If you have an iPad, you may have a lot of apps on it already. But what’s one more? The IMSLP app is perfect for musicians who want to find and organize their music on the go.
To make the most out of the app, you should know what it is and how to use it. The app has tons of features that you can use, and you can use the IMSLP app in a way that works for you.
Be sure to watch the video for more tips and info on the app and how it compares to forScore!
Before we continue, you should know that this post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy for more info.
What Is IMSLP?
IMSLP is short for International Music Score Library Project. It’s a free online library of sheet music that you can download. Because it’s free, most of the sheet music there is in the public domain, so you can find a lot of older pieces.
You can find tons of pieces for all kinds of instruments, even instruments that you don’t have in an orchestra or band. So whether you want to learn the flute or the tin whistle, you can find music on IMSLP.
What Is the App?
If you have an iPad, you should download the IMSLP app. It has a lot of the same features as the website, but it also has some unique capabilities. Once you download the app, you can search for sheet music similarly to how you would on a desktop.
Consider a few things you can do with the IMSLP app that you can’t do with just the website.
Score library
One of the best features of the IMSLP app is that it lets you download and organize all of the scores you find in the app. It will automatically sort pieces by composer, and it will list other pieces below the different composer folders.
You can also search for pieces that you’ve downloaded, which can come in handy if you have a lot of pieces.
Score reader
The IMSLP app also features a score reader so that you can view and play from the scores on your iPad. You don’t have to worry about printing anything off, which can save you time and paper.
The score reader lets you turn pages like you would with paper sheet music. You can either view one page at a time (either in portrait or landscape mode), or you can view two pages in landscape mode.
Score annotations
If you want to use the IMSLP app as your main sheet music app, you can make notes to yourself. The annotation mode lets you mark in accidentals, circle sections, and more.
You can use an Apple Pencil to make annotating scores easier, but you can also use another stylus or your finger. The app lets you write things on the music or highlight certain passages or notes.
How Does It Compare to forScore?
A while back, I looked at the forScore app, which is another popular sheet music reader. If you’re considering a sheet music app, you should compare forScore to the IMSLP app.
Here are some things to think about when deciding which one is better for you. And if you can’t decide, you can always use both!
Basic features
As a score reader, the two apps are pretty similar. You can load scores either by scanning them directly into the app or by searching within the program. If you have a digital file of sheet music on your iPad, you can also load it by importing it.
However, the IMSLP app has more ways to search for music within it. On forScore, there is a sheet music store, but it’s pretty limited.
Reading music
When it comes to using the forScore or IMSLP app for reading music, they have some similarities. However, forScore has more options for customizing how you display your sheet music.
The IMSLP app lets you view one page at a time in portrait mode, and you can turn an entire page at once. But with forScore, you can turn half of a page to display the bottom of one page and the top of the next.
That may not sound like a big deal, but it can come in handy if you don’t have a good place to turn pages at the bottom.
You also don’t have as much flexibility in landscape mode. With forScore, you can view two pages at once, or you can view half of a page. But the IMSLP app only lets you view two pages, which can be pretty small.
Making notes
If you want to use your iPad for sheet music, you should be able to make notes to yourself. forScore makes it really easy to annotate with different colors and highlighters.
The IMSLP app can do those things, too. But it can be hard to get into and out of annotation mode. Still, you can make any notes that you need to so that you can play everything to the best of your ability.
Price
As of right now, the IMSLP app is free to download and use. You’ll have to wait the standard 15 seconds before downloading music like you would on a desktop. But it’s worth the wait if you want to get free sheet music.
On the other hand, forScore is much more expensive with a price tag of $14.99. It’s also only available on iOS, but there is an Android version of the IMSLP app.
IMSLP App Tips
If you want to use the IMSLP app for all or part of your sheet music library, you should know how to use it. To get the most out of it, be willing to experiment to find new ways to do things.
Use the search function
The biggest reason why you should use the IMSLP app is to search for sheet music directly. You can search for sheet music based on the composer, and you can find a lot of great pieces.
If you don’t know what composer you’re looking for, you can go onto the website on your iPad and search that way. When you find a piece you like, you can go back into the app to find the music.
Organize files
If you want to use the IMSLP app for a lot of sheet music, you should organize it. While you can search within your library, you want to be able to find what you want.
You can organize files by composer or title, and that can cut down on the time it takes to find pieces.
Export
If you primarily want to use the IMSLP app to find sheet music, that’s okay! You can export the files as PDFs and use them in an app like forScore. Or if you don’t like using your iPad for music, you can print the sheet music.
So…
The IMSLP app is a must-have tool for any musician with an iPad. You can do a lot of things with it, from finding music to annotating it.
Do you use an iPad? Want to know more about using the IMSLP app? Download my Ultimate Guide to Learning Flute Online!
