Editing MusicXML (section)

==Example==
Like all XML-based formats, MusicXML is intended to be easy for automated tools to [[parsing|parse]] and manipulate. Though it is possible to create MusicXML by hand, interactive [[scorewriter|score writing]] programs like [[Finale (scorewriter)|Finale]] and [[MuseScore]] greatly simplify the reading, writing, and modifying of MusicXML files.

[[File:MusicXML C Whole Note.svg|thumb|Representation of middle C on the treble clef created through MusicXML code.]]
The following example is a score consisting of a single [[whole note]] [[C (musical note)#Middle C|middle C]] in the key of [[C major]] on the [[Clef#Treble clef|treble clef]].<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.musicxml.com/tutorial/hello-world/ |title = Hello World: A One-Bar Song with a Whole Note on Middle C in 4/4 time |publisher = Musicxml.com |date =  |accessdate = 19 December 2017 }}</ref>

<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
<!DOCTYPE score-partwise PUBLIC
    "-//Recordare//DTD MusicXML 4.0 Partwise//EN"
    "http://www.musicxml.org/dtds/partwise.dtd">
<score-partwise version="4.0">
  <part-list>
    <score-part id="P1">
      <part-name>Music</part-name>
    </score-part>
  </part-list>
  <part id="P1">
    <measure number="1">
      <attributes>
        <divisions>1</divisions>
        <key>
          <fifths>0</fifths>
        </key>
        <time>
          <beats>4</beats>
          <beat-type>4</beat-type>
        </time>
        <clef>
          <sign>G</sign>
          <line>2</line>
        </clef>
      </attributes>
      <note>
        <pitch>
          <step>C</step>
          <octave>4</octave>
        </pitch>
        <duration>4</duration>
        <type>whole</type>
      </note>
    </measure>
  </part>
</score-partwise>
</syntaxhighlight>

The textual representation listed above is verbose; MusicXML v2.0 addresses this by adding a [[data compression|compressed]] [[ZIP (file format)|zip]] format with a {{mono|.mxl}} suffix that can make files roughly one-twentieth the size of the uncompressed version.<ref name="zip">{{cite web |url = https://www.musicxml.com/tutorial/faq |title = MusicXML FAQ |work = MusicXML |accessdate = 13 December 2014 }}</ref>