What’s New in Sibelius® | Ultimate, Sibelius, and

Sibelius | First Software

versions 2020.1–2020.6
Legal Notices

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Guide Part Number 9329-66162-00 REV A 6/20

Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
System Requirements and Compatibility Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Conventions Used in Sibelius Documentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Import Music XML Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
File Extension for Exported Music XML Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Accessibility Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Score Starter in the Quick Start in Sibelius | First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

New Sibelius File Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
L.V. Ties (Laissez vibrer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

New Sibelius File Version . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Auto-Optimize Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Improvements with Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Right-click Menu for System Text Wildcards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Updated House Styles, Engraving Rules, and Manuscript Papers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

What’s New in Sibelius iii

Introduction

New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.5

Sibelius 2020.5 provides the following new features, changes, and improvements:
• Import Music XML files
• .musicxml file extension for exported Music XML files
• Accessibility preferences
• Score Starter for Sibelius | First

New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.3

Sibelius 2020.3 provides the following new features, changes, and improvements:
• New Sibelius file version
• Laissez vibrer (l.v.) or “let vibrate” lines

New Features and Improvements in Sibelius 2020.1

Sibelius 2020.1 provides the following new features, changes, and improvements:
• New Sibelius file version
• Auto-optimize layout
• Tie improvements:
• Tie into a note
• New tie styles (Sibelius and Sibelius | Ultimate only)
• Improvements to House Styles, Engraving Rules, and Manuscript Papers
• Wildcards in Style Text Right-click menu

System Requirements and Compatibility Information

Avid® can only assure compatibility and provide support for hardware and software it has tested and approved.

For complete system requirements and a list of qualified computers, operating systems, hard drives, and third-party devices, visit:
www.avid.com/compatibility

Version Compatibility
Sibelius 2019.9 was the last version of Sibelius to support macOS X 10.10 “Yosemite” and macOS X 10.11 “El Capitan.” It is rec-
ommended that you upgrade to macOS 10.12 “Sierra” or later to maintain compatibility with current versions of Sibelius.

We recommend that you upgrade to Windows 10 to maintain compatibility with current versions of Sibelius. To find out more
about migrating to Windows 10, visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-7-end-of-life-support-information.

If you are using an older version of Sibelius and are upgrading to macOS “Catalina” or Windows 10, we recommend that you up-
grade and stay current with the latest version Sibelius as well.

Introduction 1
Conventions Used in Sibelius Documentation
Sibelius documentation uses the following conventions to indicate menu choices, keyboard commands, and mouse commands:
:

Convention Action

File > Save Choose Save from the File tab

Control+N Hold down the Control key and press the N key

Control-click Hold down the Control key and click the mouse but-
ton

Right-click Click with the right mouse button

The names of Commands, Options, and Settings that appear on-screen are in a different font.

The following symbols are used to highlight important information:

User Tips are helpful hints for getting the most from Sibelius.

Important Notices include information that could affect data or the performance of Sibelius.

Shortcuts show you useful keyboard or mouse shortcuts.

Cross References point to related sections in this guide and other Avid documentation.

How to Use this PDF Guide

This PDF provides the following useful features:
• The Bookmarks on the left serve as a continuously visible table of contents. Click on a subject heading to jump to that page.
• Click a + symbol to expand that heading to show subheadings. Click the – symbol to collapse a subheading.
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into a finger. Then click to locate to that subject and page.
• All cross references in blue are active links. Click to follow the reference.
• Select Find from the Edit menu to search for a subject.
• When viewing this PDF on an iPad, it is recommended that you open the file using iBooks to take advantage of active links within
the document. When viewing the PDF in Safari, touch the screen, then touch Open in “iBooks”.

Introduction
Resources
The Avid website (www.avid.com) is your best online source for information to help you get the most out of Sibelius.

Account Activation
Create an Avid Master Account at:
www.avid.com/account

Product Registration
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Introduction
New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.6

Import Music XML Files

In addition to being able to open Music XML files as a new score, Sibelius lets you import Music XML files into an existing score.
When importing a Music XML file, you can specify what data to include or exclude, and you can also map individual staves in the
file to specific instruments in the score.

To import a Music XML file into and existing score:

1 Open a template or score.
2 Click the File tab.
3 Click Import.
4 Click the Browse button.
5 Navigate to and select the Music XML file you want to import. Click Open.

Import window

6 Configure all other options as desired.

7 Click Import.

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.5 4

Import Page
File

The File section lets you browse for the Music XML (or MIDI) file you want to import. Click the Browse button to locate and select
the file you want to import. The file path is displayed to the left of the Browse button. You can also simply drag and drop a file from
the macOS Finder or Windows Explorer to the Import page.

Instruments

The Instruments section lists the tracks in the selected Music XML (or MIDI) file by name. You can manually assign each track
to an Instrument in the score. Sibelius | Ultimate also provides an Auto Assign button to automatically assign tracks to Instruments
in the score.

For more information, see the Sibelius Reference Guide.

