# Dorico - Compose Music — Music Notation & Composer App

> Professional music notation and composition software for iPad. (iPhone/iPad app by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dorico-compose-music/id1556625090 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/316698251)
- Category: Music, Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.63/5 from 2,059 App Store ratings · 289 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17 · 975 MB
- Languages: English
- Released: 2021-07-27
- Data updated: 2026-09-01
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dorico-compose-music/id1556625090/reviews.md

## What is Dorico?

Compose your own music for free with Dorico. Create beautiful music notation for up to eight instruments quickly and easily with the on-screen keyboard, drum pads and fretboard. Play back instantly with the included sounds and shape the performance with powerful MIDI editing tools. When your piece is finished, share it as PDF, audio or MusicXML, or print directly to your AirPrint-enabled printer. Perform using the built-in read mode, and annotate with your Apple Pencil.

Dorico is the award-winning music notation and composition software from Steinberg for macOS, Windows, and iPadOS. It’s easy enough to learn and use that it is used by students in schools, and deep enough that it satisfies the needs of the most demanding professionals in the worlds of concert music, music for film and TV, and music publishing. Dorico for iPad is fully compatible with Dorico for macOS and Windows, so you can work on your projects on the move on your iPad and in your studio on your desktop or laptop computer, or share projects with musicians using Dorico on any platform.

Dorico’s interface is split into four modes. In Setup mode, you can add and change instruments, create and reorder sections of music (called “flows”), and choose how your music will be formatted for your musicians into layouts. In Write mode, you can input and edit music and other notations using simple, well-organized toolboxes and panels. In Engrave mode (included if you buy a paid subscription to Dorico’s advanced features), you can make graphical tweaks to every item in your project. Finally, in Play mode, you have access to powerful sequencer-style MIDI editing tools, including piano roll and velocity editors.

Dorico includes built-in virtual instruments and effects to allow you to play back your compositions, and you can also easily use any compatible Audio Unit plug-in or external MIDI device (with optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase), and tweak playback using the on-screen Mixer.

Input music using an on-screen piano keyboard, or by connecting a MIDI keyboard to your iPad directly via USB or using a compatible USB-to-Lightning adaptor. If you have a Magic Keyboard or other external keyboard, you can make use of extensive keyboard shortcuts to work quickly and efficiently.

Dorico is free to use, allowing you to write for ensembles of up to four players. Register with your free Steinberg ID to increase the player limit to eight, allowing you to write for ensembles like string or wind quartet, or SATB choir. If you want to take your composition and arranging to the next level, you can buy an optional subscription or Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase to access more features and power: write for ensembles of any number of players, and gain access to Engrave mode, allowing you to make graphical tweaks to individual items anywhere in your project.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Best automatic engraving of any software
• Easy note input using on-screen keyboard, MIDI keyboard, or external keyboard
• Intelligently adjusts notation as you write
• Any number of movements or pieces in a single project
• Automatic layout of instrumental parts
• Expressive playback using included sounds and effects
• Supports Audio Unit virtual instruments and effects processors
• Sequencer-style piano roll MIDI editor
• Sophisticated chord symbols, unpitched percussion and drum set notation
• Unbarred music, tuplets across barlines, etc. all handled correctly — no workarounds
• Transfer to and from other apps via MusicXML, MIDI, PDF, etc.

For support, please visit www.dorico.com/forum

If you like Dorico, please support us by rating this app in the App Store. Thank you!

## Key features

- Compose music notation
- On-screen keyboard, drum pads, fretboard
- MIDI editing tools
- PDF, audio, MusicXML export
- Print to AirPrint
- Read mode with annotation
- Automatic engraving

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dorico Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Dorico Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dorico Lifetime Unlock | $119.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Dorico?

Overall sentiment: mixed

**Pros**

- 🚀 Powerful and full-featured notation app on iPad
- 👍 Seamless integration with desktop version
- 🚀 Efficient workflow with keyboard shortcuts
- 👍 Impressive engraving and layout capabilities
- 🚀 Comprehensive feature set for composing and arranging

**Cons**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription-only model, no option to purchase outright
- 🐛 Glitchy touch/scroll functionality
- 🐛 Inability to delete clefs or access certain settings
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance on older iPad models

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening or editing projects
- Corrupted/lost files after app crashes
- Unresponsive keyboard and note input issues
- Scrolling and UI glitches, especially in Engrave mode
- Incompatibility with certain iPad models and iOS versions

**Most requested features**

- Support for Apple Pencil and handwriting input
- Improved file management and organization
- Expanded audio unit/plugin integration
- More customization options for layout and engraving
- Ability to export/import flows and projects between iPad and desktop

## Recent user reviews (10 of 289)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dorico-compose-music/id1556625090/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Where are the mordants?

*2026-08-21, version 6.2.31*

Great app……. But WHY ARE YOU IGNORING MY MORDANTS??????? They are clearly there, and yet the audio playback BLATANTLY IGNORES THEM!!! Plus, can you add swing and lyric support next update? I need them for some songs I want to do.

