Set up the sheet music tools (engraving polisher and score proofreader)
Ready nowRe-engrave Dorico or Sibelius scores from MusicXML under professional rules and render side-by-side comparisons; annotate a PDF score with proofreading marks page by page.
Kit
No separate kit. The playbook is self-contained.
You need
| Account | Why | Free or paid | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python 3.12 + uv | Runs every pipeline script (video gates, library export, research cache, Brain export, PDF generator, MIDI tools) inside per-project virtual environments. | Free | Free. |
| Homebrew (macOS package manager) | Installs ffmpeg, yt-dlp, gh, node, python, uv, pdftoppm (poppler) and WeasyPrint dependencies. Every local pipeline assumes it. | Free | Free, open source. Apple Silicon Mac assumed (VideoToolbox encoding, mlx-whisper). |
| MuseScore 4 (engraving engine, CLI) | The re-engraving engine the sheet-music polisher drives from the command line with a style preset. Converts MusicXML to polished MusicXML and PDF. | Free | Free, open source. No account needed for the desktop app or the CLI. |
| Audiveris (optical music recognition, optional) | Turns a PDF or image of a score into MusicXML when no export from the notation app exists. Fallback only; a direct MusicXML export is always better. | Free | Free, open source. Needs a Java runtime, which its installer bundles. |
| Claude Code (Anthropic Claude Pro or Max) | The AI operator every system runs through. Skills, hooks, memory, MCP servers and the Brain plugin all load inside Claude Code. | Paid | Claude Pro (20 USD/mo) works for light use; Max (100 USD or 200 USD/mo) for daily multi-hour sessions. Anthropic terms require each user to hold their own subscription; never share a login. |
What you bring
- Your score as MusicXML or PDF, when you work with sheet music
The steps
- Install the engine and the presets
- Write the orchestrator
- Polish a real score and read the comparison
- Set up the proofreader for content problems
- Hand the result back with the why, not just the what