MusicXML

MusicXML is an open, XML-based format for representing musical notation. It is designed to facilitate the interchange of scores between music notation programs, publishers, and other music software. The format encodes the musical content of a score—notes, rests, durations, pitches, dynamics, articulations, time and key signatures, lyrics, and metadata—in a portable, machine-readable form, while separating content from layout.

Structure is hierarchical, with elements such as score-partwise or score-timewise that contain parts, measures, and musical events. A note includes pitch and duration, while rests indicate silence. Dynamics, articulations, ties, and slurs are represented with dedicated elements; tempo and metronome marks convey timing. Lyrics, instrument and part names, and metadata such as title, composer, and copyright information are also included. The format supports multiple voices within a part and can encode expressive details and sequencing information for playback.

Interchange and compatibility are central to MusicXML. Because it uses standard XML, it can be read and written by a wide range of software and programming languages. It is widely supported by major notation programs, including Finale, Sibelius, MuseScore, and Dorico, which can import and export MusicXML to enable interoperability. The format is also used by libraries, educational platforms, and digital publishers as a neutral data interchange standard for scores and related musical data.

History and status: MusicXML was created in the early 2000s to address the need for a standardized interchange format for scores. Since then, multiple versions have been released, and the format has become a de facto standard in the music notation software ecosystem. Its XML basis makes it extensible and suitable for automated processing, archiving, and cross-platform data exchange.