Guide
How to import MusicXML into Sibelius.
Sent a .musicxml, .xml, or .mxl file, or converted a scan into one? Here's what to expect when Sibelius opens it.
The import, step by step
- Check what you have. Sibelius reads .musicxml, .xml, and .mxl. Keep the extension as is.
- Open the file from Sibelius. File › Open, then select the file. Sibelius builds a new score from it.
- Answer the import options. Choose Sibelius's own house style for the cleanest starting point.
- Verify the instruments and the first system. Check instruments, staff order, clefs, key, and time signature before editing.
- Save as a Sibelius score. Save in Sibelius'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. Instrument names and staff grouping usually survive too.
Page layout does not: Sibelius recomputes spacing, breaks, and page turns with its own house style, so the page count can change. That is expected, not a broken import.
What usually needs cleanup
- Beaming. Re-derived from the time signature; may need re-grouping.
- Tuplets. Rhythm is usually right; bracket and number placement often need fixing.
- Layout. Spacing and breaks are recomputed — re-apply breaks only where needed.
- Text objects. Titles and rehearsal marks may land in the wrong style; restyle in bulk.
- Specialised notation. Check percussion mapping, custom noteheads, and figured bass first.
Troubleshooting
The file will not open. Confirm the extension is .musicxml, .xml, or .mxl; if a .mxl was unzipped in transit, open the .musicxml inside instead.
The parts are garbled. Wrong staff order or a split part usually means the file's part assignments are wrong, not the import — fix them at the source.
Bars have the wrong number of beats. That is a fault in the file itself and will appear the same way in any program that opens it.
The score is empty. Usually an empty or truncated file — check its size first.
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 Sibelius — 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.