How it works
- Open tunebard on your phone. Sign in with Google in your phone's browser. There is nothing to install.
- Take the photos. Tap the upload button and take a photo of each page, or pick photos you've already taken: up to 6 pages per score.
- Get the music. tunebard straightens each page, reads it and shows the result next to your photo, with playback. Download MusicXML for notation programs and MIDI for everything else.
A scanner in your pocket
A flatbed scanner gives the cleanest image, but most of us have a phone, not a scanner. tunebard is built for phone photos: it finds the page in the picture, corrects the angle and straightens the staff lines before reading. It also warns you about a photo that's blurry, too small or cut off, naming the page so you can retake just that one. If you do have a scanner or a scanning app, upload its PDF (up to 10 pages) or its images instead; it works the same way.
Tips for a clean scan with a phone
- Lay the page flat on a table in good, even light, and keep your shadow off it.
- Hold the phone straight above the page with all four corners in the frame.
- One page per photo; tap to focus so the notes are sharp when you zoom in.
- Glossy paper under a bright lamp can hide notes in the glare: move the lamp or tilt the page slightly.
What you get
MusicXML for MuseScore, Dorico, Sibelius or Finale, MIDI for the whole score, and one MIDI file per part. For music with several instruments, each part gets an instrument guess from its label, which you can change before you download.
Limits
tunebard reads printed music in standard notation. Handwriting isn't read, and guitar tablature and drum staves aren't supported. Every result is shown in full before you download, so you're never guessing.
Questions
Is a phone photo good enough?
Usually, yes. A sharp, evenly lit photo of a printed page reads well. If a photo is too blurry or too small to read reliably, tunebard says so and suggests a retake.
Does it work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, in Safari, Chrome or any modern mobile browser. iPhone HEIC photos are accepted as they are.
Can I scan a whole book?
One score at a time: up to 6 photos, or a PDF of up to 10 pages. Scan a long work in several uploads.
Where do my scans go?
Into your own account, where only you can see them. The privacy policy explains how long we keep them and how to ask for deletion.
Can it scan handwritten music?
No, only printed music for now.