### 5/5 — A very useful app

*2026-08-02, version 6.2.31*

Steinburg’s Dorico is a very useful application that can be used to compose sheet music

### 5/5 — Some awkward steps much out-weighed by clever intuitive actions

*2026-08-02, version 6.2.31*

Having used Sibelius for many many years, moving to Dorico was not easy. There are habits that one gets into that are hard to break, and Sibelius is easy and quick when you are used to it. 
However, there have been too many problems with re-installing Sibelius when your computer crashes, or you get a new computer. So, I started to use Dorico, and stuck with it until I understood it sufficiently to not return to Sibelius. The difference between them is slight, and a matter of taste, really, but the way Dorico can guess what to do when you add or delete lyrics or rhythms is very satisfying. You also have complete control of the final look of the score on the page. The xml files that come from Dorico work very well with voice producing programs.

I still have to use Sibelius for the hundreds of scores created within it, but I use Dorico for all my new scores.  Very lucky to have both, I reckon.

Cheers,
John D’Arcy OAM

### 2/5 — Disappointing

*2026-07-21, version 6.2.31*

kudos to Dorico for providing a free 7/day trial. That gave me a chance to try it out. It is not good at capturing live piano at all. The notation it produces is full of mistakes. The interface is very  cumbersome , and imo it is overkill , so trying to clean up the poor engraving is so time consuming that it is not worth using this app.

### 1/5 — Very buggy

*2026-06-26, version 6.2.31*

The app crashes randomly and then I have to restart because it doesn’t save it when it crashes.

### 2/5 — Too Hard

*2026-06-23, version 6.2.31*

This program is not as user friendly as Finale.

### 4/5 — Come on a lot

*2026-06-02, version 6.2.20*

Having not used dorico since version 3 I must say it’s come on a lot. Make sure to disable some Apple pen settings like scribble and hover though as you will need the pen - especially in the mixer.
Talking of the mixer it would be nice if double tapping the pan control would set it to centre.
Also the master fader needs a few slots for master fx ,but otherwise a good bit of kit!

### 2/5 — 🙁

*2026-05-31, version 6.2.20*

Most of it works fine but the scrolling sucks and the percussion also is failing so if you want a beat DONT get this app

### 1/5 — Terrible

*2026-05-26, version 6.2.20*

Terrible! Paid for the app and is does not recognize it and allow on the free tier. Spent the last month trying to figure it out. I want my money back!!!

### 4/5 — Good but a lot of bugs

*2026-04-10, version 6.1.10*

hi, this is a really good app for making music and it’s not like other apps where all the instruments or having the ability to save your music is locked behind a subscription but there’s one problem which keeps annoying me to the point where I’m about to explode sometimes when I hear a key on the piano, the key just won’t work anymore so if I try to press it again it just won’t play the sound and it’s not just for the piano it’s for every instrument excluding percussion.

## Frequently asked questions about Dorico

### What does Dorico do?

Dorico is a music notation and composition application that allows users to create, edit, and share musical scores. It offers tools for note input, performance editing, and professional-quality engraving, making it suitable for a wide range of musical projects.

### What are the key features of Dorico?

Key features include easy note input via on-screen keyboard, MIDI, or external keyboards, powerful MIDI editing tools for shaping performances, instant playback with built-in sounds, and the ability to share scores as PDF, audio, or MusicXML. It also boasts automatic engraving and a read mode for annotations.

### How much does Dorico cost?

The app is free to use for ensembles of up to four players. Registering with a free Steinberg ID increases the player limit to eight. Advanced features, including Engrave mode and unlimited player support, are available through an optional subscription or a Lifetime Unlock in-app purchase.

### What devices is Dorico compatible with?

Dorico is available for macOS, Windows, and iPadOS. The iPad version is fully compatible with desktop versions, allowing for seamless project transfer and work across different platforms.

### Who would benefit from using Dorico?

Dorico is designed for a broad audience, from students learning music notation in schools to demanding professionals in concert music, film scoring, and music publishing. Its intuitive interface makes it accessible for beginners, while its depth satisfies experienced users.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 6.2.31 — 2026-06-10

This version includes a number of minor bug fixes and improvements to improve your experience of working with Dorico for iPad.

### 6.2.30 — 2026-06-03

This version includes a number of minor bug fixes and improvements to improve your experience of working with Dorico for iPad.

### 6.2.20 — 2026-04-30

This version includes a number of minor bug fixes and improvements to improve your experience of working with Dorico for iPad.

### 6.2.10 — 2026-03-31

• The Keyboard panel has been improved such that notes no longer get stuck down
• Projects opened from folders other than the main Dorico folder inside iCloud Drive are once again correctly saved back to the same location

### 6.2 — 2026-03-12

This version includes a number of minor bug fixes and improvements to improve your experience of working with Dorico for iPad.

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All apps by Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH: https://appshunter.io/developer/316698251

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-01.*