mscore

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr musescore

mscore [OPTIONS] [FILE...]

--help
    Displays usage information and exits.

--version
    Displays the MuseScore version and exits.

-o <file>, --output <file>
    Specifies the output file name for export or print operations.

-e <format>, --export-to <format>
    Exports the given score to the specified format (e.g., pdf, png, midi, flac, mp3).

-p, --print
    Prints the specified score to the default printer or to the file specified by --output.

-r <dpi>, --render-image <dpi>
    Renders the score to an image file (PNG by default) at the specified DPI resolution.

-F, --force
    Forces overwriting of existing output files without prompting.

--no-gui
    Runs MuseScore in headless mode without a graphical user interface, ideal for batch conversions and scripting.

--layout-stretch <factor>
    Adjusts the layout stretching factor for rendering or export.

--image-width <width>
    Sets the image width for rendering or export.

--image-height <height>
    Sets the image height for rendering or export.

--pages <range>
    Specifies a range of pages to export (e.g., "1-3", "2,5").

mscore is the command-line interface to MuseScore, a popular open-source music notation software. It allows users to compose, arrange, and playback musical scores. Beyond its graphical user interface, the mscore command facilitates powerful automated tasks such as converting score files between various formats (e.g., .mscz to PDF, MIDI, or image files), printing scores directly, and rendering parts or full scores programmatically. It supports a wide array of musical symbols, instruments, and playback capabilities, making it a versatile tool for musicians, educators, and publishers. The command-line utility is especially useful for batch processing, scripting, and integration into larger workflows, allowing for efficient management of multiple score files without needing to open the full GUI application.

While mscore offers extensive command-line functionality, it's worth noting:
* Many advanced layout and interactive features are exclusively available through the graphical user interface.
* When running in GUI mode, an X server or similar display environment is typically required.
* The command-line options are numerous and can be highly specific. It's recommended to consult the official MuseScore documentation or experiment with --help for the most up-to-date and complete list of options.

mscore is highly effective for automating tasks like converting entire directories of .mscz files to PDF or MIDI. For instance, to convert all MuseScore files in a directory to PDF:
for f in *.mscz; do mscore -o "${f%.mscz}.pdf" "$f"; done

MuseScore supports a vast range of import and export formats, including its native .mscz, MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, PNG, SVG, FLAC, MP3, WAV, and more. This makes mscore a powerful converter for various musical data types.

MuseScore, and thus its command-line interface mscore, was initially created by Werner Schweer in 2002. It was released as open-source software in 2008. Over the years, it has grown significantly in popularity and features, becoming a leading free and open-source music notation program. The command-line capabilities have evolved to support increasingly complex batch operations and scripting needs, reflecting its broad adoption by musicians and developers alike.

lilypond(1), timidity(1), abc2midi(1), convert(1)