Comparison
ScoreStarling vs Songscription
Both turn recordings into sheet music in the browser. They differ in how much the free tier writes out, which files and instruments they handle, and where you use them. Here is each side from its own website.
Checked
The short answer
Choose Songscription for full songs up to 15 minutes on a paid plan, Guitar Pro files, drums, or piano fingering. Choose ScoreStarling to write out five minutes of a voice, one instrument or solo piano for free, with guitar TAB if you want it, to read printed sheet music, to get jianpu, or to work from ChatGPT or Claude.
Side by side
What each website says, checked on October 7, 2026. Prices change, so we list what each plan includes and link the pricing pages rather than copying amounts.
| ScoreStarling | Songscription | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | First five minutes of a voice, one instrument or solo piano, up to three a day; PDF, MP3 and WAV included | 30-second transcriptions; no exports listed |
| Paid | Credits: 100 free a month, Plus, or packs (pricing) | Plus (600 credits, 60 minutes a month) and Pro (3,000 credits, 300 minutes a month), up to 15-minute transcriptions (pricing) |
| Longest recording | First five minutes, every plan | Up to 15 minutes on Plus and Pro |
| Inputs | Audio and video files, recording in the browser, links from 19 sites, PDFs and pictures of printed sheet music, MusicXML, MIDI, ABC | MP3, WAV and M4A, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok links, recording |
| Instruments | One instrument or voice, solo piano (both hands), or a band with each instrument on its own staff (credits) | Piano, guitar, bass, violin, flute, trumpet, saxophone, drums or vocals; multi-instrument in beta |
| Exports | PDF (staff, TAB or jianpu), MP3, WAV, parts, TAB as text; MusicXML, MIDI and ABC after a 15-credit unlock | PDF, MIDI, MusicXML, Guitar Pro, guitar tabs on paid plans |
| Editing | Note-level editor with playback beside the recording, undo, versions, comments | Sheet music editor with the Annie assistant, piano fingering and a piano roll |
| Numbered notation (jianpu) | Yes, read and PDF | Not listed |
| In ChatGPT and Claude | Yes, through remote MCP | Not listed |
When Songscription is the better fit
- Your pieces run past five minutes and you want the whole thing in one go.
- You play guitar or bass and want a Guitar Pro file.
- You need drums written out, or piano fingering.
- You want an assistant built into the editor itself.
When ScoreStarling is the better fit
- You want a full five-minute transcription of a voice, one instrument or solo piano without paying, and a PDF you can print.
- You start from printed sheet music, a MusicXML or MIDI file, not only audio.
- You read jianpu, or teach people who do.
- You already work in ChatGPT or Claude and want to ask for a score there.
- You want to hear the score beside the original recording while you fix it.
Try it on your own recording
The quickest test is the same short recording in both. Ours starts here:
MP3 to sheet musicFrom a YouTube link
Sources
- Songscription home page: inputs, instruments, exports and editor, checked October 7, 2026.
- Songscription pricing: free plan, Plus, Pro and Enterprise, checked October 7, 2026.
- ScoreStarling pricing and specifications.
Questions and answers
Which is free?
Songscription’s free plan lists 30-second transcriptions with no exports. ScoreStarling transcribes the first five minutes of a voice, one instrument or solo piano for free, up to three a day, with free PDF, MP3 and WAV; its MusicXML and MIDI need a 15-credit unlock per score, and every account gets free credits each month. Check both pricing pages before you decide; plans change.
Which handles longer songs?
Songscription’s paid plans list transcriptions of up to 15 minutes. ScoreStarling writes out the first five minutes of any recording on every plan.
Which has guitar tabs?
Both. Songscription lists guitar tabs and Guitar Pro export on paid plans. ScoreStarling writes guitar, bass and ukulele TAB under the staff or alone, free for one instrument, in your tuning and capo; it has no Guitar Pro file and no bends, slides or hammer-ons.
Can I use either inside ChatGPT or Claude?
ScoreStarling connects to ChatGPT, Claude and other assistants as a remote MCP server, so you can ask for a score in a chat; see the connection guide. We found no such connection on Songscription’s site; it has its own editing assistant, Annie, inside its editor.