Converting PDF to music XML files

[younggun]

Not sure this is really the correct forum, but I wanted to see if anyone is using, or can recommend, some software to convert PDF sheet music into XML files. I have quite a few files I'd like to be able to import into a notation editor. I tried some programs years ago, and none of them were very good, but with the advancement in "AI" and computing, I'm hoping that maybe that will equate to better and more accurate software nowdays.

 

[ChrisD_]

The Musescore app (Win, Mac, Linux) has an Import PDF function that takes PDFs, and it has the ability to Export Music XML files. The software uses a cloud service that is part of Musescore.com. You can download the software and use Musescore.com for free, but it seems they work too hard to get paid subscriptions.

 

[younggun]

The Musescore app (Win, Mac, Linux) has an Import PDF function that takes PDFs, and it has the ability to Export Music XML files. The software uses a cloud service that is part of Musescore.com. You can download the software and use Musescore.com for free, but it seems they work too hard to get paid subscriptions.

Thanks for the suggestion....have you actually used it though? There's lot's of stuff I kind find by searching, but I'm hoping to get some input on programs people have used.

 

[ChrisD_]

Well, you asked for a recommendation. In this case though, yes, I use it regularly. It works well when it works at all. Some PDFs it won't process and I can't tell why. It's like anything, you have to try it for yourself.

 

[younggun]

Well, you asked for a recommendation. In this case though, yes, I use it regularly. It works well when it works at all. Some PDFs it won't process and I can't tell why. It's like anything, you have to try it for yourself.

Thanks, I didn't mean to come accross as snarky, just sincerely interested in real world feedback. My experience with PDF to xml processing was horrible in the past...the time invested in trying various programs, would have been better spent just transcribing the music into the editor I use. Hoping to avoid that time wasting and find something that works well.

When you say "it [Musescore] works well when it works at all", does that mean that the scores you do get to import are good enough to need minimal to no editing?

 

[dadglasser]

Well, you asked for a recommendation. In this case though, yes, I use it regularly. It works well when it works at all. Some PDFs it won't process and I can't tell why. It's like anything, you have to try it for yourself.

Some PDFs it won't process and I can't tell why.

It may be that the pdf's properties specify that copying is not allowed:

I use an ooooollllld edition of Adobe Reader, so your properties may not look like this. Look under File - Properties. If this value is set then there is most likely no way to change it unless you have the password to the file.

 

[ChrisD_]

Some PDFs it won't process and I can't tell why.

It may be that the pdf's properties specify that copying is not allowed:

I'll check into this, thanks.

 

[bigthemat]

Some PDFs it won't process and I can't tell why.

It may be that the pdf's properties specify that copying is not allowed:

View attachment 5441746

I use an ooooollllld edition of Adobe Reader, so your properties may not look like this. Look under File - Properties. If this value is set then there is most likely no way to change it unless you have the password to the file.

could you print it as a PDF to strip that restriction? Or will it not let you print it either?

 

[ChrisD_]

could you print it as a PDF to strip that restriction? Or will it not let you print it either?

I printed it, scanned it back as a PDF, and then succeeded in getting a score from that. Makes sense, since the second generation is just a picture of a score, and the scanning software has no reason to set any restrictive metadata. Thanks to all the ideas I took another run at it and got a great result.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I didn't realize that XML format is still used anywhere.

 

[Anne Millington]

I purchased SmartScore 64 Pro, just for this process. I had to refer to the documentation a time or two, but it works really well if you have a clean pdf. You can use external pdf editors or the function within SmartScore to clean up your pdf and remove extraneous text that will make trouble for your scan. I convert to MusicXML or SmartScore's native format almost exclusively, for import into Finale for further editing.
I am very happy with it.

 

[younggun]

I didn't realize that XML format is still used anywhere.

Seems like most editors use their own file extensions, but xml is the "generic" file format that can be used crossed platform by importing and exporting it.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Thanks for the suggestion....have you actually used it though? There's lot's of stuff I kind find by searching, but I'm hoping to get some input on programs people have used.

I've used it too, but my scenario was getting sheet music of public domain music into MuseScore, then recording it being played to use in my video game. Did well enough, but I had to fix a few notes that didn't transfer over quite right. I'd say about 95-98% of it was spot-on though.

I'd say it's been solid for my needs thus far

 

[younggun]

I printed it, scanned it back as a PDF, and then succeeded in getting a score from that. Makes sense, since the second generation is just a picture of a score, and the scanning software has no reason to set any restrictive metadata. Thanks to all the ideas I took another run at it and got a great result.

You may not even have to make a physical copy on paper and have to re-scan it. At least on Mac you can use the print feature to make a new PDF file and save it directly. Not sure if it would save the meta-data or not though, but it's worth a shot and may save you those extra steps.

 

[younggun]

I purchased SmartScore 64 Pro, just for this process. I had to refer to the documentation a time or two, but it works really well if you have a clean pdf. You can use external pdf editors or the function within SmartScore to clean up your pdf and remove extraneous text that will make trouble for your scan. I convert to MusicXML or SmartScore's native format almost exclusively, for import into Finale for further editing.
I am very happy with it.

Yowza, $400 for Smartscore! I wouldn't mind paying some for decent software, but I'm not doing enough of them to justify that expense.

 

[Cerio]

I've tried many of these programs, and the best one, by far, is PDF to Music Pro:
PDFtoMusic Pro

It's expensive and it only works with PDFs generated by notation programs (it won't work at all with scanned PDFs), but it works really, really well.

 

[Anne Millington]

Yowza, $400 for Smartscore! I wouldn't mind paying some for decent software, but I'm not doing enough of them to justify that expense.

Agreed! But because I have Finale already, I was able to get it for $200. Also we deduct charges like this as a business expense, so there's that. In sum, it has really been worth it for us, and has saved our bacon on more than one occasion.