Audio to MIDI checked by ear
ScoreStarling turns a recording into notes, shows them as a score you can play beside the original and correct, then gives you the MIDI file for your DAW or notation app.
Drop an MP3, WAV or video here
Up to 100 MB; the first five minutes are converted. A voice, one instrument or solo piano is free to transcribe.
No file handy?
What goes in and what comes out
You bring
- An MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG, AIFF or video file
- A voice, one instrument, solo piano or a band
You get
- A MIDI file, one track per part, once the score is unlocked
- The same notes as MusicXML for notation software
- A score to check and fix before you export
- PDF, MP3 and WAV, free
Why see a score before the MIDI?
A converter that hands back a MIDI file straight away leaves you to find the wrong notes in your DAW. Here the notes appear as a score first, with playback you can slide against the original recording, so a missed note or an octave slip is easy to hear and fix with a click. The MIDI you download has those fixes in it.
How it works
- Choose the recording above. The workspace opens with it, after sign-in if needed.
- Say what is playing. For piano, choose solo piano to get both hands.
- Check the score against the recording and correct it.
- Unlock the score (15 credits, once) and download MIDI or MusicXML.
Try the files
How accurate is it?
It depends on the recording. We measured the free engines on public datasets and published the method and numbers in How accurate is AI music transcription?.
Good to know
- The first five minutes of a recording are converted.
- If a MIDI file looks messy once imported into MuseScore, this article explains why; the MusicXML keeps the spelling, rests and key.
Questions and answers
Is the MIDI download free?
Transcribing a voice, one instrument or solo piano is free, and so are its PDF, MP3 and WAV. The MIDI and MusicXML need the score unlocked: 15 credits, once per score, after which every format downloads as often as you like, edits included. Every account gets free credits each month, so most people unlock their first scores without paying. A band transcription paid with credits is already unlocked.
Does the MIDI keep the timing of my playing?
The MIDI is the score’s performance: the notes you see, at the tempo of the score, with each part on its own track. Edits you make in the workspace are in it.
Can it convert piano with both hands?
Yes. Choose “solo piano”, which writes both hands and the pedal, and finds the bar lines and meter in the playing. It is free.
What about a whole band?
Choose “a band” and each instrument you confirm gets its own staff and MIDI track. It uses 40 credits a minute, shows the price before it starts, and is already unlocked when it finishes.