I started building QuickStave because I was on a train, trying to make a small edit to a score on my phone. I couldn’t. The best notation software in the world simply wasn’t designed to follow you between devices.

That felt like a problem worth solving.

QuickStave home screen — browse, search, and explore published scores

What is QuickStave?

QuickStave is a professional music notation editor that runs entirely in your browser. Open a URL, start writing music, and get publication-quality engraving — on any device, with no install.

It’s built on SMuFL and the Bravura font, the same standard used by Dorico and other professional engraving tools. Scores are beautifully rendered by default, without fiddly manual adjustments.

Why the browser?

Because music doesn’t stay in one place. A composer writes at a desk, checks the score on a train, and shares it with performers who might be reading from a phone at rehearsal. A band leader needs to push a last-minute change and have everyone see it instantly.

Desktop software can’t do that. QuickStave can.

  • No install — open a URL and start writing
  • Any device — Chromebook, iPad, phone, desktop
  • Real-time collaboration — share a link, edit together
  • Offline support — install as a PWA and keep working without a connection

Fair pricing

One of the principles I feel strongest about: it shouldn’t cost more just because it’s a web service. Creation in QuickStave is free — unlimited scores, full editing, playback, and MusicXML import. You only pay when you need exports, sharing, and collaboration.

And when you do pay, a lifetime option means a lifetime. No one should use QuickStave with a sense of guilt because they’ve blown the budget.

See pricing →

What’s next

QuickStave is still young, and there’s a long list of features on the roadmap — guitar tablature, percussion notation, and more. But the core is solid: fast input, beautiful output, and a platform that goes wherever you go.

If you’re a composer, arranger, educator, or performer, I’d love for you to try it out. And if you have feedback, get in touch — I read every message.

— John Quick, Founder