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The MusicXML format has long had widespread support among notation and scanning programs. Digital audio workstations and sequencers have been slower to add MusicXML support, but this has picked up in recent years. Back in 2007, Steinberg was the first major commercial DAW vendor to add MusicXML import and export in Cubase 4.1. More recently, Cakewalk added MusicXML export in SONAR X1 Producer Expanded.

People have been asking for MusicXML export from Apple’s Logic software for a long time. Yesterday, these wishes were granted with Apple’s release of Logic Pro X. This release has garnered rave reviews – for instance, Macworld refers to Logic Pro X as “an amazing piece of work.” The MusicXML export is a terrific boon for musicians who compose in Logic and then want to produce polished scores in a full-featured notation program like Finale. Early reports are that the Logic to Finale transfer via MusicXML is working great. Note that the MusicXML export feature is available from Logic’s Score window.

In our experience, moving a score from DAWs like Logic to notation programs like Finale is a much more common workflow than moving scores in the other direction. So it makes sense that Apple, like Cakewalk, has decided to add MusicXML export support without import. As always, this could change in the future if the companies see increased customer demand.

We are delighted to see that DAW users on both Mac and Windows now have a choice of two powerful programs that let you export your scores to MusicXML files. We are confident that Apple’s and MakeMusic’s mutual customers will find this new version of Logic a terrific boost to making Logic and Finale work better together.