MakeMusic, Inc. announced today the release of Finale NotePad 2008, the latest version of the popular freeware for Macintosh and Windows computers. Based on the award-winning Finale, NotePad is the world‘s most widely used music notation software, with more than 3 million downloads in over 200 countries. The latest version includes support for the Windows Vista operating system, compatibility with files made with Finale 2008 and a host of new features.



Most notable of the new features is the ability to import and export MIDI files. In addition notes can be entered in step time from a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI device, and NotePad can now play back via any external MIDI device. Other enhancements include an improved selection tool, a streamlined user interface, an expanded Setup Wizard and a new documentation system.

NotePad offers many powerful and timesaving features for music educators, students and hobbyists. The software is especially popular with educators, allowing them to create assignments in Finale and share these creations with their students via NotePad. Like Finale, NotePad includes more than 128 professional-grade sounds from the acclaimed SmartMusic learning software - these sounds ensure that playback is consistent between users of NotePad and Finale.

Anyone wishing to put their music on paper can use NotePad to set up a music score and enter clefs, time signatures, key signatures, notes, rests, lyrics, markings and musical instructions. Finale technology automatically does the work of the engraver, arranging the many elements on the page, and prints the sheet music with the same high quality publishers enjoy.

NotePad also serves as an introduction to the entire Finale family of music notation software. Many NotePad users decide they would benefit from additional features and trade up to more advanced Finale products. Because all of these products can share files (including between Windows and Macintosh computers), music created in NotePad is fully compatible with the entire Finale 2008 family of music notation products.

NotePad 2008 can be downloaded, free-of-charge, from: www.finalemusic.com/notepad

About MakeMusic, Inc.

MakeMusic, Inc. is a world leader in music-education technology whose mission is to enhance and transform the experience of making, teaching and learning music. Among its leading products are Finale, the world‘s best-selling music notation software, and SmartMusic, the music learning software for band, orchestra and choir. MakeMusic maintains its corporate headquarters in Minneapolis. The company can be reached at www.makemusic.com