New Features in Finale

For details on specific interface changes added in the most recent version of Finale, see Finale Interface Changes. For a list of fixed defects, refer to the Read Me document that was installed with your version of Finale or Fixes in Finale.

What's New in Finale version 27.4.1

macOS compatibility.

  • Finale has been optimized to work on macOS 14 Sonoma and uses Apple's latest notarization method.

Lyrics

  • Elisions can now be entered in the Lyrics Window using a keyboard shortcut.

What's New in Finale version 27.3

JW Plug-Ins

  • Eight of Jari Williamson's plug-ins now install natively as part of the Finale installer. See JW Tools submenu.
  • These plug-ins have been updated to work with SMuFL-compliant fonts and also contain fixes for several outstanding bugs and crashes.

Plug-Ins

  • More of Finale's native plug-ins are now active while viewing linked and voiced parts in a document. See Plug-Ins.
  • The Latin Percussion plug-in now contains SMuFL-based support files.
  • The AlphaNotes plug-in can now use SMuFL-based characters.
  • The Automatic Dynamics plug-in now only works with SMuFL-based fonts.

Special Tools

  • Many Special Tools are now active and can be used while in voiced linked parts.

What's New in Finale version 27.2

Apple Silicon.

  • Finale is now installed as a universal binary application allowing it to run in Apple Silicon native mode. See System Requirements.
  • The ARIA Player has been updated to version 2.001 which is now Apple Silicon native

Document Styles

  • All of Finale’s standard Document Styles have been updated to use SMuFL-compliant music fonts. See Document Styles.
  • Added two new Document Styles using the Finale Ash and Finale Engraver fonts. See SMuFL.

Default Documents

  • The Jazz Default Document has been fully revamped in collaboration with musician Darcy James Argue and now uses the SMuFL-compliant Finale Jazz font. See Default Document.
  • All of Finale’s default documents now use SMuFL-compliant fonts. Legacy versions are still included.

Fonts

  • The new font Finale Jazz Text Lowercase has been added. See Fonts.
  • The Finale Jazz font includes new and updated chord suffix characters, including a variety of parentheses.

Sharing

  • The Share dialog now displays the email addresses of the users the document is currently shared with. See Share dialog box.
  • The Share dialog has been updated to reflect the simultaneous public-private state that can occur due to playlist sharing in SmartMusic.

What's New in Finale version 27.1

  • SMuFL. It is now possible to convert legacy non-SMuFL fonts in documents to SMuFL-compliant music fonts. See Fonts.
  • Human Playback. Human Playback now recognizes expressions and articulations that use SMuFL-compliant fonts.
  • Plug-Ins. The TG Tools Easy Harmonics, TG Tools Easy Tremolos, Create Coda System, and Drum Groove plug-ins have been updated to use the correct characters in SMuFL fonts.
  • Symbol Selection. The Symbol Selection character grid can now be navigated using the arrow keys.
  • Libraries. New libraries using the SMuFL-compliant Finale Maestro music font have been added for Accordion (articulations), Accordion Register (text expressions), Figured Bass (text expressions), Guitar (text expressions), Guitar (smart lines), Ornaments (articulations), and Accidentals (articulations). See Finale libraries.

What's New in Finale version 27.0

Sharing

  • Easily create a free SmartMusic account to start using sharing in Finale. See Sharing Music.
  • Securely log in to your SmartMusic account without leaving Finale. See Sharing Music.
  • You can limit who you share your music with by specifying individual email addresses. See Share dialog box.
  • You can share your music without specifying recipients by creating a unique URL link. See Share dialog box.
  • You can control whether your recipients are able to download a PDF of your shared music. See Share dialog box.
  • You can also choose to upload your music to the Content Manager web app without sharing. See Share dialog box.
  • Finale automatically maps your music's instruments for upload but also gives you the freedom to choose them yourself. See Share dialog box.
  • Finale exports your music to MusicXML behind the scenes so that the maximum amount of document information is retained for viewing and playback in the web apps.
  • The current sharing status of your music is displayed in the Share dialog box.
  • Uploaded music can be updated or deleted (unless it is being used in an assignment template).
  • Uploaded music can be managed, shared, and edited via SmartMusic's Content Manager web app.

