes multi-voice notation, automatic layout, and advanced engraving features such as cross-staff notation, ligaturing, microtonal support, percussion notation, lyric handling, and robust page layout tools.

Dorico is available for Windows and macOS, with a separate iPad version released later. It comes in multiple editions: Dorico Pro, the full-featured edition; Dorico Elements, a mid-range version with a reduced feature set; and Dorico SE, a free entry-level edition. Dorico for iPad is offered as a separate mobile product.

Key features include a dedicated Play mode for playback with MIDI and virtual-instrument integration, a versatile notation engine, and modern engraving capabilities with scalable layouts and automatic pagination. Interchange with other software is supported through MusicXML and MIDI, and scores can be exported to PDF for printing or shared as music notation data. Audio rendering and playback are supported through the built-in engine and compatible virtual instruments.

Dorico is used by composers, arrangers, and music publishers and receives regular updates that expand notation options, improve playback, and add language and character support. It competes with other notation programs such as Finale and Sibelius, positioning itself on precision engraving and streamlined workflow.