I spend weeks, occasionally much longer, re-scoring Public Domain works manually and as perfectly as possible without the assistance of AI or automated scanning so that even young learners, students and less fortunate musicians can access editable, high-quality sheet music. By law, these scores are in the Public Domain and are not subject to copyright, as they are merely faithful reproductions of original works that have already expired copyright.
Since 2019, MuseScore.com has altered its policy, requiring a paid Pro subscription for all downloads, even those designated as Public Domain. As a result, many users cannot access free, legally shareable scores unless they pay. This applies no matter the original uploader’s intent for it to be free. While some scores are downloadable with a free account, some do not appear to be able to. Additionally, users should not be required to surrender personal details to create an account in order to download.
I receive no payment or support for my work. After hundreds of hours re-scoring Public Domain music, I find that MuseScore.com locks the very thing I provide behind a subscription, without giving anything back to me or the broader community.
Ethically, placing Public Domain scores behind a pay-wall denies students and disadvantaged learners’ access. It extracts value from content that belongs to the public domain and was uploaded freely. Requiring an account or payment restricts younger learners and those from low‑income backgrounds who rely on genuinely free resources.
I wish to continue to make all my re‑scored Public Domain work freely available, with no fees, no subscriptions and no barriers. My goal has always been to support education, composition, arranging and study, without enforcing pay‑walls or conditional access.
MuseScore.com today imposes a subscription barrier even for material that is legally in the Public Domain and intended for free sharing. As someone investing significant time and effort to produce high‑quality, editable scores, I cannot support a platform that restricts access to everything, even Public Domain content and offers no return. Therefore, I hope to find an alternative solution to this issue.