Fonts & Characters

  • Finale now installs with the SMuFL-compliant fonts Finale Maestro, Finale Broadway, Finale Jazz, Finale Engraver, and Finale Ash ("legacy" versions of Finale fonts are still installed). See Fonts.
  • Finale's engraved default document and document style now use the SMuFL-compliant Finale Maestro font, while a legacy version is also available.
  • Finale's handwritten default document and document style now use the SMuFL-compliant Finale Broadway font, while a legacy version is also available.
  • The default music font for a Finale document can easily be switched between any SMuFL-compliant font.
  • Essential libraries have been updated to use SMuFL fonts. See Finale Libraries.
  • All SMuFL characters, including those specific to fonts used in Finale, are given a clear description in the Symbol Selection dialog box.
  • The Symbol Selection dialog box now includes category filters and a search field to aid in the finding of specific characters.
  • The Finale Lyrics and Jazz fonts now include support for additional non-English alphabetical characters. See Fonts.
  • All fonts shipped with Finale are now available for use under the SIL Open Font License.

Instruments & Sounds

  • Default settings for notation and playback have been improved for many existing instruments.
  • Finale's list of instruments has been expanded to include calliope, cavaquinho, handchimes, music box, and tabor.
  • Many instruments that formerly did not make use of an appropriate sound from Garritan Instruments for Finale now do.
  • Several duplicate instruments have been removed from Finale, and inappropriate Garritan Instruments for Finale sounds are no longer automatically selected for several percussion instruments.
  • Clapper/slapstick, flexatone, and bell tree sounds have been added to Garritan Instruments for Finale (GIFF) and the timpani range has been extended.
  • Taiko drum ensemble and chime tree sounds are now loaded correctly when added to a document.
  • Percussion layouts and percussion note types have been added to accommodate new and revised percussion sounds in Garritan Instruments for Finale.
  • Percussion layouts have been improved for a wide range of instruments in the Drums and Percussion categories.
  • Percussion layouts and percussion note types have been improved for quad toms, bongo drums, conga drums, percussion accessories, cymbals, and snareline.
  • Staff positions for snare drum, bass drum, dollu, and lambeg drum on single-line staves have been corrected. See Using Percussion MIDI Maps.
  • The volume of the Fusion Drum Kit has been increased to be in better balance with other instrument sounds.

Tool Palettes

MusicXML 4.0 support

  • Concert pitch scores with transposed parts are now exported and imported. See Transposing instruments.
  • Swing playback is now exported and imported.
  • Roman and Nashville chord styles are now exported and imported.
  • Alternate bass formatting (After Root, Under Root, As Subtext) is now exported and imported. See Chord Definition dialog box.
  • Piano pedal lines that discontinue without an upstroke and resume without a downstroke are now exported and imported. See pedal markings.
  • Bends created with the bend hat and guitar bend tools are now distinguished from one another on export. See Smart Shape Palette.
  • Expressions whose category uses a staff list that includes the top staff (e.g. tempo marks and rehearsal marks) now export and import correctly for use with linked parts.
  • Measure numbering that use a top or bottom staff now export and import correctly for use with linked parts.
  • Staff scaling and line spacing are now handled separately during export and import.
  • Different SMuFL wavy line characters in custom line definitions are now exported and imported.
  • Enclosures created with handwritten fonts that look like an inverted bracket - a rectangle with the top line missing - are now exported. See Fonts.
  • Up to 16 simultaneous cross-measure slurs per part can be imported or exported during very large divisi splits.
  • Linked Parts in compressed files are now supported in a standardized way that all applications can use.
  • SMuFL fonts are now used when importing a MusicXML file using a default file or opened Finale document that uses SMuFL fonts.
  • Guitar bends and bend hats are now imported. With files from MusicXML 3.1 and earlier that do not distinguish these two types of bends, bend hats are imported with standard notation and guitar bends are imported with tablature. See Smart Shape Palette.
  • Previous versions
  • For the following feature lists, items that have changed as of the current version of Finale are marked with an *.