Harmony Assistant vs LilyPond
Harmony Assistant
myriad-online.comLilyPond
lilypond.orgSide by side
| Figure | Harmony Assistant | LilyPond |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Music notation software | 8.2 (#14) | 8.4 (#9) |
| Customization | The embedded MyrScript programming language lets users add features to the program. | Users can change layout settings, create text-based style sheets, and add functions using the built-in Scheme language. |
| Deployment | desktop | desktop |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| MIDI support | Yes | Yes |
| MusicXML support | Yes | Yes |
| Parts extraction | Yes | Yes |
| Purpose | Harmony Assistant is software for computer-assisted music composition and editing. | LilyPond is a music engraving program for producing sheet music. |
| Support | Technical support is free by email for registered and unregistered users, and the maker also provides in-program video tutorials, a help window, a manual, and a discussion forum. | The lilypond-user mailing list is the main place for users to discuss the program and help one another; some support is also available on IRC. |
| Tablature support | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Harmony Assistant
- Harmony AssistantPrice not published
- Harmony Assistant licensePrice not published
In their own words
Harmony Assistant
Harmony Assistant is desktop software for computer-assisted music composition and editing. It supports MusicXML, MIDI, parts extraction, and tablature, and runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Users can enter scores with a mouse, computer keyboard, or external MIDI keyboard, then work in full-page editing or engraver mode for score layout. Its embedded SoftSynth contains hundreds of instruments and can play through basic sound cards without external MIDI hardware. The program loads and saves MIDI, WAV, AIFF, MP3, OGG, TAB, ABC, and XML files. The embedded MyrScript language lets users add features. Documents can be password-protected and allowed to play without modification. Virtual Singer is an additional module for singing lyrics in multiple languages and voices. The trial has no time limit, but saving is disabled and printing is limited to one page while unregistered. A registration code is a lifetime license for one platform and includes future versions.
LilyPond
LilyPond is a desktop music-engraving program for producing sheet music, from classical and early music to modern scores, tablature, vocal music, lead sheets, educational materials, and orchestral projects. You enter score information as human-readable text; LilyPond then handles spacing, page and line breaks, clashes among lyrics, notes, and chords, and the shaping of slurs and beams. Layout settings can be changed, with text-based style sheets and functions written in the built-in Scheme language. Programs or scripts can edit or generate input files, and the command-line tool can be called from other applications. The site describes integrations for LaTeX and HTML, plus an extension for OpenOffice.org and LibreOffice. User-developed editors include Frescobaldi, Denemo, and Spontini-Editor; they are separate from LilyPond’s core. The text workflow can be used with speech recognition and screen readers. LilyPond is free software under the GNU General Public License, with GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows desktop support. Windows binaries do not support Windows 7 or 8; macOS binaries require version 10.15 or later.