Own the Future: MakeMusic Releases Finale 2014
My Music Notation Software of Choice
I made the decision years ago not to upgrade my notation software each year. I have been a Finale user from the get-go when it was first released back in the 80’s, back when it was agreed that there was a learning curve associated with the software. Every upgrade would boast new feature after feature, usually something that I wasn’t using or never would use. So the compromise was to at least upgrade every other year to make sure my software was compatible with the submissions I received for publication. The last time I upgraded was when Finale 2011 was released, and this has worked well, seeing most of our arrangers did not move to the less impressive 2012 upgrade. I did, however, purchase the Sibelius 7 competitor upgrade for less then what the Finale upgrade sold for. I figured having both cutting edge notation programs would be of benefit and I could see what all the hype was about in Sibelius. The interface is sweet but I still struggle doing basic things I do intuitively in Finale.
Music Notation Perfection: Finale 2014
I was excited to see that this week Finale has released the 25th Anniversary Edition of their music notation software. Their site boasts the statement, “Own the Future,” giving me the impression that it is innovative and super-charged for the digital age of print publishing. I had to see more so the first thing I clicked on was the “What’s New” tab to see what’s under the hood of this latest release.
Here are just a few of my findings:
- Workflow improvements to help you complete more in less time
- New file format. Designed to improve compatibility
- Beat-attached Smart Shapes. Smart Shapes that previously attached to measures now attach to beats
- New ARIA Player. Finale includes the latest ARIA Player from Garritan, with more than 400 instruments
- Smart multi-layer accidental and rest handling
- MP4 support. Finale now supports loading MP4 videos.
- Customizable music education worksheets
- EPUB SUPPORT – a new standard in digital publishing, EPUB offers instant publishing for e-book platforms like iBooks for the iPad
I have been waiting for a major upgrade that advances how I compose, listen, finish and share my music. I believe this is what I’ve been waiting for. I will upgrade to Finale 2014.