Editing Scorewriter (section)

==File formats==
Almost all scorewriters use their own file formats for saving files. Hence, in order to move notation between different scorewriters (or to/from other kinds of music software such as [[Music sequencer|sequencers]]), most scorewriters can also import or export one or more standard interchange file formats, such as:

*[[Standard MIDI File]] is supported by almost all scorewriters. However, as this format was designed for playback (e.g. by sequencers) rather than notation, it only produces approximate results and much notational information is lost in the process. If the score is to be presented, a [[WAV]] file (rather than MIDI) may be made from the score to give a more natural and accurate rendition of the written score.{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}
*[[MusicXML]] has in recent years (as of 2012) become the standard interchange format for accurate notation.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.makemusic.com/musicxml/community/software
|title = MusicXML Software
|access-date = 2012-07-07
|date = 7 July 2012
|publisher = MakeMusic, Inc}}</ref>
*[[Notation Interchange File Format]] (NIFF) is a now-obsolete file format that was supported by a few scorewriters.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/NIFF.doc.html
|title = The Current Status of NIFF
|access-date = 2007-11-06
|last = Belkin
|first = Alan (NIFF coordinator)
|date=February 1992
|quote = Niff has now been superseded by MusicXML. |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071031231009/http://www.musique.umontreal.ca/personnel/Belkin/NIFF.doc.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-10-31}}</ref>

This [[Comparison of scorewriters]] details which score writers can import and export to [[PDF]], text ([[ASCII]]), picture ([[Portable Network Graphics|PNG]], [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]], EMF) and sound ([[Vorbis|Vorbis OGG]]) file formats.

There are also human-readable text-based formats such as [[ABC notation]], [[LilyPond]], [[ASCII tab]] and [[NoteWorthy Composer]] text files. These are easily rendered as speech by screen reading software. The {{self-reference link|:mw:Extension:Score|Score extension}} to [[MediaWiki]] can render, and generate an audio preview of, the first two formats.