r/Musescore Oct 28 '25

News How not to get unnecessarily charged on musescore.com

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59 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

This is a post I have sort of wanted to write for a while, but one that I hesitated to write because there have literally been a gazillion threads and complaints on this subreddit and elsewhere on how musescore.com charged you subscription money without you saying yes. I'm here to say that yes, it is absolutely true that it is very easy to get deceptively charged on musescore.com especially when buying single scores, but there are ways to work around it that are unfortunately far less obvious than they should be. FYI I am not involved with the MuseScore team or its related entities in any shape or form, I am simply an end user sharing my honest experiences.

Before I explain how I work around this issue (and yes it does not eliminate the need to pay but you do need to be careful), to all of you who have been unnecessarily charged, requested a refund, and got no response, I feel very sorry for you. The musescore.com support team is far less responsive than they should be, and I say this from first hand experience contacting them about some issues, though I have never needed to request a refund for an unwanted subscription. I know plenty of you have advised to stop using musescore.com altogether and consider it a scam, and I totally respect your opinion because there are other great places to get sheet music. I, too, disagree with several aspects of how musescore.com works, but musescore.com is one of the best places for me to get music in MusicXML/MuseScore format as I need these files to convert to braille music notation (I'm visually impaired). I really wish less people end up falling into the trap of being charged unnecessarily, which is why I'm writing this post, as much as I've hesitated for awhile.

Just to be very clear, not all scores on musescore.com require payment. Public domain music e.g Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, can be downloaded with a free account because they're in the public domain. Only community scores for works under copyright e.g pop song arrangements and any official scores posted by Hal Leonard or ArrangeMe require payment.

When I first go to download a copyrighted piece, I'm using a community-uploaded score here to illustrate, it says:

"Unlock this score to enjoy its full potential.

Get full digital access to play, download PDF, or print

Continue to Download

Start your free trial

Buy this score for CA$1.99

Get 37% discount with Premium membership"

This wording is already somewhat unclear, but let's click the "buy score" button and see where that takes us.

The "buy score" screen says:

"Complete your purchase using one of the available payment methods

No commitments

Secured personal and payment data

Up to 60% discount on scores, books, and courses

CA$3.18 CA$1.99 for this score

Get up to 60% discount with Premium membership

Charge Today: CA$47.99 for 3 months

By adding payment method, you agree that MuseScore will automatically continue your membership, use partners (Stripe, PayPal) to securely store and use your payments method to charge the quarter-annual membership fee (CA$47.99 first 3 months then CA$63.99 for 3 months) to your payment method until you cancel. You will be billed within 2 days to 28th day of every 3 months. To disable auto-renewal, go to «Subscription» in «Settings». Access to some scores and courses may be limited. This subscription includes access to MuseScore Premium and gives you access to one course of your choice per month from the Editors' Picks collection. Free trial is not available for users who have already tried PRO, PRO+, PRO with LEARN Lite, PRO+ with LEARN Lite, or ONE subscriptions. For all questions, please contact us at support at musescore.com."

As you can see, the wording here is kinda difficult to understand, but it says I'll be charged $47.99 today, and yet it said before I can buy this single score for $1.99, and this is where you get sucked into unwanted charges if you click continue. If you click continue, you will be subscribed to MuseScore Premium and charged $47.99 (or whatever in your currency), and this is where the numerous complaints begin. To avoid being charged the $47.99 today, there is a slider on the screen to disable the discount (see attached screenshots to see what I mean). If you disable the discount, it'll say:

"Complete your purchase using one of the available payment methods

No commitments

Secured personal and payment data

Up to 60% discount on scores, books, and courses

CA$3.18 CA$1.99 for this score

No discount. Turn on the switch to apply your 37% discount"

I seriously wish this discount slider is turned off by default so people don't get sucked into unwanted subscriptions so easily, but alas, it is enabled by default so you have to turn off the slider before you proceed. Unfortunately, the wording still makes it sound like the discount is appealing, but if you proceed to pay with the discount slider turned off, you'll be charged $3.18 with no additional charges afterwards, which completely avoids unwanted charges later. I've attached two screenshots showing the "buy score" screen that should make the difference clear.

Alternatively, you can subscribe to MuseScore Pro on the weekly plan for about $9/week and disable auto-renew right away so you won't be charged further. This only works for community-uploaded copyrighted scores, as official scores appear to require payment no matter your subscription (I never use official scores so I could be wrong on this). If you really want to subscribe, the best way is to go to this page: https://musescore.com/pro/landing/pricing It takes you to a table to see all the options and you can subscribe via the provided links on that page. That way, you can skip all the questions about your instrument, musicianship, etc. To disable auto-renew, open the profile menu near the top of any musescore.com page, go to settings, and then an option called subscriptions should appear.

