Writing drums down is a different job from writing a melody, and most notation software treats it as an afterthought. A drummer jotting a groove on a phone, a teacher making worksheets, a band leader charting a set and a transcriber turning a record into a part each need a different tool. This page puts the apps, the desktop programs and the browser tools in one table, with the features that decide each of those picks, read from their store listings and makers' pages on the day we checked.
Upbeat Studio makes one of the apps in this table, Drum Notes. It is not ranked anywhere on this page: it sits in the table with the same columns and the same criticism as every other row, and the picker never shortlists it. Where it does not fit, the page says so.
Quick answer
Quick groovesBeat Notefrom $6.69/mo or from $59.99/yr · 4.6 (87)
Songs and chartsGuitar Pro 8$69.95 · 4.7 (142)
Actually freeDoricoFree, or $4.99/mo or $49.99/yr · 4.6 (2,224)
TeachingMusinkFree, or $4.99/mo or $80 · 4.6 (20)The best-rated option for each need, by the same ratings as the table: a high score from a few reviews counts for less than one from thousands. Nothing here is paid for.
What the data says
R and L under the notes is the most drummer-specific thing a chart carries.
MuseScore Studio has a built-in Sticking text, and Finale, Soundslice and almost every drum-specific tool in this table write stickings too. Dorico documents only a workaround, typing them as lyrics, and we found no sticking feature documented for Sibelius or Flat. If you write exercises for students, check the Stickings column first.
The MuseScore app has 78,787 App Store ratings and more than 160,000 on Google Play, more than every other app in this table combined, and it is a player for the MuseScore library, not an editor.
The complete free option is its desktop sibling: MuseScore Studio ticks the drum staff, playback, PDF, MIDI, MusicXML, stickings, MIDI input and offline columns, at no cost, on Mac, Windows and Linux.
Beat Note, Beam, Aered, Groove Scribe and Sakudoka export no MusicXML, the format that lets a chart move into another program, and our own Drum Notes listings do not mention it either.
That is fine for grooves and worksheets that live where they were written. If your charts will end up in a band's score or a publisher's hands, start in a tool with MusicXML in the table.
Side by side
Ratings and review counts are the stores' and retailers' own, pulled on 2026-10-07. A cross means the feature is not there; a question mark means neither the listing nor the maker says. Prices are US dollars as listed on the named store on the date in each card; they change, so check the store before you buy.
One by one
Actually freeSongs and chartsBand and pro scoresMIDI from an e-kit
MuseScore
FreeNo rating yet
Pick it if you want a full editor on a computer with ready-made drum kits, and PDF, MIDI and MusicXML export, all free.
Skip it if you want to write or edit notation on a phone or tablet.
MuseScore Studio gives a drummer a full desktop editor with ready-made drum kits, a drum-pad percussion panel, a dedicated Sticking text for R and L, MIDI keyboard or pad input and PDF, MIDI and MusicXML export, all free. Know before choosing: it runs only on Mac, Windows and Linux, and MuseScore says it has no plans for a mobile editor, so grooves you sketch away from the computer have to start in another app.
Sources (16)
The latest stable version is 4.7.5source
Suitable for recent Linux distributionssource
MuseScore Studio is a GNU GPL licensed open-source program.source
There is no demo, trial or limited version of the open source MuseScore software.source
MuseScore Studio takes care of the number of stave lines for the kitsource
Drum kits (common, minimal, large)source
the correct sound is automatically assigned in playback for MS Basic and MuseSounds librariessource
The percussion panel in MuseScore Studio uses a drum pad style layoutsource
8 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Read and play along
MuseScore BVBA on iOS, Musescore Limited on Android
Free, or from $5.99/wk4.2 from 240,759 reviews, App Store and Google Play
Pick it if you want to find community drum scores and play them back with tempo control and looping.
Skip it if you want to write or edit drum notation on a phone: it only views and plays scores.
The MuseScore app lets a drummer find community drum and percussion scores in a very large catalog and play them back with tempo control and looping. Know before choosing: it cannot write or edit anything, and offline use plus PDF and MIDI export need the PRO subscription.
