What’s the Henle Library app and should you use it? I’ve had the app for over two years, and it’s come in handy occasionally.
I don’t use it all of the time, but it’s not built for everyday use. Consider what the app can do and why you should use it.
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What Is the Henle Library App?
The Henle Library app is available for your iPad or Android tablet. I’ve used the app on my iPad for about two years, and it’s pretty useful.
If you’ve bought a lot of sheet music, you probably know of Henle as a publisher. Well, they created an app so that you can buy digital versions of their titles.
As someone who uses an iPad for sheet music, I love getting digital files. That way, I don’t have to spend time scanning new music.
Henle Library App Cost
When you already have to pay a lot for an iPad, you may want to stick to free apps, at least for now. Luckily, the Henle Library app is free to download.
You’ll even get a free score when you sign up. The app gives you a few to choose from, so you can’t get just anything. As a flute player, I downloaded a copy of Syrinx by Debussy, which you can also buy a print version of.
Henle Library App Credits
Once you start using the app, you’ll need to buy credits to purchase sheet music. The credit system is confusing since it’s not a dollar for dollar exchange. But if you buy a lot of credits, you can “save” on the cost of each credit.
After you load credits in your account, you can start shopping for music. If you don’t have enough credits for what you want, you can buy more in your account.
Why Use the Henle Library App
If you’ve ever bought a print Henle edition, you should try the Henle Library app. Of course, it’s nice for anyone who uses an iPad for sheet music.
But even if you prefer paper, you can enjoy a few benefits of the digital purchase. Consider the following reasons to download the app.
Reduce Paper
Probably the best advantage of the app is it can help you reduce paper. If you buy print sheet music, you can go through a lot of paper each year. That applies whether you use a tablet or print out your sheet music.
No matter how you use sheet music, you can use less paper with the app. Once you buy what you need, you can export the file to your sheet music reader of choice if you use a tablet.
If you prefer to use print music, you can print off only the pages you need. That may not sound like a huge deal, but it all adds up. The more music you learn, the more paper you could save.
Instant Access
Have you ever wanted to start learning a piece right away? If you use the Henle Library app, you can do so. You won’t have to wait on shipping or worry about a delay or of inputting the wrong delivery address.
Once you buy a piece through Henle Library, you can download it right there. Then, you can sight read it on your iPad or print off the music to sight read. I love not having to deal with shipping.
Sure, Amazon has fast shipping with Prime. But it can still take a while. If you need to learn a piece for a competition, you may not have time to wait for the music to get to you.
Buy Individual Parts
One of my favorite things about the Henle Library app is that you can buy only the music you need. If you bought a print copy, you’d buy everything in the collection, which may be nice.
But you can save money upfront when buying one piece or one part. I used the app to buy all of the Bach flute sonatas. However, I only bought the piano part for the sonata in A major, which is what I played.
What’s more, I can always go back in and buy the piano parts to the other sonatas. If you’re on a tight budget, the app is a nice option to help get the music you want.
Built-In Sheet Music Reader
I haven’t used it much, but I like that there’s a sheet music reader built into the Henle Library app. So if you have yet to download forScore, you can read the pieces you buy on your iPad.
The built-in reader is easy to use, and it’s where you’ll first open a part you buy in the app. Fortunately, you can export the sheet music if you want to use forScore or another app or if you want to print the PDF.
Sadly, you can only use the sheet music reader for files you buy in Henle Library. So if you have external files, you’d need to go between apps, but it can be worth testing out.
Why Not Use the Henle Library App
As much as I love the Henle Library app, it’s not perfect. If you want to give it a try, you should.
However, you may want to consider the following drawbacks. Then, you can either decide they don’t matter, or you can look for an alternative.
Confusing Pricing
One of the biggest issues with this app is the pricing. Since Henle charges you for credits, there’s no clear comparison between what the digital version costs and what the print version might cost.
As of this writing, I could buy all 12 Telemann Fantasias for 140 credits. To buy that many credits exactly, I could buy a pack of 100 credits and four packs of 10. In total, that would cost me $12.95. Fourteen packs of 10 would cost $13.86
But I could stock up and get 1,000 credits for $69.99. Using 140 of those credits would cost me about $9.70. It’s not the worst thing in the world, but it’s hard to know how much you have to pay when you use credits.
Hard to Export
If you want to use the sheet music, you’ll need to print or export it. Once you get the hang of it, the process isn’t too bad. But I had to Google it to figure out the steps to use the file in another iPad app.
You’ll want to open the file you want in the Henle Library app. This will bring up the sheet music reader, and you can click on the gear icon. Then, you’ll click on Print, and you can print one movement or the whole thing.
If you want to print, you can do so normally. But to export, you’ll want to pinch out on the file preview on the print screen. It’s not bad, but it can take some getting used to.
Limited Pieces
Another drawback is that they don’t have as many pieces in their digital library as the print library. I believe Henle is working on expanding the options. But it can be hard to find what you want.
For example, most of the flute music is Bach, Telemann, Mozart, and a few other composers. There are more pieces for pianists and string players, though, so it could be a better app for them.
Of course, if the Henle Library app doesn’t have the piece you want, you’ll need to buy the print version. You can also go through another publisher, but the purchase will be less convenient.
What Devices Are Compatible With the Henle Library App?
You can use the Henle Library app on your iPad or Android tablet. Sadly, you can’t get the app on an iPhone.
Will You Use the Henle Library App?
The Henle Library app is a fantastic tool to use when shopping for sheet music. You can get a lot of famous works and download them right to your device.
But it has confusing pricing and a lack of repertoire options. Consider the pros and cons before you start using it.
And if you want to learn more about using an iPad for sheet music, download your copy of forScore and More!