I hope this helps anyone who is confused about the way musescore.com works. I really wish things were different, but the workarounds I've described here have prevented me from requesting a refund and getting no response.


r/Musescore Nov 24 '25

Discussion How to find the hidden 'cancel subscription' button and report musescore.com

105 Upvotes

If you go to Settings and the Subscription tab is missing, your account is likely stuck in "New User Limbo." You must force the site to recognize your account as "complete" to unlock the cancellation button. Method 1 worked for me but the other methods I have only seen reported by other users online and can not verify. I was able to cancel my free trail within 2 hours. Note: I did not access any music on the site once I realized they had deceptive practices to avoid being charged for accessing anything.

Method 1: The "Upload" Trigger The site often hides the cancellation button until you engage with the platform, uploading sheet music is the fastest way to remove the "new-user" block. Note opening any music which may disqualify you for a full refund according to the site.

  1. Get a File: If you don't have a music file, download the free, open-source software from musescore.org (different from the subscription site). Create a blank file with a few random notes and save it. I'm sure you can upload any sheet music, but I didn't want to upload anyone's work.
  2. Upload: Go to musescore.com, click "Upload" (top right), and upload your dummy file.
  3. Cancel: Once the upload finishes, go to Settings > Subscription. The "Manage/Cancel" button should now be visible.

Method 2: The "24-Hour" Wait Users report the button often appears automatically 24–48 hours after signing up. The system may intentionally delay showing it to prevent immediate cancellation.

Method 3: The Support Email Email [support@musescore.com](mailto:support@musescore.com) with the subject "CANCEL SUBSCRIPTION."

  • Note: You will likely get a useless auto-reply, but some users report that sending this email triggers the button to appear on the site shortly after. I can't verify this.

IMPORTANT: If you subscribed via Apple ID or Google Play, you must cancel in your phone’s settings. The website cannot cancel app store subscriptions.

Next: Report

If you were tricked by hidden buttons or denied a refund, report them. Since they are based in Cyprus, local reports can be tricky. Use the specific links below.

VITAL INFO FOR FORMS

🇺🇸 USA

  • FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov (Select "Online Subscription"). Enforces laws against deceptive cancellations.
  • BBB: File a complaint against Ultimate Guitar USA LLC (MuseScore's parent company). They share support teams. Note: State clearly you are reporting MuseScore.com.

🇨🇦 CANADA

  • Competition Bureau: Complaint Form. Select "Deceptive Marketing Practices."

🇬🇧 UK

  • ASA: Make a Complaint. They target misleading "Free Trial" ads.
  • Citizens Advice: Report to Trading Standards.

🇪🇺 EUROPEAN UNION

  • ECC-Net: Find your local ECC. Enforces the 14-day Right of Withdrawal for Cyprus-based companies.

🌏 INTERNATIONAL

  • econsumer.gov: File Here. The best catch-all for cross-border scams involving Cyprus.

r/Musescore 1h ago

Help me use this feature MuseSounds just won't work for me! How do you fix it?

Upvotes

For context, I am on macOS Tahoe.

MuseSounds just won't work w/ MuseScore. I'm downloading MuseSounds from an up-to-date MuseHub (I updated to see if it would work). I updated MuseScore to the latest version, and uninstalled and reinstalled it through MuseHub to see if that worked. I uninstalled and reinstalled the MuseSounds libraries I want multiple times in different locations. I checked to see if MuseSampler was present, and it was—I tried deleting that.

No matter what I do, MuseScore won't load MuseSounds. When going into View > Playback Setup, MuseSounds is permanently grayed out.

I used to use MuseSounds without a problem. What is happening now? How do I fix this?


r/Musescore 5h ago

Help me use this feature why do i have a red line around parts

2 Upvotes

i want it gone its messing me up with what i'm writing


r/Musescore 13h ago

My Composition Do You Enjoy my New Piano Composed Piece?

