MakeMusic has released version 26 of its Finale music notation software for Windows and Mac.

The update comes with various time saving improvements, from automatically stacking articulations and avoiding collisions with slurs, to expediting the entry of chord symbols and expressions.

When deadlines loom and there’s no room for mistakes, music professionals choose Finale. Continually evolving, today’s Finale brings that proven reliability to every musician.

Produce the music of your imagination without compromise. No other music notation software offers Finale’s level of control, letting you decide both what and how you create. At every rehearsal, know that your score will sound great, your parts are ready, and you have clearly communicated your musical vision.

Changes in Finale 26

  • Auto-stacking articulations: When you add more than one articulation to a note, they now stack automatically – and intelligently – eliminating the need for manual edits.
  • Slur/articulation interaction: As you add or adjust slurs, existing articulations will automatically adjust to avoid collisions. Finale knows what articulations should go inside and outside a slur, and will also split up stacked articulations so that everything fits.
  • Instant tremolos and rolls: When placing a tremolo or roll on a note, Finale adjusts the note’s stem as necessary, whether the note is flagged, unflagged, or part of a beamed group. Enjoy engraver-quality results without the fuss.
  • Horizontal centering: Finale version 26 allows you to flip articulations from note side to stem side with a keystroke. It also knows when to center an articulation on the stem or the note, and does so as you make changes.
  • New expressions and articulations: Finale’s expression and articulation libraries have been overhauled, expanded, and refined for playback. Not only do they look better, you save time by not having to create or configure them.
  • Enhanced chords: Musicians often disagree on chord suffixes. Whether you prefer one-, two-, or three-letter suffixes, Finale now recognizes your favorites as you type them, and sets them up to look and sound great.
  • Performance enhancements, improved Retina support, bug fixes, many new templates, and more.

Finale 26 is available for $600 USD. Users of a previous version can upgrade for $149 USD, and users of SongWriter, PrintMusic, or Allegro can purchase Finale for $200 USD. A free 30-day trial version is available for download.

More information: MakeMusic