# Notation Pad-Sheet Music Score — Composer, Score Creator&Writer

> Sheet music creator and notation editor for composing and editing musical scores. (iPhone/iPad app by 嵩 张.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-sheet-music-score/id1091921942 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941)
- Category: Music, Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.30/5 from 5,264 App Store ratings · 462 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 13.0 · 162 MB
- Languages: American English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified, China), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan)
- Released: 2016-03-21
- Data updated: 2026-08-26
- Monetization: subscription
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-sheet-music-score/id1091921942/reviews.md

## What is Notation Pad?

A sheet music creator and music notation editor on iOS. For any music lover or composer, Notation Pad gives you the ability to read, compose, edit, playback music scores and write lyrics. With it you can be a talented composer and great sheet music maker anywhere. As long as you have a little knowledge of sheet music, you can write music composition simply by touching and moving. You could use it as your songbook or scoresheet. It is also designed for a beginner who wants to learn music score, music notes and tablature. It can handle ensemble, choir or symphony score, also it supports for a single track piano score. With the help of it you could easily record the flashes of inspiration wherever they strike. Are you ready to compose music in a simple way?

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Features:
-Realtime multi-person collaborative editing via SharePlay.
-Export/Import the industry-popular MusicXML file format, allowing for exchanging sheet music with other software (Finale, Sibelius, Encore, MuseScore, etc). 
-Export MIDI file.
-Export PNG image and PDF document.
-High quality sound for playback.
-Support editing up to 8 staff at the same time.
-Support over 100 kinds of musical instrument. Piano, organ, guitar, violin, sax, flute, brass, bass, etc.
-Support multi-voice.
-A great lyric app.

-----------------------

Supported notation:
*A variety of music note types, from whole note to 128th note and dotted note
*Chord, staff, track
*Treble, alto and bass clef
*Edit lyrics
*A variety of time signatures
*All standard key signatures 
*Adjustable tempo
*All accidentals (sharps, flats, double sharps, double flats, and naturals)
*Tie, slur, and tuplet
*Many types of ornament
*A wide range of dynamics

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UNLIMITED ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION
- Support up to 8 staff
- Config parts(add, delete, reorder)
- Change key for each part
- Change beat type and tempo
- Config clef for each staff
- Config sound for each part
- No watermark image export
- No Ads
- Support 2nd voice part
- Transpose instruments
- Pickup bar
- Import data file
- Edit downloaded music score
- Unlock all 100+ instruments
- The subscription is $6.99 weekly with trial
- Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase
- Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period
- Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal
- Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase
- Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that service, where applicable
- Terms of use: https://service.notationpad.com/terms_service.html

## Key features

- Real-time collaborative editing
- MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, and PDF export
- High-quality playback sound
- Support for up to 8 staves
- Over 100 instrument sounds
- Lyric editing
- Multi-voice support

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Access Monthly | $14.99 | per month |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extras Package | $19.99 | one-time |
| Guitar Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Strings Instrument Group | $1.99 | one-time |
| Ensemble Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Brass Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Reed Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Pipe Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| All Instruments Pack | $4.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Notation Pad?

Overall sentiment: neutral

**Pros**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🎼 Good for basic music notation
- 🎹 Helpful for piano/keyboard players

**Cons**

- 🔒 Many features locked behind paywall
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable at times
- 📱 Limited functionality compared to desktop apps
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find features

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Subscription popup that cannot be closed
- Instruments turning into drums unexpectedly
- Inability to delete or modify certain elements

**Most requested features**

- Add more instrument options
- Improve editing capabilities
- Allow changing key signatures and time signatures without premium
- Provide better tutorials and documentation
- Fix issues with note placement and playback

## Recent user reviews (10 of 462)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-sheet-music-score/id1091921942/reviews.md

### 2/5 — As long as you subscribe it’s fine

*2026-06-24, version 2.1.6*

Sadly even before logging in I was met with ads/pop ups to try and buy the subscription. This happened at least once a minute. It seems like a good software, but you need to upgrade to not be bombarded. (Also might be a glitch but audio didn’t work no matter what I did…)

### 4/5 — Very useful but there are a lot of ads

*2026-06-10, version 2.1.6*

I remember using this for school and it being very helpful to write songs, especially if you know music theory and the grand staff. However, there are quite a few ads just keep in mind.