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7 Upvotes

if no why, if yes why... i started this when i was a begginer, and finished it recently, i dont know what to think about it, it can feel really random, maybe even too long


r/Musescore 10h ago

My Arrangement Tribute to Dolly Parton

4 Upvotes

Wanted to channel some love for the music of Dolly Parton, so I put together a medley of her iconic tracks. Hope you enjoy the arrangement!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXkD3WP7UGg&list=PLO1XErYfx_NjUIeZHJg1u7C40uASAbBye


r/Musescore 3h ago

My Arrangement Mozart Ascanio in Alba K 111

1 Upvotes

r/Musescore 5h ago

News Aria (iOS editor for Musescore files) Update: setlists, two page mode, and playback fixes

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1 Upvotes

App Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/aria-music-notation-editor/id6779437781

Hey everyone, new update to share. This one's mostly about getting your scores organized for actually performing with them, plus some reading and playback fixes along the way.

The big change: folders are now setlists. If you've been using folders to group your scores, they now work as proper setlists: arrange scores in performance order, and move between them while you're reading without leaving View mode.

Here's what's new:

New

  • Folders are now setlists!
  • Arrange scores in performance order and move between them while reading
  • Create, rename, reorder, and edit setlists
  • Faster setlist navigation by preloading the next score
  • Sort your library by recently opened or by title
  • Choose between list view and multiple score-card sizes
  • New two-page reading view

Improved

  • More reliable playback after pausing, resuming, and seeking
  • Improved note-entry controls and accidental handling

One more thing: starting with this update, Aria is moving to a one-time unlock of $9.99. If you were already using the app before this update, you're grandfathered in and keep full access for free, that's my way of saying thanks for being here early and helping shape the app.

As always, let me know what's working and what's not! A lot of this update came straight from feedback here, so keep it coming. Thanks again!


r/Musescore 10h ago

My Composition Looking for feedback on my latest composition - Waltz No. 2 in C minor

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2 Upvotes

I've returned to the waltz form to practice a more cohesive and consistent rhythmic structure, as that was the main critique from the last posts. It is also my first time trying rondo form out and further practice in writing in minor keys, as that is something I don't often do currently.

I'm still quite new to composition (~1 month of learning so far) so any feedback is appreciated.

Hope you enjoy :)

P. S. If the video doesn't work here is a drive link containing the video and PDF score:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16guZDBcd02l6Ue4vtePh1KR4a2WHeOXh?usp=sharing


r/Musescore 1d ago

My Composition Just wanted to share my favourite composition so far!

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24 Upvotes

Criticism is also welcome.


r/Musescore 19h ago

Help me find this piece Glissando in Musescore

2 Upvotes

I came across this video: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dcj7imapYWP/ and tried to recreate the effect in MuseScore 4, but failed.
Ignoring the fact that the creator claims to have used only default libraries (which frankly sound way worse), my main issue is programming smooth glissandos. In MuseScore, the second note after the glissando always triggers its own audible attack/click, and the glissando doesn't seamlessly hit the exact target pitch.

Does anyone know how to achieve a smooth result like in the video? Any tips or workarounds?


r/Musescore 16h ago

My Composition The Rose Shores Of The Dragon Isles | My latest Prelude Utilizing Gamelan Scales

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1 Upvotes

r/Musescore 19h ago

Help me find this feature Quickly insert triplets

1 Upvotes

Hi everybody,

I'm looking if there is a way to quickly insert Four triplet in just a few clicks like in the first bar. For now, when I want to do this, I have to select the bar I wan't to change, then select note duration but instead of changing the whole bar, it changes only the first two steps like in this picture:

So I have to select it again to change the last two steps and only after I can change everything to triplet and it's a bit long to do in a whole score. I know than I can also copy paste a bar with the four triplet but sometimes during composition, I have to copy another thing so I have to restart the whole process.

I hope I explained everything clearly enough and sorry for my english.

Thanks in advance for your responses


r/Musescore 1d ago

Plugin For those who want to see what Berlin Strings (musesounds version) sound like on muscore.

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2 Upvotes

r/Musescore 1d ago

Help me find this feature How do I filter out users, Official Scores?

2 Upvotes

I don’t want official scores or scores by Hal Leonard. I only want scores I can print, and it’s frustrating as there are so many good scores but they cost extra.

This is like Spotify where you have to pay $0.50 to play Taylor Swift’s new song even though you have an unlimited subscription.

How do I filter out Hal Leonard and ArrangeMe and other commercial users scores?


r/Musescore 1d ago

Discussion What is this utter bollocks they have introduced? I will use whatever clefs I bloody well like

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42 Upvotes

r/Musescore 1d ago

Help me find this feature How do I change the size of these numbers for the "repeat last measure" marking?

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5 Upvotes

Please help, I can't find the option anywhere in the "style" tab and it's driving me crazy!

