MakeMusic Winds Down Finale, Introduces Dorico Partnership with Steinberg

MakeMusic has announced that it will discontinue development of its popular music notation software, Finale, along with Finale PrintMusic and Finale Notepad. As part of this decision, MakeMusic has teamed up with Steinberg, the creators of Dorico, to offer Finale users an exclusive crossgrade discount on Dorico Pro.

Here’s what this means for current Finale users:

•No further updates will be released for Finale or its associated tools (PrintMusic, Songwriter, Notepad).

•Finale can no longer be purchased or upgraded through the MakeMusic eStore.

•Finale will continue to function on devices where it’s already installed, although compatibility may be affected by future OS updates.

Starting in August 2025, the following changes will take effect:

•It will no longer be possible to authorize Finale on new devices or reauthorize existing installations.

•Support for Finale v27 and earlier versions will no longer be available.

Finale users are encouraged to take advantage of the exclusive discount on Dorico Pro, which is available for a limited time. Finale users can purchase Dorico Pro for $149 (regularly priced at $579). This offer is also extended to users of Finale PrintMusic.

MakeMusic’s decision marks the end of an era for Finale, which was first released 35 years ago by Coda Music Technologies (now MakeMusic). Reflecting on this change, Greg Dell’Era, President of MakeMusic and Alfred Music, noted the challenges of maintaining and updating such a longstanding software product. He expressed confidence that Dorico is the best alternative for Finale users, providing advanced features and efficient workflows that represent the future of music notation.

Steinberg’s Managing Director, Clyde Sendke, welcomed Finale users to the Dorico community, assuring them that support will be available to ease the transition to Dorico Pro.

This discount is available now, but only for a limited time, so Finale users are encouraged to make the switch soon.