Sources (9)
View and play your favorite sheet music online and offline.source
With MuseScore PRO, you can use Songbook to download and keep your favorite scores offline.source
Play immediately with the interactive player.source
Export sheet music to PDF, MIDI, and MP3.source
Browse the catalog by instrument: piano, trumpet, violin, percussion, flute, etc.source
Share your favorite sheet music.source
Download sheet music for offline practice with MuseScore PROsource
Currently, there are no plans for a MuseScore editor on mobile platforms.source
1 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
OursQuick grooves
Upbeat Studio
Free, or $7.99/mo or $49.99/yr4.6 from 4,082 reviews, App Store and Google Play
Pick it if you want a phone or tablet score editor for drum set and world percussion, with playback and a metronome.
Skip it if you need PDF, MIDI or MusicXML files: neither store listing mentions those exports.
Drum Notes is a phone and tablet score editor for drum set and world percussion such as samba, marching, Cuban and capoeira instruments, with playback, a metronome, a public library of community beats and student-teacher groups. Know before choosing: both listings show ads and a Premium subscription for unlimited compositions, and they mention audio and image export but not PDF, MIDI or MusicXML.
Sources (11)
Intuitive Music Score Editor: Effortlessly create percussive sheet music with a user-friendly music writing editor, for drum set or any percussion instrument.source
Like a drum machine or drum sequencer with real drum scores.source
Playback Tool: Use Drum Notes to playback loops and samples for various instruments.source
Arrange and Share: Organize complex patterns and rhythms, and export them in audio or image formats.source
Student-Teacher Groups: Maintain shared spaces for class materials and track progress.source
Unlock unlimited compositions, percussive instruments per score, and private groups.source
Contains Advertisingsource
Contains adssource
3 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Quick groovesTeaching
Kick Snare Hat Apps, LLC
from $6.69/mo or from $59.99/yr4.6 from 87 reviews, App Store
Pick it if you tap grooves onto a grid on iPhone or iPad and want R and L stickings, PDF export and worksheet layouts.
Skip it if you use Android, or need MIDI or MusicXML export to move a groove into a DAW or notation program.
Beat Note turns taps on a sequencer grid into clean drum notation with R and L stickings, plays it back with a click and count-in, and exports PDF, audio and animated notation video, with worksheet layouts for teachers. Know before choosing: it is iPhone and iPad only, full access needs a subscription, and MIDI and MusicXML export are still open requests on the developer's roadmap.
Sources (14)
Tap the sequencer grid to build beats.source
Hit play and hear exactly what you wrotesource
Sticking annotations (R, L)source
PDF, PNG, WAV or AAC audio, shareable link, and animated MP4source
Discover tab: curated educational beats for all skill levelssource
Premium subscription required for full access. Educator and Creator tiers available. Free trial included.source
Designed for iPad. Not verified for macOS.source
Custom Worksheets in Minutessource
6 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Songs and chartsQuick groovesTeaching
Tutteo Limited
Free, or $9.99/mo or $49/yr4.4 from 12,208 reviews, App Store and Google Play
Pick it if you want a drum staff with a drums-pad in a browser or on a phone, and real-time co-editing of a chart.
Skip it if you want an unlimited free tool: Flat Basic caps the number of scores.
Flat gives drummers a real drum-set staff with a drums-pad and per-drum keyboard shortcuts in the browser, on phones and in the Mac and Windows apps, with PDF, MIDI and MusicXML export and real-time co-editing of a chart. Know before choosing: the free Basic plan stops at 15 scores and puts the Flat logo on exports, the pricing page lists MIDI and MusicXML export under the paid Flat Power plan, and no Flat page we found documents a sticking tool.
Sources (12)
Native apps are available for iOS, Android, Mac & Windows.source
In a percussion part like a drum set, each instrument is associated with a line/notehead combination.source
the piano keyboard will be replaced by a drums-pad, that will show all the instruments available in the edited part.source
Open the score, click Export, and choose PDF. MIDI and MusicXML are also availablesource
Limited to 15 scoressource
Export and print with the Flat logosource
Transcribe with your MIDI devicessource
This offer includes all our premium features plus dedicated education features: classes, assignmentssource
4 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Songs and chartsTranscribe audioRead and play along
Arobas Music
$69.954.7 from 142 reviews, Thomann
Pick it if you write drum parts in standard notation or drum tab inside a full band arrangement, on a computer.
