Guide

sheet maker is a free tool that automatically turns an MP3/WAV file or a YouTube link into piano sheet music (transcription), and lets you edit, play, and export to PDF right in your browser. Follow the guide below and you'll make your first score in about three minutes, even as a first-timer.

1. Turn an MP3/WAV file into a score (automatic transcription)

1. Drag an MP3 or WAV file onto the upload card on the main screen, or click to choose one.
2. Press [Transcribe] and the AI model analyzes the notes inside your browser. The first time only, it takes a bit longer to download the model (about 10 MB).
3. When analysis finishes, a staff score appears. Press [▶ Play] to hear the result.
4. If the timing looks off, press [Quantize all] to snap the notes to the grid.

💡 Your audio file never leaves your computer. It looks like an upload, but everything is processed inside your browser — so you can safely use private recordings or unreleased tracks.

2. Transcribe from a YouTube link (high quality)

If the YouTube link box is visible on the main screen (a green "available" indicator), just paste a YouTube URL and press [Transcribe]. This method uses a more precise model than file upload, so results are usually cleaner.

• Piano covers and tutorial videos give the best results. A piano-only video is far more accurate than the original track (with band and vocals).
• We recommend videos under about 10 minutes. Very long videos take too long to process and aren't supported.
• If you see "🔴 offline", the YouTube transcription server is temporarily down. In that case, download the audio as MP3 and transcribe it via file upload instead.

⚠️ When transcribing copyrighted songs, please use only audio you have the rights to. A copyright confirmation dialog appears before transcription starts.

3. Songs that transcribe well / poorly

The accuracy of AI transcription depends heavily on the state of the input audio. Keep the following in mind for much cleaner results.

• ✅ Works well — piano solos, piano covers with quiet backing, clear tutorials, and clean studio recordings.
• △ So-so — songs centered on piano but with light backing, and older recordings.
• ❌ Difficult — band music with heavy vocals/drums/guitar, noisy live recordings, and songs with several instruments playing thick chords at once. In these, notes overlap and the result may include notes that weren't actually played.

Even for the same song, finding a "piano cover" instead of the original noticeably improves the result. This is the easiest way to raise transcription quality.

4. Composing on a blank score

1. Press [＋ Compose on a blank score] to open an empty score with edit mode on.
2. Pick a length from the note-length palette (whole to 16th note), then click an empty spot on the staff to place a note. Hover to preview the landing position as a blue dot.
3. A piano sound plays each time you place a note, so you can compose by ear.
4. Change the time signature (2/4–6/8) and BPM in the edit panel, then press [Apply].

5. How to read a score — the basics

Knowing a little notation helps when refining a transcription. As a beginner, this much is enough.

• The staff (five lines) — higher up means higher pitch, lower down means lower pitch.
• Treble clef (𝄞) — mainly the right hand (melody); bass clef (𝄢) — mainly the left hand (accompaniment/bass). Piano scores pair these two, one above the other.
• Note lengths — whole (4 beats) > half (2) > quarter (1) > eighth (½) > 16th (¼). A dot (.) after a note makes it 1.5× longer.
• Measures — the boxes divided by bar lines; the number of beats per measure is set by the time signature (e.g., 4/4 = 4 beats per measure).
• Accidentals — ♯ (raise a semitone), ♭ (lower a semitone), ♮ (natural). The song's overall key is shown by the key signature at the very start.

6. Refining the transcription (editing shortcuts)

AI transcription isn't perfect, so a few tweaks make it much cleaner. Here are the operations you'll use most.

• Click a note = select · drag up/down = change pitch · right-click = delete
• ↑/↓ raise/lower a semitone · ←/→ move by grid · +/− adjust length · Delete remove
• Ctrl+Z undo · Ctrl+Y redo
• 1–5 pick note length (1 = whole … 5 = 16th) · . toggle dotted note
• M — moves the selected note to the upper/lower staff (right hand ↔ left hand). Handy when the hand split looks wrong.
• [🧹 Clean up spikes] — removes very short or out-of-range false detections in one click.
• [Quantize all] — snaps slightly-off notes exactly to the beat grid. Press Ctrl+Z to undo.

7. Saving and downloading (using each format)

• [💾 Save score] — saved in this browser. It won't appear on other devices or browsers, so download files you want to keep in the formats below.
• [Save PDF] — great for printing and playing from a music stand. Long pieces are split across pages automatically.
• [MIDI] — a file holding only pitch and length data. Use it in a DAW or another notation app to change the sound or arrange.
• [MusicXML] — a standard format that preserves the notation itself. Open it in professional notation software like MuseScore, Finale, or Sibelius for detailed editing.

8. Submitting your score to the gallery

1. With a score open, press [⤴ Submit to gallery] and enter a title and nickname.
2. Your submission is sent to the operator and, after review, is usually published to the gallery within 1–2 days.
3. Transcriptions of copyrighted songs may be rejected. Original compositions, arrangements, and public-domain classics are always welcome.

9. Going deeper (articles)

Want to get more out of sheet music and transcription? We wrote detailed articles by topic.

• How to read piano sheet music — the basics · Staff, clefs, meter and key signatures from zero.
• How AI transcription works · Knowing the limits gets you better results.
• From audio to sheet music — step by step · The full workflow from source to sharing.
• Songs that transcribe well vs poorly · How to pick source audio.
• MIDI conversion vs audio transcription · A must-read if you own a digital piano.
• Sheet music and copyright basics · What to know before practicing and sharing.
• Practicing with digital scores · Playback, speed control and the visualizer.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Is it really free?
Yes. It runs on banner ads, with no limit on the number of transcriptions or song length (for file uploads). No sign-up required.

Q. The transcription is inaccurate. What do I do?
AI transcription isn't perfect, and songs with many instruments cause misdetections. ① Use piano-focused audio when possible, ② after transcribing press [🧹 Clean up spikes] and [Quantize all], then ③ fix any remaining errors by dragging or Delete — it gets much cleaner.

Q. Is my uploaded audio stored on a server?
No. For file-upload transcription the audio never leaves your browser, and the computation runs on your computer. (Only YouTube-link transcription is an exception — the server downloads and processes the video.)

Q. Does it work on mobile?
Viewing/playing scores and file transcription work on mobile, but for detailed note editing we recommend a PC with a mouse.

Q. Who owns the copyright of a score I make?
Scores of music you composed yourself are yours. Scores transcribed from existing songs are affected by the original's copyright, so take care when publishing or distributing.

Q. Why does YouTube transcription not work some days?
YouTube transcription only works when a separate server is on. When it's off it automatically switches to "🔴 offline", and you can transcribe via MP3 file upload instead.