Minneapolis – June 4, 2009 – MakeMusic, Inc. (NASDAQ: MMUS) announced today that Finale 2010 is now shipping. The flagship of the world’s best-selling family of music notation software – and the world standard for more than 20 years – Finale 2010 offers a broad range of enhancements that reduce the distance between inspiration and perfection on the printed page. From percussion notation and chord entry to rehearsal marks and measure numbering, dozens of everyday tasks have been automated and simplified, saving music professionals and educators time and money, and ensuring that the upgrade quickly pays for itself.
Highlights of these changes include:
* The unparalleled power and flexibility of Finale’s percussion notation is now incredibly simple to use. * The creation and sequencing of rehearsal marks has been automated. * Chord entry is greatly simplified – even when attaching chords to empty measures – and more efficient, requiring far fewer keystrokes.
In addition to ease-of-use and productivity enhancements, Finale 2010 now includes more than 350 sounds from the makers of Garritan Personal Orchestra. This provides a robust library rather than simply a sparse introduction to premium sounds found in other software. Among the dozens of additions to 2010 are new organ, guitar, bass, handbell, synthesizer and brush kit drum set sounds. Finale 2010 also adds support for VST/AU effects as well as instrument plug-ins, so those wishing to expand upon Finale’s prestigious built-in sound capabilities will have no limitations.
Music educators will welcome the addition of more than 350 worksheets. Designed for K-12 students of general music, theory, band, orchestra and choir, these printable worksheets help teach basic elements of music and are easily edited and customized.
Additional features include the elegant new Broadway Copyist handwritten music notation font, scanning improvements, expanded graphic import/export support, additions to linked parts and much more.
“The best tools are designed by the people who use them,” stated Ron Raup, MakeMusic’s CEO. “The varied improvements in Finale 2010 reflect the work of the musicians of MakeMusic and their ongoing communication with other Finale users. More than 80% of MakeMusic employees are musicians, participating in nearly 2000 performances each year. We’re thinking, talking, living and breathing music – and interacting with other Finale users – every day. This close interaction, whether it occurs at the office, tradeshow, studio, school, place of worship or performance hall, informs every decision we make. We’re confident that our customers will find the changes in Finale 2010 will contribute to improved workflow while maintaining the robust power customers expect.”
Short videos and details highlighting the improvements in Finale 2010 can be seen at www.finalemusic.com. Meet some of our employees on Flickr and follow our activities on Twitter and YouTube.
About MakeMusic, Inc. MakeMusic®, Inc., a Minnesota corporation, is a world leader in music technology whose mission is to enhance and transform the experience of making, teaching, learning, and performing music. For 20 years, Finale® has been the industry standard in music notation software. It has transformed the process by which composers, arrangers, musicians, teachers, students, and publishers create, edit, audition, print, and publish musical scores. Additionally, MakeMusic is the creator of SmartMusic®, the complete practice tool for band, orchestra, and choir and SmartMusic Gradebook™, a web-based grade book that makes it easy to manage, grade, and document assignments for every student. Further information about the company can be found at MakeMusic