Skip it if you want to write on a phone or tablet: the Guitar Pro mobile app cannot edit drum tracks.
Guitar Pro 8 writes drum parts in standard notation or drum tab inside a full band arrangement, with a Drum View kit panel, an imported audio track to transcribe against by ear, and PDF, MIDI and MusicXML export. Know before choosing: it is desktop only, Arobas says it does not transcribe audio automatically, and its separate mobile app cannot edit drum tracks.
Sources (14)
You’ll find 27 drum sounds that respect traditional Agostini notationsource
You can import an audio file containing a drum track or other instruments to support your writing process.source
No, this feature is not available at the moment.source
Download the free demo for 7 dayssource
provides a visual interface for composing your drum parts.source
enter your score note by note by connecting a MIDI instrument such as a keyboard, MIDI guitar, or controllersource
Import and export of ASCII and MIDI files as well as MusicXMLsource
Export of PDF and PNG as well as MP3, WAV, FLAC and Ogg filessource
6 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Band and pro scoresSongs and chartsActually freeMIDI from an e-kit
Steinberg
Free, or $4.99/mo or $49.99/yr4.6 from 2,224 reviews, App Store
Pick it if you want e-kit or MIDI keyboard input on a real drum-set staff, or a free edition for up to eight players.
Skip it if you sketch on an Android device, or want a dedicated sticking tool: R and L go in as lyrics.
Dorico treats a drum set as a real kit with its own staff positions, takes input from a MIDI keyboard or e-kit through the General MIDI percussion map, offers drum pads on iPad, and its SE edition is free for up to eight players. Know before choosing: Steinberg's own manual says there is no dedicated sticking feature yet, so R and L go in as lyrics.
Sources (15)
Free to use, foreversource
the perfect starting point for producing beautiful scores for up to eight players.source
Explore advanced notations, including drum set percussion, guitar tablature, chord symbolssource
Input with the mouse, your computer keyboard, or a MIDI keyboard, and hear it all played back beautifully through HALion Sonic.source
Share your music as PDFs and MP3ssource
Dorico is available for iPad, and for macOS and Windows in three editionssource
Dorico can import MIDI and MusicXML, and export MIDI, MusicXML, audio, and graphics.source
on a drum set, the bass drum is normally positioned in the bottom space of the staffsource
7 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Band and pro scoresTeachingSongs and charts
Avid
Free, or $12.99/mo or from $99/yr3.6 from 2,323 reviews, App Store and Google Play
Pick it if you want a drum staff driven by a drum map, with MIDI keyboard entry including real-time input.
Skip it if you need more than 8 staves without paying: only Sibelius First is free.
Sibelius puts drum parts on a drum staff driven by each instrument's drum map, takes MIDI keyboard input including real-time Flexi-time, and the Ultimate tier adds worksheets and a classroom control window for drum teachers. Know before choosing: the free First tier is capped at 8 staves, and the Android app is rated 3.0 from 522 reviews against 4.2 on iOS.
Sources (17)
From the introductory (and free) Sibelius First to the industry-standard Sibelius Ultimatesource
Sibelius First now supports up to 8 staves, and includes Alto and Tenor clefssource
Record music using a MIDI keyboard in real-time using Flexi-timesource
Huge improvements in score layout when opening MusicXML files from other music applicationssource
Sibelius includes a high-quality sample librarysource
Sibelius brings professional music notation to Android phones, tablets, and Chromebookssource
onto the drum staff you’re pasting onto, including the correct noteheadssource
a pitch that isn’t defined in the instrument’s drum mapsource
9 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Band and pro scores
MakeMusic
Not publishedNo rating yet
Pick it if you already own a license and want to finish or export old charts.
Skip it if you do not already own it: Finale can no longer be bought and gets no updates or support.
Finale still writes full drum set parts on a percussion staff with playback, MIDI keyboard entry, stickings typed with the Lyrics tool, and PDF, MIDI and MusicXML export. Know before choosing it that MakeMusic ended development in August 2024, stopped selling it, ended technical support in August 2025 and says macOS Sequoia is not compatible, so it only makes sense if you already own a license and want to finish or export old charts.