### 1/5 — No sound

*2026-06-10, version 2.1.6*

The first time I used it, worked fine. Second time, there was absolutely no sound. I clicked every single button to fix it and it wouldn’t. I went to settings and FAQs and saw that no sound was on there. And for context, I had already checked the sound on my phone and other apps had sound, and even the adds on this app had sound. But when I clicked on the link under the sound issue, it led me to an apples page about my phone’s audio, not the app. My phone was obviously not the problem and everything worked fine. The app was and it doesn’t even give an adequate fix. Terrible app.

### 5/5 — great

*2026-06-02, version 2.1.6*

great

### 3/5 — Good but

*2026-04-26*

It’s good but I can’t write down the pedal and it’s a weekly fee so it’s annoying for that.

### 5/5 — Great 4 transposing

*2026-04-19, version 2.1.6*

Great app

### 5/5 — Great app for singers too

*2026-04-13, version 2.1.6*

This app is super!

### 1/5 — Can bearly do anything

*2026-04-10, version 2.1.6*

You liter have to PAY A SUBSCRIPTION TO CHANGE THE TEMPO, what’s gonna be next? Pay to add measures??

### 2/5 — The only free one.

*2026-03-18, version 2.1.6*

Too much stuff locked behind paywall.  Lots of ads.

### 3/5 — Wish I could try it

*2026-02-24*

It’s not fair, I guess, to review something I haven’t really tried, and I hope the “free version”, isn’t similar to the paid version, because it has that quality of sleaziness, trying to trick you into clicking ads and hiding buttons you need to close ads, and throwing up ads with every operation you try to test. How can I possibly check whether I like the interface of something that throws ads up on the screen constantly, requiring I spend x amount of time watching the ad before I can, say, figure out how to write a note? In my experience, this doesn’t bode well for the experience I would have if I paid. I’d love to pay for a simple notation app and this looks like it might have something like that, buried beneath the advertisements, but it says something that they must benefit so much from these ads that driving potential customers away with a blizzard of adverts makes good business sense. And advertisers must know something I don’t, because I get so annoyed by them that I’d never buy one of those products, and it’s not their fault. Business models these days… seems like a downgrade for customers, right?  It’s working for somebody though. Hopefully I’ll find an alternative that cares about customer experience.

## Frequently asked questions about Notation Pad

### What can I do with Notation Pad?

Notation Pad allows you to read, compose, edit, and playback music scores. You can write original compositions, transcribe music, add lyrics, and even collaborate with others in real-time. It supports a wide range of musical notation elements and instruments.

### What are the key features of Notation Pad?

Key features include real-time multi-person collaborative editing via SharePlay, export/import of MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, and PDF formats, high-quality playback sound, support for up to 8 staves, and over 100 instrument sounds. It also supports multi-voice editing and lyric writing.

### How much does Notation Pad cost?

The app offers an unlimited access subscription priced at $6.99 weekly, which includes a trial period. Payment is charged to your iTunes Account upon purchase confirmation, and subscriptions automatically renew unless turned off at least 24 hours before the current period ends.

### What kind of music scores can I create?

You can create a wide variety of music scores, including ensemble, choir, or symphony scores, as well as single-track piano scores. The app supports numerous note types, clefs, time signatures, key signatures, accidentals, ties, slurs, ornaments, and dynamics.

### Can I share my music with other software?

Yes, you can easily exchange your sheet music with other popular music notation software. The app supports exporting and importing the industry-standard MusicXML file format, which is compatible with programs like Finale, Sibelius, MuseScore, and more.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.1.6 — 2025-08-23

- fixed bugs
- optimized animation when rotating

### 2.1.5 — 2024-04-25

- Fixed bugs

### 2.1.3 — 2024-04-17

- Fixed bugs

### 2.1.2 — 2024-03-27

- Fixed bugs

### 2.1.1 — 2024-03-19

- Now support importing files from Files.app
- Support flipping page with page indicator
- Fixed bugs

## Apps similar to Notation Pad

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| --- | --- | --- | --- |
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| [Musicnotes: Sheet Music Reader](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicnotes-sheet-music-reader/id924050984) | 4.8 (42,708) | Free | Music |
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## More apps by 嵩 张

- [Guitar Notation - Tabs&Chords](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-notation-tabs-and-chords/id1144464459)
- [Guitar Notation Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-notation-pro/id1144465456)
- [Notation Pad Pro - Sheet Music](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-pad-pro-sheet-music/id1163705635)
- [Protractor Edge - Clinometer](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/protractor-edge-clinometer/id1198499762)
- [Notation Scanner - Sheet Music](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notation-scanner-sheet-music/id1260311003)

All apps by 嵩 张: https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941

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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 2026-08-26.*