Preview

The Preview section lets you review the score as you configure the Import options. You can preview the score page by page and
zoom in and out to ensure that you configure the Import options to get the best results.

Import Music XML File Options

When a Music XML file is selected for import, Sibelius provides the following import options.

Use Page and Staff Size from MusicXML File

Enable this option to use the page and staff size from the Music XML file. Otherwise, Sibelius maintains the page and staff size of
the open score.

Use Layout and Formatting from MusicXML File

Enable this option to use the layout and formating from the Music XML file. Otherwise, Sibelius maintains the layout and format-
ing of the open score.

Import Initial Clef

Enable this option to use the clef from the Music XML file for each mapped instrument rather than the initial clef on the corre-
sponding staff in the score.

Use Multiple Voices

Enable this option if you are importing two independent tracks to a single instrument with two voices on a single stave. When this
option is disabled, all imported notes will be in one voice only.

Respace After Import

Enable this option to respace the score after importing new data. This will usually result in the best looking layout for the score.
However, you may want to disable this option if you are importing data into a score that already has music where you have man-
ually adjusted the spacing and you want to preserve that.

Explode Music when Arranging to Multiple Instruments

Enable this option when importing a single track to multiple staves (Instruments) in the score. For example, if you are importing a
track that consists of triads to three separate staves (Instruments), Sibelius imports the top note of each triad to the first staff, the
middle note to the second staff, and the bottom note to the third staff. Using the same example, if this option is disabled, Sibelius
simply copies complete triads to each staff in the score.

File Extension for Exported Music XML Files

When exporting a Sibelius score as Music XML, the file extension is .musicxml. With previous versions of Sibelius it is .xml.

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.5 5

Accessibility Preferences
Sibelius provides Verbosity and Coloring preferences for accessibility.

To set the preferences for accessibility:

1 Click the File tab.
2 Click Accessibility.
3 Configure the Accessibility preferences as desired.
4 Click OK.

Accessibility Preferences

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.5 6

Verbosity

Accessibility Preferences: Verbosity

Sibelius provides the following settings for Verbosity:

High, Low, Custom

Select High or Low for high or low levels of verbosity respectively. Select Custom to configure individual Verbosity options as de-
sired.

Read Ribbon Tooltips on Focus

Enable this option to read Ribbon tooltips as you move the cursor over items in the Ribbon.

Include Property Changes in Prompt

Enable this option to include changes to properties in the prompt.

Individual Verbosity Options

These options can only be edited when Custom is selected.

Harmonic Information Lets you specify how much harmonic information to read.

Pitch Information Lets you specify how much pitch information to read.

Duration Information :Lets you specify how much duration information to read.

Read Caret Position

Enable this option to read the position of the caret.

Always Include Bar Number in Prompt

Enable this option to always include the bar number in the prompt.

Include Out-of-Range and Professional Range Warning in Prompt

Enable this option to include out-of-range and professional range warnings in the prompt.

Include Notehead Style in Prompt

Enable this option to include notehead styles in the prompt.

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.5 7

Exclude Action Types in Prompt

Enable any of the following types of actions to exclude them from the prompt: Move Selection, Edit Properties, and Note Input.

Color Preset
The Color Preset section of the Accessibility preferences lets you create and manage color coding options for score objects.

Accessibility Preferences: Color Picker

To select a Color Preset:

 Select Default or any custom created presets from the Color Preset selector.

To create a new Color Preset:

1 Click the New button.

2 Type a name for the preset and click OK.
3 Select the color coding you want to use for this preset.

To rename a Color Preset:

1 Select the preset you want to rename from the Color Preset selector.
2 Click the Rename button.
3 Type a new name for the preset and click OK.

To delete a Color Preset:

1 Select the preset you want to delete from the Color Preset selector.
2 Click the Delete button.

To edit a Color Preset:

1 Select the preset you want to edit from the Color Preset selector.
2 Click the color swatch to change the Color or Highlight for a score Object.
3 The macOS or Windows color picker opens. Select the color you want and click OK (Mac) or Done (Windows).

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.5 8

Score Starter in the Quick Start in Sibelius | First
Sibelius | First provides Score Starter as part of the Quick Start dialog on launch. The Score Starter lets you select a style to help
you get started on a new score using a template.

Score Starter

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.5 9

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.3

New Sibelius File Version

To support L.V. ties, the Sibelius file version has be updated to 2020.3. This means you will need to export Sibelius 2020.3 files
as an earlier version to be able to open the file in an earlier version of Sibelius. When exporting scores that contain L.V. ties to an
earlier version of Sibelius, L.V. ties are converted to slurs.

L.V. Ties (Laissez vibrer)

Sibelius now supports L.V. ties (Laissez vibrer or “let vibrate”). Use the Inspector, Engraving Rules, and ManuScript to determine
how they are displayed in your scores.