Sources (14)
There will be no further updates to Finale, or any of its associated tools (PrintMusic, Notepad, Songwriter)source
Authorization of Finale on new devices will continue indefinitely.source
the Finale installer for any previously purchased version can still be downloaded from your eStore accountsource
you will be able to export your Finale files using MusicXML 4.0source
Effective July 23, 2026, the Finale to Dorico crossgrade is no longer available from the Finale eStore.source
MakeMusic will continue providing technical support for Finale v27.4.1 on supported operating systems through August 25th, 2025.source
this operating system does not meet the system requirements for Finale and is not compatiblesource
creating music for drum set, orchestral percussion, or a drum line, you can easily create, notate, and play percussion partssource
6 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Songs and chartsQuick groovesActually free
Fender (formerly PreSonus)
Free, or $14.993.4 from 1,363 reviews, App Store and Google Play
Pick it if you want a drumset staff with on-screen drum pads and PDF, MIDI and MusicXML export in the free version.
Skip it if you want a dedicated sticking tool: the user guide documents none.
Fender Notion, the former PreSonus Notion, gives a drummer a five-line drumset staff, 12 on-screen drum pads, MIDI instrument entry and sampled drum playback, with PDF, MIDI and MusicXML export in the free version. Know before choosing it that it is now one free app across phones, tablets and computers, and its store ratings are low at 3.1 on the App Store and 3.6 on Google Play.
Sources (10)
As a native cross-platform app, you can work offline and sync across devices via your preferred cloudsource
Windows Devices: Microsoft Storesource
Linux: Download ARM64 installer or AMD64 installersource
a five-line staff with percussion clefsource
If you are entering drum notes on a drumset staff, the drum label will also appear under your fingersource
A set of 12 colour-coded Drum Pads are available when a drum instrument is selected.source
Connect a wired or Bluetooth MIDI instrument for use in Step/Real Time entrysource
Export as MusicXML, Compressed MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, wav, mp3source
2 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
TeachingSongs and charts
Noteflight LLC
Free, or $7.95/mo or from $49/yrNo rating yet
Pick it if you want a 5-line percussion staff in a browser, with PDF, MIDI and MusicXML export.
Skip it if you want a free home for a growing library of charts: Basic is capped at 10 saved scores.
Noteflight's Drum Kit instrument writes on a 5-line percussion staff with fixed drum assignments, plays it back, and exports PDF, MIDI and MusicXML from a browser, with MIDI controller entry in Chrome. Know before choosing it that the free Basic account stops at 10 scores, so regular use means a Premium or Learn subscription, and the user guide documents no dedicated sticking tool.
Sources (10)
The "Drum Kit" instrument uses a 5-line percussion staff with a fixed set of assignments from staff lines to drum sounds.source
Scores may be exported as PDF files.source
Because Noteflight supports MusicXML, you can easily move scores between Noteflight and anothersource
In the HTML5 version of Noteflight, MIDI currently works only with Google Chrome on Windows, Mac OS and Linux (iOS is not supported).source
Export to PDF, MIDI, WAV, MP3 and moresource
You can use any MIDI controller/keyboard that connects to a computer via USB with Noteflight.source
sign up for a free Noteflight Basic account and gain access to our basic editor, create up to 10 scoressource
Sync classes and assignments with Google Classroom and other learning management systemssource
2 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Transcribe audioRead and play alongSongs and charts
Soundslice
Free, or from $5/mo or from $50/yrNo rating yet
Pick it if you transcribe by ear and want native R, L and B stickings, with notation synced to a YouTube video.
Skip it if you want audio turned into drum notation automatically: Soundslice says it does not do that.
Soundslice gives a drummer a five-line or one-line drum kit staff with custom percussion maps, native R, L and B stickings, and notation synced to a YouTube video or recording, which makes it strong for transcribing a song by ear and then practicing along with it. Know before choosing it that it does not transcribe audio automatically, and syncing to your own uploaded recordings, PDF, MIDI and MusicXML export and MIDI keyboard entry need a paid plan.
Sources (11)
We support both five-line and single-line percussion, along with the common percussion noteheads.source
Sticking instructions tell a percussionist which hand to use when performing a given note.source
Does Soundslice transcribe automatically? No.source
If you connect a MIDI keyboard to your computer, you can use that keyboard to enter notes via our editor.source
This feature is limited to people in a paid plansource
Export your created slices as MIDIsource
Export your created slices as PDF (for printing)source
Import music from other programs (MusicXML, Guitar Pro, etc.)source
3 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Quick groovesActually free
Lou Montulli and Mike Johnston (open source)
FreeNo rating yet
Pick it if you want to click a groove into a grid, hear it with a metronome, then print it or download MIDI, all free.
