Guide · Getting started
How do you move your ensemble’s PDF scores to NoteStand?
By NoteStand · updated
In short
Create the ensemble’s space, then import your PDFs from Repertoire › New piece › Import documents: several files at once, as one piece or one piece per file. Link each PDF to its part, link the parts to the ensemble’s sections, then invite the musicians: everyone finds “My part” in each piece. A forScore or Newzik library comes across with a dedicated import.
Before importing: file by piece
NoteStand’s unit is the piece: it holds all its documents (full score, parts, lyrics, recordings). Before importing, group each piece’s files in a folder. Two common cases:
- one PDF per part (“Clarinet 2”, “Alto”…): the simplest case, each file links to its part;
- one PDF for everyone (full score, choral score): it links to every part, or to the ones it holds.
Importing the PDFs
- In “Repertoire”, tap “New piece” › “Import documents”.
- Drop the files, or tap “Choose files”: PDF, MusicXML, text, audio, one or several at a time.
- Choose “One piece with all the documents” (the files of one piece) or “One piece per document” (a stack of different pieces).
The piece takes the first file’s name; a MusicXML file also brings the title, composer, key, tempo and parts. To add a PDF to an existing piece, drop it in its “Documents” list.
Linking each PDF to its part
In the piece, the ⋮ menu › “Edit document” sets the PDF’s nature (score, lyrics, other) and its parts: “All parts”, or only the ones you tick. You can name a new part there. A musician of a ticked part sees the document marked “My part”.
Linking parts to the ensemble’s sections
A part is a written line of a piece (“Soprano 1”, “Clarinet 2”); a section is a group of the ensemble’s musicians (Sopranos, Clarinets). In Space settings › Sections, create your sections and link the parts to them.
When part names are linked to nothing, “Sort now” shows them one by one, with a suggested section. Once done, each musician picks their section and finds their part in every piece, without searching.
From forScore or Newzik
- forScore: a `.4sc` score becomes a piece, with its PDF and its markings, kept for you or given to the ensemble. If the PDF has bookmarks per part, NoteStand offers one document per part. A `.4ss` setlist becomes a set list.
- Newzik: the PDF or ZIP export of a piece or a setlist becomes pieces, one document per part. Markings exported by Newzik are already in the pages.
Completing the repertoire
- Free scores: search OpenScore, IMSLP and CPDL from NoteStand; an OpenScore score is added in one tap.
- A score to correct or write: the score editor is in the app. A PDF can also be converted into an interactive score (beta feature, to proofread).
- Rights: for each shared score, note its status (free edition, bought, permission obtained); the space’s register gathers them.
Inviting the musicians
In Space settings › Members, paste the list of email addresses: each person gets an invitation, creates a free account and opens NoteStand on the device they already have. Musicians pay nothing. See the “Prepare” step ›