MakeMusic releases upgrade to the worldwide standard in music notation software

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–MakeMusic, Inc. (NASDAQ: MMUS – News) announced today that Finale 2011 is now shipping. Finale has remained the worldwide standard in music notation software for more than 20 years by offering musicians the power to create any music they can imagine. Finale 2011 builds upon that power with new flexibility that transforms the creative process.

“Finale 2011 adapts to the way musicians work,” stated Ron Raup, MakeMusic’s CEO. “We believe that musicians who are used to adjusting the way they create to accommodate music software will be delighted with the flexibility and freedom Finale 2011 offers. We’ve worked closely with a broad range of our customers to ensure that these enhancements benefit both those new to putting music on the printed page as well as those who are using Finale to create Pulitzer-, Grammy- and Oscar-winning scores.”

Finale 2011 takes care of the details and allows musicians to focus on creating their music:

• New Staff Layout capabilities make it simple and intuitive to hide, move and edit staves, groups and brackets. Musicians are now free to work in any order they wish.
• Lyrics are more easily entered, instantly appear exactly as they’ll print out and are automatically spaced with even greater precision.

Finale 2011 also includes nearly 400 world-class instrument sounds from the makers of Garritan Personal Orchestra. An updated Garritan Aria player offers sophisticated control over these sounds with an integrated Ambiance reverb and a powerful new Ensemble feature. Those writing for percussion will welcome new music fonts that include a comprehensive collection of percussion, mallet and handbell graphics, as well as enhanced percussion playback capabilities.

Features of special interest to music educators include the Finale AlphaNotes™ music font and an expanded collection of more than 800 customizable music education worksheets and flashcards, including jazz improvisation worksheets and more than 100 titles of classroom repertoire.

Additional enhancements include automated Capo Chords, improved pickup measures, a new Quick Reference Guide with step-by-step instructions and colorful illustrations and much more. View short videos and details highlighting key Finale 2011 advancements here.

Follow Finale from our Community page, which offers access to the Finale Blog, Forum and links to Finale’s presence on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About MakeMusic, Inc.

MakeMusic^®, Inc. is a world leader in music technology whose mission is to develop and market solutions that transform how music is composed, taught, learned and performed. For more than 20 years, Finale^® has been the industry standard in music notation software, enabling composers, arrangers, musicians, teachers, students and publishers to create, edit, audition, print and publish musical scores. MakeMusic is also the creator of SmartMusic^® interactive software that is transforming the way students practice. With SmartMusic, students and teachers have access to thousands of band, orchestra and vocal pieces allowing students to practice with background accompaniment and get immediate feedback on their performance. SmartMusic allows teachers to individualize instruction and document the progress of every student. Additional information about this Minnesota company can be found at www.makemusic.com.

Contact:

MakeMusic, Inc.
Karen VanDerBosch, 952-906-3690
Chief Financial Officer
kvanderbosch@makemusic.com