Skip it if you need MusicXML, or full multi-instrument charts: it is built for grooves and short exercises.
Groove Scribe lets a drummer click notes into a row per drum, hear the groove with a metronome, count-in and auto speed-up, show R and L stickings, then print it, download MIDI or share it as a link, all free in the browser. Know before choosing it that it is built for grooves and short exercises rather than full multi-instrument charts, and it exports no MusicXML.
Sources (7)
Groove Scribe is a point and click authoring system to create drum sheet music as well as a practice toolsource
GrooveScribe allows drummers to easily create grooves, listen, share, print sheet music, and more.source
Download MIDI filesource
Reverse stickings R/Lsource
Sharing is simple with a URL, and the recipient can view the groove in any web browser.source
MIDI playback with tempo and a metronome makes it easy to hear and practice difficult grooves.source
GrooveScribe is open source and is licensed under the GPL v2.0source
Quick groovesTeaching
Ross Farley
Not publishedNo rating yet
Pick it if you want to tap a step grid in a browser and get stickings, worksheet layouts and offline use once installed.
Skip it if you need to move charts into a DAW or notation software: it documents no MIDI or MusicXML export.
Beam is a browser drum notation tool where you tap a step grid per drum and it engraves real notation with ghost notes, flams, R and L stickings, worksheet layouts and sampled drum playback, and it can be installed to a home screen and opened offline. Know before choosing it that the free plan is capped at 10 charts with PDF export reserved for Pro, and it documents no MIDI or MusicXML export.
Sources (9)
Write drum notation as fast as you can tap it.source
Phone, tablet and desktop, right in the browser. Nothing to download.source
Export a whole chart as a print-ready PDF.source
Send a live link that updates as you edit, or a snapshot that keeps working even if you change or delete the original.source
Hear any chart played back with real sampled drums, with a metronome, tempo control, bar-range loopingsource
Tap Stickings above the bar, then tap a note to label it R, L or B (right hand, left hand or both).source
charts that open even when you're offlinesource
Build worksheets where each exercise runs two or four bars, not just one.source
1 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Songs and charts
Aerodrums
Not publishedNo rating yet
Pick it if you want a drums-only Windows or Mac editor where you click notes onto the staff and label stickings.
Skip it if you need MIDI or MusicXML export: Aered exports only PDF and WAV audio.
Aered is a drums-only desktop editor for Windows and Mac where you click notes onto the staff with a live preview, label right and left sticking with keyboard shortcuts, hear playback with swappable drum samples, and export PDF or WAV. Know before choosing it that its pages were last updated in 2022 and 2023, its listed Mac requirement is Mac OS X 10.6 or later, and it exports no MIDI or MusicXML, so try the free version on your machine first.
Sources (11)
Aered is a sheet music editor specifically designed for drummers.source
Aered is available for Windows and Mac.source
You can therefore place notes with single clickssource
High quality audio playbacksource
You can get Aered for free or purchase it for a price of your choice.source
Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 or 11; or Mac OS X 10.6 or later.source
press U to label it as a right stick hit and Y for a left stick hitsource
exports the current document to a pdf file suitable for printingsource
3 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
TeachingSongs and chartsMIDI from an e-kit
Musink Limited
Free, or $4.99/mo or $804.6 from 20 reviews, Trustpilot
Pick it if you are on Windows and want a drum-kit staff with stickings, flams and ghost notes, and PDF exercise books.
Skip it if you use Mac, Linux or mobile, or need MusicXML to move scores into other notation software.
Musink is Windows notation software built around the drum kit: you click notes onto a drum stave, add stickings, flams, ghost notes and half-open hi-hat marks in one click, and publish exercise books to PDF, while Pro adds MIDI import, export and note entry from an electronic kit. Before choosing it, know that it runs only on Windows and its site still shows a 2021 copyright and an old Black Friday code, so confirm it is still maintained before paying for Pro.