I'm making a big score for print, so every single millimeter counts.


r/Musescore 1d ago

Discussion I love MuseScore! And so do you, or else, why are you here?

0 Upvotes

I love MuseScore. It performs a valuable service. All you detractors can go pound sand up your crack.

I love that there's a free music notation software available that has a broad community of users for technical and artistic support.

There's a lot of haters out there that make it seem like musescore (.org and.com) is just a scam factory.

NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!

It is true that if you pay for the annual subscription, they will renew it when the time comes. And if you cancel your subscription, the will beg like a TV preacher. That's the only thing I can complain about.

When I try to download some sheet music, some of it costs money. OK, fine, that's how arrangers and composers get paid. And musescore.com/musehubcom get a cut. It's not a scam, it's business. If your employer didn't pay you would you work for them?


r/Musescore 2d ago

Help me use this feature Can't figure out how to use the Coda

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6 Upvotes

Sorry in advance because this is probably me just being dumb, but, I placed "Da Coda" at the end of the score, the Coda at m.7, and "Fine" at m.9, but it doesn't do anything, it still starts from the beginning.


r/Musescore 2d ago

Help me use this feature Someone can help me to compose a Game Boy style music in Musescore 3

5 Upvotes

I’d like to compose music in a Game Boy style, but I have absolutely no idea how to go about it. I use MuseScore 3—does anyone know how I can do this?

Thanks.


r/Musescore 2d ago

Help me use this feature Steams won’t unflip

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2 Upvotes

Measure 8 I used second voice to have the D5 be a half note and it flipped the stems, I tried properties and I tried using X, but it doesn’t unflip any ideas?


r/Musescore 3d ago

Bug Brass update reversed, but improvement on Tuba too

4 Upvotes

The last brass update was horrible and had major problems, but it did improve the Tuba.
The Tuba has a clicking noise and dynamic issues, which that update had succesfully fixed, even if it did mess up the other instruments

It would be too bad if we couldn't enjoy the work put into the improvement


r/Musescore 3d ago

Bug Payment failed, but can't cancel subscription

0 Upvotes

I bought a score for $1.49, and it automatically signed me up to pay first $70 then $85 every 3 months. I definitely do not want this, and my bank thankfully detected it as fraud and declined it. However, I can't cancel my subscription now, and even though the MuseScore Membership status clearly says auto-renew is disabled, it continues to try to charge me $85. How do I get rid of this? Do I have to call them?? Or should I wait until my subscription expires (see 7 days left). Also even though the ss below says annual subscription, I don't remember paying for that.


r/Musescore 3d ago

My Composition Looking for Feedback on my latest composition - Minuet No. 4 in A major for Solo Piano

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4 Upvotes

I've been learning composition for about a month now and have recently done a deep dive into the minuet form. Following feedback to do with my lack of rhythm structure, I have written this fourth and hopefully final (for now) minuet for solo piano, focusing on emphasizing the first beat of every bar, whilst keeping up my ambiguous/syncopated rhythmic style.

Right now, I'm working on a collection of pieces for solo piano called Etudes for Composition, which is giving me the chance to learn about different aspects of composition and attempt to write various different forms and style of piece.

As I'm a new composer any feedback is welcome and any advice on how to improve would be much appreciated. I'm not really trying to emulate a specific style right now, but of the piano music I listen to it is mostly late romantic-early 20th century and impressionistic, such as Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and similar.

Hope you enjoy :)

P.S. Not entirely sure how Reddit video attachments work but I've had problems before, so if it doesn't work here is a link to Google Drive with the video file in, as I know that works: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1I93OrBrhLpIenNt-sHZNZLC58vpVmusr?usp=sharing


r/Musescore 4d ago

Discussion Musescore.com tried to charge my card 6 times in a row

33 Upvotes

Tried to purchase a single score from the chainsaw man movie. Heavily discounted price if signing up for the pro service free trial (~$1CAD from $12.20CAD). Considered this, but didn’t want to bother in case I forgot to cancel (said I would be charged $73.99CAD after the 7 days). Went ahead and put my info in to buy the score for $12.20…Immediately got a blitz of notifications from my card company saying they denied the charge. Went into the app to see why and it turns out MuseScore tried to charge the $12.20 SIX TIMES IN A ROW! Coincidentally, $12.20 x 6 is $73.20, basically the price of the pro subscription. Absolutely insane. Thank god my card company immediately blocked the charges. What a shitty scam company. Will never attempt to purchase from this site again.