Guide
How to import MusicXML into Dorico.
Sent a .musicxml, .xml, or .mxl file, or converted a scan into one? Here's what Dorico does with it.
The import, step by step
- Check what you have. Dorico reads .musicxml, .xml, and .mxl. Keep the extension as is.
- Use File › Import › MusicXML. Select the file there; Dorico creates a new project from it.
- Set the import preferences once. If you import MusicXML often, set these preferences once — they apply to every later import.
- Check the players and layouts Dorico created. Confirm each part landed on the right player and that the opening clef, key, and time signature match.
- Save as a Dorico project. Save in Dorico's format and keep the MusicXML as your source.
What comes across reliably
Notes, rests, key and time signatures, clefs, voices, ties, slurs, dynamics, articulations, tempo, repeats, and lyrics transfer well. Dorico also assigns a suitable player and playback sound for each part it recognizes.
Page layout does not: Dorico recomputes spacing, casting off, and page turns with its own engraving rules, so expect a different page count than the source.
What usually needs cleanup
- Beaming. Re-derived from the meter; adjust notation options once rather than bar by bar.
- Tuplets. Durations are usually right; bracket and number placement often need attention.
- Layout. Re-apply frame breaks only where the music genuinely needs them.
- Text and playing techniques. Unstructured source text may arrive as plain text; convert it to a proper technique or rehearsal mark.
- Specialised notation. Check percussion mapping, custom noteheads, and figured bass first.
Troubleshooting
The file will not import. Confirm the extension is .musicxml, .xml, or .mxl; if a .mxl was unzipped in transit, import the .musicxml inside instead.
The players or staves are wrong. Usually reflects part assignments in the file, not the import — fix them at the source.
Bars hold the wrong number of beats. That is a defect in the file and will look the same in every program that reads it.
Nothing arrives. An empty project usually means an empty or truncated file.
Starting from a PDF or a scan instead
Have a PDF or photo instead? StaveWave converts it to MusicXML and flags measures to check before you import into Dorico — no installation needed.
Start at PDF to MusicXML. Already have MusicXML and want a print-ready edition? The engraving service returns PDF, MusicXML, and MIDI.