Finale Read Me
Finale Read Me
Finale Read Me
IMPORTANT: Read this document before you begin working with Finale; you may want to print a copy of it
to keep with your Finale information.
This file contains important information about Finale not included in the User Manual, as well as information
about converting older files into the new version's format. Please note that Finale files cannot be opened in
versions of Finale prior to 2014 without being converted to a different format.
Running Finale
New Features in Finale
Fixes in Finale
You may also visit www.finalemusic.com for updated information about Finale and information on new
releases.
Running Finale
System Requirements
Windows 8.1/10/11 (64-bit Intel or AMD processors only). 4 GB of RAM minimum. 1280x800 minimum
monitor resolution. High-speed Internet connection required for download, authorization, updates, sharing
features, and help resources. 1 GB hard drive space required for software with an additional 8 GB hard drive
space required for Garritan Instruments for Finale. ASIO, DirectSound, or WASAPI audio supported.
The system requirements listed are current as of release but are subject to change. Visit
www.finalemusic.com/system-requirements to see the most up-to-date system requirements.
Installing Finale
If any previous version of Finale has been installed on the machine, Finale recommends that you restart your
computer and log on as System Administrator before installing. This will prevent erroneous font warnings.
We recommend that you install Finale, and any other software, when logged in as System Administrator.
If you encounter problems during installation, we recommend that you do the following:
1. Turn off any programs running in the background. Virus detectors can often prevent Finale from
installing necessary files and updating the registry. Rest assured, your Finale installer does not
contain any viruses.
2. Press CTRL+SHIFT+ESC to open the Task Manager. Click on the Details tab (if this tab is not
visible, click More details). In the Details tab, click User name to sort the running programs by
user ID name. This lists every process that is running on the system.
3. Under the User name column, look at all of the processes in the Name column associated with your
account name. Right-click each one, choose End task, and click End process. Do this for every
process assigned to your name except Taskmgr.exe, explorer.exe, and System Idle Process.
4. Close the Task Manager.
5. Check your system tray (lower-right corner of the screen) for any running programs, especially
antivirus software, which can interfere with proper installation of programs. Right-click each and
choose Quit.
User Manual
For full, up to date documentation on how to use Finale, choose Help > User Manual. Finale opens the User
Manual using your default browser and accesses the latest online content from MakeMusic’s servers.
To download the manual for offline use, visit the Finale Knowledge Base.
Authorizing Finale
The first time you launch Finale, you will be prompted to authorize. To authorize a single copy of Finale,
click Authorize Now to open the Authorization Wizard (or, choose Help > Authorize Finale). Follow the
on-screen instructions to authorize your copy of Finale. If you choose not to authorize, you will be prompted
to do so each time you launch Finale. If you do not authorize within thirty days, printing and saving are
disabled until you choose to authorize.
Note that the Computer ID and Authorization Code are computer specific and will only work on the given
computer installation. Your copy of Finale can be authorized on two computers simultaneously, and, with an
Internet connection, authorization can be moved from one computer to another at will. Choose Help >
Deauthorize Finale to open up a free slot. Your copy of Finale can now be authorized on a different
computer. When you deauthorize, printing and saving are disabled until authorization has been restored.
If you make a change to the computer (such as replacing the hard drive or motherboard, or installing a new
operating system), then you will need to re-authorize the installation. If you no longer have access to the
computer or hard drive that previously had an authorized version of Finale installed, go to
www.makemusic.com and click My Account. Log in, click the My Software button, and click Manage
Authorizations. Here, you can delete authorizations on machines no longer in your possession. If you have
deleted the maximum number of authorizations from your account, you will need to contact the Customer
Support Team online at www.finalemusic.com/support with your serial number and the location or computer
name for the specific installation in question. If the software is not reminding you to authorize when you run
the program, then the registration/authorization has been successfully completed.
Installation Details
To accommodate the autonomy of each of a computer's multiple users, and to prevent permissions issues,
Finale installs its components to various locations on your hard drive depending on their function and
required accessibility. See Finale Installation Details in the User Manual for more information.
Finale TrialThe Finale trial is available as a download from our website. The trial version is identical to the
full version, but does not include the Garritan sounds or music files. After the 30-day trial period, printing and
saving are disabled. To purchase the full version of Finale, along with all sounds and features, choose Help >
Purchase Finale. Trial users: after purchasing, another download is necessary to acquire the Garritan sounds
and music files.
Keep in mind that older versions cannot read the newer version's preferences.
High-resolution display
Images used in dialog boxes throughout Finale have been updated for better readability.
The tool palette and Playback Controls icons have been improved for clarity and are shown properly at all
display scalings.
The Mixer and control modules in Studio View have been updated for legibility at all display scalings.
Clicking the Add Instrument button and selection dropdown in ScoreManager now works reliably at all
display scalings, including on secondary monitors.
MusicXML 4.0 support
Concert pitch scores with transposed parts are now exported and imported.
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.
Piano pedal lines that discontinue without an upstroke and resume without a downstroke are now exported
and imported.
Bends created with the bend hat and guitar bend tools are now distinguished from one another on export.
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.
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.
For a full list of features introduced in previous versions, see New Features in Finale in the User Manual. For
a full list of interface changes and more information regarding specific menu command changes, see Interface
Changes in the User Manual.
Document Options and Preferences. Buttons in the Document Options and Preferences dialog boxes are no
longer cut off at certain display scalings.
Font annotation. The contents of the Font Annotation dialog box are now positioned correctly when resizing
the dialog box.
Human Playback. The Human Playback Samba and Reggae styles now interpret the swing setting correctly.
Left or right only printing. Selecting Left Only or Right Only now properly restricts the printed pages for
any page range.
MusicXML. Fixes include: the Restrict Formatting option correctly applies only to single-file import, not to
batch import; staff scaling is imported for 1-line staves; harmon mute symbols used in expressions or
measure-attached text blocks no longer cause Finale to export invalid MusicXML files; and chord
symbols still export correctly even if they contain non-displaying control characters.
Page range. The Print dialog box no longer has a restriction on the number of characters in the page range
field, especially helpful for booklet printing.
PDF export. PDF export now uses the native Print to PDF device, resolving many long-standing issues with
exported PDFs.
PDF filenames. An extra "x" character is no longer added after the score name when printing parts to PDF.
Print dialog box. The Help button in the Print dialog is no longer disabled when using the Microsoft Print to
PDF device.
Printing. The print progress bar is now more accurate.
Printing parts and score. Reverse order printing no longer fails when any part has more pages than the
score.
Reverse order printing. Parts of any number of pages can now be printed accurately in reverse order with
any page range specified, including N-up and tiled printing.
Speedy Entry. Navigating to a measure on the next page using Speedy Entry in Page View now works with
all methods of advancing the entry caret.
Time signatures. The Default Music Font is now correctly retained for time signature numbers and plus signs
in parts when set in the Document menu.
For a full list of fixed defects in previous versions, see Fixes in Finale in the User Manual.
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