Regular tie (left) and L.V. tie (right)

To enter an L.V. tie:

1 Add a regular tie to a note (or chord).
2 Select the tie (or all ties for a chord).
3 In the Inspector, enable the L.V. option:

Inspector, L.V. option enabled

To adjust the length of an L.V. tie:

1 Select the L.V. tie.
2 In the Inspector, change the RX value for Tie ends.

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.3 10

L.V. Ties in Engraving Rules
You can specify the default length of L.V. ties in the Engraving Rules.

To change the default length of L.V. ties:

1 In the Engraving Rules (Appearance > Engraving Rules), select Ties 1.
2 In the Tie Styles section, set the value for L.V. tie endpoint.
3 Click OK.

Engraving Rules, Tie Styles

L.V. Tie in ManuScript

L.V. ties are a variable for Note objects in ManuScript for Sibelius | Ultimate:
LvTie Is True if the note has an L.V. tie (read/write).

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.3 11

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.1

New Sibelius File Version

To support the tie improvements, the Sibelius file version has be updated to 2020.1. This means you will need to export Sibelius
2020.1 files as 19.12 or earlier to be able to open the file in those earlier versions. During the export process, ties are converted to
slurs so they will continue to look correct in older versions of Sibelius, but they won’t behave like tied notes.

Auto-Optimize Layout
Sibelius provides a new improved staff spacing mechanism, which includes the ability to ignore staves that have been manually
dragged. Use Auto-optimize to have staves automatically expand and contract to avoid collisions caused by music above or below
the stave. Auto-Optimize is based on the existing Optimize Staff Spacing feature, but also handles large Time Signatures, Com-
ments, and so on. Adding, editing or moving notes, text, symbols, lines. and such all trigger an automatic re-spacing of the staves
where necessary.

Toggle Auto-Optimize on and off by clicking the button in the Layout tab of the Ribbon (Sibelius and Sibelius | Ultimate only).

You can adjust the Optimize Staff Spacing settings in the Staves section of Engraving Rules to set the spacing of staves with
Auto-Optimize—use smaller values for Optimize Staff Spacing for fine adjustments and larger values for greater spacing of
staves. If you manually respace your staves by dragging them or using Option+Arrow keys (Mac) or Alt+Arrow keys (Windows),
or Option+Shift+Arrow keys (Mac) or Alt+Shift+Arrow keys (Windows), Auto-Optimize does not get triggered, allowing you to
override the spacing.

Improvements with Ties

Tie Into a Note

Tie Into a note lets you place ties before a note (or chord) rather than after it. Tie Into is found on the Enter key of the fourth Keypad
layout.

Tie Into note

To tie into a note (or chord):

1 Select a note (or chord).
2 On the fourth keypad layout, click the Tie Into button (or press Enter on the numeric keypad).

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.1 12

The tie appears to the left of the selected note (or chord).

Ties into notes of a chord

Tie Into Setting in the Inspector

The Inspector provides settings for adjusting the layout of Ties included Tie Into note ties. Select a Tie Into tie and the Inspector
lets you adjust the shoulder, middle, and end of the tie.

Inspector, Tie-into settings

To reset any changes, select the note or the tie and choose Reset Position and Reset Design from Appearance > Design and Po-
sition.

Tie Styles
(Sibelius and Sibelius | Ultimate only)

In addition to solid lines for ties, Sibelius now provides dashed and dotted lines as well.

Ties styles (top to bottom): solid, dashed, dotted

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.1 13

To set the tie style:
1 Select the tie whose style you want to set.
2 Open the Inspector.
3 Select the desired tie style (Solid, Dashed, or Dotted).
4 If you select the Dashed tie style, you can also adjust the dash length and dash gap length (the space between dashes).
5 If you select the Dotted tie style, you can also adjust the dot radius and dot gap length (the space between dots).

Inspector: Tie style selector

New Tie Objects in ManuScript

ManuScript for Sibelius | Ultimate provides the following new objects for Ties.
TiedInto Is True if the note has a tie-into object attached to the left-hand side of the note (read/write).

TieStyle The name of the tie style for this Note (read/write). Valid tie style names include: Solid, Dashed, Dotted. If an attempt is
made to apply a non-existent style name, the tie in question retains its current style.
TieIntoStyle The name of the tie-into object’s style for this Note (read/write). Valid tie-into style names include: Solid, Dashed,
Dotted. If an attempt is made to apply a non-existent style name, the tie-into object in question retains its current style.

Right-click Menu for System Text Wildcards

Sibelius provides a new Right-click word menu for System Text that includes all the Wildcards. This greatly simplifies adding
Wildcards. For example, enter some Title text and right-click to see all available Wildcards.

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.1 14

Updated House Styles, Engraving Rules, and Manuscript Papers
The default House Styles, Engraving Rules and Manuscript Papers have been updated. In particular, all of the Manuscript Papers
in the Quick Start have been updated to better inherit changes from the Blank manuscript paper. This lets you make further changes
to the default settings in Engraving Rules so as to provide better default manuscript papers.

The following are a few examples of some of the new styles:

Style: Podium

Style: Moderna

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.1 15

Style: Handwritten

New Features and Enhancements in Sibelius 2020.1 16

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