Beta · for monophonic single-staff parts
neumascan
A sheet music scanner that keeps the music.
Photograph or upload a printed part and get an editable score: MusicXML and MIDI — with slurs, dynamics and articulation, not just pitches.
Why neumascan
Most scanners read the pitches — and throw the music away.
If you want to reuse a scanned part — transpose it, re-engrave it, hand it to students — you need more than the right notes: slurs, dynamics and phrasing have to survive. That is exactly where existing tools fail.
Complete, not approximate
Slurs, dynamics and articulation end up in the file — including whether they sit above or below the staff. The goal: MusicXML that opens in MuseScore, Sibelius or Dorico with zero cleanup.
Errors are found, not hidden
Every measure is checked against the time signature. Anything that doesn't add up shows in the measure ledger — one glance tells you how much work is left.
Honest before processing
If your photo's resolution isn't good enough, we say so before you wait — not after a useless result. No other scanner does this.
How it works
Four steps, no retyping.
Upload a photo, scan or PDF. Resolution is measured instantly.
Recognition reads pitches, rhythm, slurs and dynamics.
The measure ledger flags every bar whose beats don't add up.
Download MusicXML and keep working in your notation software.
Demo
Try it with a real page.
Printed, monophonic single-staff parts — études, orchestral parts, vocal lines. The beta can't do piano systems or handwriting yet.
… or drop it here. JPEG, PNG, HEIC or PDF, up to 8 MB.
- Check resolution
- Read the music
- Check measures
Measure ledger
Your photo is sent to our AI service for recognition and is not stored permanently. Please only upload music you are allowed to use. Privacy details (German).
Honesty
Below 10 pixels, we don't guess.
Everything depends on one number: the staff line spacing of your photo in pixels. If it's too small, the difference between one and two beams is smaller than the image noise — no serious recognition is possible, and we say so instead of shipping a broken file.
| Spacing | Behavior |
|---|---|
| ≥ 20 px | Full processing |
| 15–20 px | Processing with a warning |
| 10–15 px | Warning before you start — your call |
| < 10 px | Rejected — a better shot is needed |
Questions
Quick answers.
What is MusicXML?
The interchange format for music notation. Every major app — MuseScore (free), Sibelius, Dorico, Finale — opens it. That's where you transpose, lay out and print.
What kind of music works?
Printed, monophonic single-staff parts: études, wind and string parts, vocal lines. Not yet: piano, multi-voice staves, handwriting, tablature.
What does neumascan cost?
The beta is free. A fair subscription will follow once quality meets our own bar — measured as the share of measures that need no correction at all.
Can I upload any sheet music?
Only music you are allowed to use — public domain (the vast 19th-century repertoire) or your own material. Uploads stay private; there is no shared library.