Sources (11)
Musink Lite is a free download. Musink Pro boasts professional features beyond those of Musink Lite.source
Pay once. Use forever.source
Musink requires Windows 10, 11, or later.source
Whether you're after HOH, sticking, buzz rolls, flams, or ghost notes, Musink has you covered with a single click.source
Left and Right sticking markssource
Download a Musink Project of the full Musink drum map, abovesource
Enter notes using your electric kitsource
Import and Export MIDIsource
3 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Quick groovesActually free
Jared Simon
Free4.3 from 310 reviews, App Store
Pick it if you read music and want a free iPhone or iPad score with stickings, flams and practice variations.
Skip it if you need full song charts or band scores: a score is capped at 50 measures.
DrumToolz writes drum set parts and marching snare, tenor and bass drum parts on an editable score with stickings, flams and diddles, plays them back, exports PDF and MusicXML, and generates practice variations from what you enter. It is iPhone and iPad only, caps a score at 50 measures, and the maker says you must already read music.
Sources (8)
all shown on an editable music scoresource
Lastly, top off the notes with ornaments: stickings, accents, flams, diddles, and cheese.source
Input up to 50 measures.source
Share your beats through PDF links and files.source
Bluetooth support. Export as musicxml.source
Upload your beats to your profile. Find and follow other drummers in the social network.source
If you can think of the rhythm, you can input it and play it back!source
Yes, you must know how to read music.source
Quick grooves
DrumScoreStudio
Free, or $3.99/mo or $34.99/yr5.0 from 1 reviews, App Store
Pick it if you want to tap a grid of kit pieces in the app, hear it back and export PDF or MIDI.
Skip it if you want an app with a long track record: it launched in 2026 and has one App Store rating.
DrumScore turns taps on a grid of kit pieces into engraved drum notation that you can hear back, print, or export as PDF, MIDI or images. It launched in early 2026 from a small China-based developer, has almost no ratings yet, and neither store listing says what its paid Premium subscription adds.
Sources (7)
the main interface adopts an intuitive grid block designsource
built-in standard drum set sounds and notation rulessource
Supports real-time audio previewsource
the completed drum sheet can be exported as a high-definition image format and also supports printing functionsource
One-click export to MIDI, XML, PDF, or HD images. Seamless integration with major DAWs.source
Intuitive grid editor supporting tap input and real-time recording.source
DrumScore Premium Annualsource
Quick groovesActually free
Tomoko Sugimoto
FreeNo rating yet
Pick it if you want to tap one bar of a groove onto a staff on Android and save it as a PNG image, free.
Skip it if you need more than one bar, to hear the groove, or PDF or MIDI export.
Sakudoka lets you tap a single bar of a drum groove onto a staff, covering hi-hat, snare, kick, toms, crash, ride and foot hi-hat with accents, flams and open hi-hat marks, and saves it as a PNG image. It handles one measure only with no documented playback or other export, and its maker warns the notation may follow Japanese conventions.
Sources (6)
You can quickly and easily edit a drum score image of one measure.source
Currently, only Crash cymbal, Ride cymbal, Hi-hat cymbal, Snare drum, High tom, Low tom, Floor tom, Bass drum and Foot hi-hat can be entered.source
Press the score image output button to save the score as a PNG image.source
You can add or remove hi-hat open mark, accent mark and flam mark.source
Ads have been removed.source
Since the developer of this app is Japanese, the drum score may use notation that is not used in other countries.source
Songs and chartsRead and play alongActually free
Ralf Brauchler
FreeNo rating yet
Pick it if you want to type grooves as text symbols, export PDF, MIDI and MusicXML, and get your e-drum timing scored.
Skip it if you want to tap notes onto a staff, need odd time signatures, or use Android or Windows.
Drum Charter lets you type grooves as text, x for hi-hat, o for snare and Q for kick, then shows them as a grid or as staff notation, plays them back, exports PDF, MusicXML and MIDI, and scores your timing from an e-drum kit in Practice Mode. It is new with no displayed ratings, Apple only, and limited to 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8.
