MP3 to sheet music
Choose a recording and ScoreStarling writes it out as a score you can play back beside the original, correct note by note and download as a PDF.
Drop an MP3 or any recording here
MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG, AIFF or a video, up to 100 MB. The first five minutes are written out. You choose what is playing before anything starts.
No file handy?
What goes in and what comes out
You bring
- An MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG or AIFF file
- A video, whose sound is used
- A voice, one instrument, solo piano or a band
You get
- A score on the staff you can play and edit
- A PDF to print, free
- MP3 or WAV of the score, free
- MusicXML and MIDI once the score is unlocked
How it works
- Choose the MP3 above. The workspace opens with it ready; sign in first if you need to, and it waits for you.
- Say what is playing: one instrument or voice, solo piano, or a band. The first two are free; a band shows its price in credits before it starts.
- The score opens in a few minutes. Play it beside the recording, slide between the two, and fix any note you hear wrong.
- Download the PDF, or unlock the score for MusicXML and MIDI to finish it in MuseScore, Dorico, Sibelius or a DAW.
Hear an example
What gives a good result
- One clear part in front: a voice, a single instrument or a piano on its own.
- Little reverb or crowd noise. A phone recording in a quiet room is fine.
- The tempo, if you know it. ScoreStarling detects it, but typing the beats per minute is more reliable.
Good to know
- One instrument or voice is written on one staff in 4/4, which you can change; solo piano and band scores take the meter found in the playing.
- Guitar, bass and ukulele can show TAB under the staff; choose Staff and TAB above, or see audio to guitar tab.
- Audio downloads play the score back with instrument sounds. They are not the separated tracks of your recording.
Questions and answers
Is converting an MP3 to sheet music free?
Yes for a voice, one instrument or solo piano: up to three recordings a day, and the PDF, MP3 and WAV downloads are free. A free score’s PDF carries a small footer line. A band, with each instrument on its own staff, uses 40 credits a minute after you agree to the price. See pricing.
How long can the MP3 be?
Files up to 100 MB. The first five minutes are transcribed, for every account; a longer recording keeps its first five minutes.
Can I get MusicXML or MIDI too?
Yes, once the score is unlocked: 15 credits, once per score, and every account gets free credits each month. The PDF needs no unlock.
Does a WAV work better than an MP3?
Not at 320 kbit/s: in our October 2026 test, MP3s at that rate transcribed within a handful of notes in a few thousand of the lossless originals. A clean recording where the part you want stands out matters far more. See MP3 vs WAV for transcription.