Sources (10)
Simple ASCII symbols represent drums: 'x' for hi-hat, 'o' for snare, 'Q' for kick.source
Read the same chart as real drum notation on a five-line staffsource
High-quality drum sounds powered by FluidR3_GM soundfont.source
Export as PDFsource
Export to MuseScore, Sibelius, Finale and moresource
Export as Standard MIDI Files with two-voice layout.source
Mac (macOS 12.0 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel)source
A full-screen practice room for your e-drums.source
2 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Transcribe audio
Klangio GmbH
Free, or from $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr3.3 from 50 reviews, App Store and Google Play
Pick it if you want a recording, MP3 or YouTube link turned into drum notation, with PDF, MIDI or MusicXML download.
Skip it if you want to write your own grooves, work offline, or avoid paying past a 20 second demo.
Drum2Notes listens to a drum recording, an MP3 or a YouTube link and writes out kick, snare, toms and cymbals as drum notation you can play back and download as PDF, MIDI or MusicXML. The free demo stops at 20 seconds with PDF only, it needs an internet connection, Klangio's own listings disagree on how well it copes with other instruments in the mix, and its Google Play rating is 1.9 from 46 reviews.
Sources (9)
Detects and writes down snare, toms, bass drum and different cymbalssource
Export as PDF, MIDI, or MusicXMLsource
Listen to playback of your transcriptionsource
Share your drum sheet with your friendssource
Internet: active internet connection for server connectivitysource
If you record multiple instruments playing simultaneously, you will get bad sheet music results!source
Transcribes drums even when other instruments are presentsource
The duration of the transcription is limited to 20 seconds.source
1 more in the full Markdown version of this page.
Method
Where the facts come from. Platforms, price models and every feature tick come from the App Store listing, the Google Play listing or the maker's own page or manual, read on 2026-10-07, and the exact words relied on are kept with each row (open "Sources" on any card). Store ratings and review counts are the stores' own on that date, pulled through Sonar, an app-store analytics service. A feature is marked yes only when a listing, the maker or a manual says it; when none does, it is shown as unknown rather than as no.
How it was checked. Every row was researched once and then handed to a second, independent pass whose only job was to break it: open the same listings and pages, check every tick, every platform, every rating. Rows it could not confirm were corrected or marked unknown before publishing.
What this page does not measure yet. We have not yet entered the same eight-bar reference groove in every tool and timed it, or exported and re-imported the same score to check what survives the round trip. Until that test and its method are published here, the columns say what each tool claims to do, not how well.
Prices. Every price is in US dollars, read on 2026-10-07 on the store or page named next to it, with a link: Sweetwater, Musician's Friend or the maker's own store for gear and books, the US App Store's in-app purchase list or the maker's pricing page for apps. When a maker sells for less on its own website than in the app, both are shown. Prices change, so the date is part of the fact: check the store before you buy. Nothing on this page is an affiliate link.
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Questions drummers ask about the best drum notation app or software, by what you write.
Several, and they split into three kinds: phone apps built for drums (fast grooves, a kit staff you tap), general notation apps and programs with a percussion staff (MuseScore, Dorico, Sibelius, Flat, Guitar Pro), and AI tools that try to write the part from a recording. The table marks which have a real drum staff and which only let you abuse a pitched one.
Yes. MuseScore Studio, the free desktop program, has a drumset instrument with a percussion staff, a drum input palette and MusicXML export, and it is the most common free choice for charts and worksheets. The MuseScore phone app is a viewer and player for the online library, not an editor; the two rows are separate in the table for that reason.
For charts and teaching, MuseScore Studio and Flat are the common free starting points; Dorico and Sibelius when parts have to look like a publisher's; Guitar Pro among drummers who also work with tabs; and drum-specific phone apps for grooves on the go. The picker above narrows it to where you write and what you are writing.
MuseScore Studio is free and open source on Mac, Windows and Linux. Several apps and browser tools have a free tier with limits on saving, exporting or the number of scores; the actually-free chip filters the table to the rows where the free tier is usable, and each card says what it allows.
Yes, Guitar Pro has a drum track with a percussion view and plays it back, and many drummers use it because so many songs already exist as Guitar Pro files. It is a tab program first, so the engraving of a drum part is plainer than in a notation program.
Finale was discontinued in 2024, and its maker pointed users to Dorico. The crossgrade for Finale owners is now sold by Steinberg directly rather than through the Finale store. Existing Finale installs still run, but nothing is updated. For drum notation the practical replacements are Dorico, MuseScore Studio and Sibelius, and the table shows what each does with a drum staff.
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