- Jul 12, 2017 Finale version 25 and version 26. Note that the Finale v26 installer will provide the option to remove or keep Finale v25 if this version is installed already. The removal will include files in the ProgramData MakeMusic Finale folder and the Program Files Finale folder which are located on the C: drive.
- Aug 16, 2016 Finale 25 builds on the industry standard music notation software with additional Garritan sounds, significant streamlining, and 64-bit support.
- Finale is the world standard in music notation software. For 25 years, musicians around the world have relied on Finale to create, edit, audition, print and publish musical scores.
Finale components are installed to various locations on your hard drive depending on their function and required accessibility. Because there may be multiple user accounts on the same computer, Finale installs all customizable files (i.e., files that each user may want to edit individually) to a common folder. When Finale is launched, files are copied from this common location to a user-specific location for the account currently logged in.
The file paths listed below are for the current version of Finale. You can access these files by navigating to the file paths below manually or by using the
Finale version 25 and version 26. Note that the Finale v26 installer will provide the option to remove or keep Finale v25 if this version is installed already. The removal will include files in the ProgramData MakeMusic Finale folder and the Program Files Finale folder which are located on the C: drive.
Default file locations for macOS 10.12 Sierra/10.13 High Sierra/10.14 Mojave
| Type | Description | File path |
|---|---|---|
| Finale | The Finale application | |
| Music files | Exercises, Tutorials, Worksheets, and Repertoire | |
| Document settings | Default documents, Document Styles*, Templates* | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/Music Files/[various] |
| Ensembles* | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/Configuration Files/ensembles.txt | |
| Finale libraries* | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/Libraries/[various] | |
| Pagesizes.txt* This is a listing of default page sizes and margins that can be customized. | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/Configuration Files/pagesizes.txt | |
| Program settings | MIDI Setup* and Audio Setup* These settings are controlled in their respective dialog boxes and are recorded in the Finale preferences file. | |
| Finale preferences* These settings are controlled in their respective dialog boxes and are recorded in the Finale preferences file. It is not recommended to copy the preferences file directly from one version of Finale to another. | ||
| SoundFonts SmartMusic SoftSynth General MIDI SoundFont is the default for MIDI playback. | ||
| Finale and third-party plug-ins* Before copying plug-ins not included with Finale from one version of Finale to another (such as the full TGTools, JW plug-ins, Patterson plug-ins, and Dolet MusicXML plug-in), it is strongly recommended to check with the plug-in manufacturer for an updated plug-in specifically designed for the version of Finale you are installing. Plug-ins that have not been updated may not function correctly in newer versions of Finale. The folder structure here determines how plug-ins appear in the Plug-ins menu. | ||
| MacSymbolFonts.txt* Finale uses this file on the Mac to determine which fonts, such as music and symbolA Symbol font, with regards to Finale, is a font that is not re-encoded when a document is opened cross-platform. Maestro is a symbol font. It has exactly one encoding (character #247 always equals the same symbol regardless of platform). Some characters in non-Symbol Fonts (such as Times) are encoded differently on Windows than on Mac (for example, character #247 on Mac may be represented by #233 on Windows). Finale detects files that were last saved across platform and must re-encode all non-symbol fonts. MacSymbolFonts.txt is a list of all Symbol Fonts. Finale refers to MacSymbolFonts.txt while re-encoding to ensure no font listed in MacSymbolFonts.txt is re-encoded. fonts, should not be converted when sharing files between a Mac and a Windows machine. | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/Configuration Files/MacSymbolFonts.txt | |
| Simple Entry shortcut sets* and Speedy Entry key maps* Keyboard shortcuts and MIDI keys can be customized when using Simple and Speedy Entry using their respective dialog boxes. External macro/keyboard shortcut settings must be adjusted for the new version of Finale using the external tool that controls them. | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/Configuration Files/keymaps.txt | |
| FinaleScript* The folder structure and order of .xml files here determines how scripts appear in the FinaleScript plug-in. | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/FinaleScript/[various] | |
| Font Annotation* Font annotation allows you to fine-tune the height and width of each font character, allowing Finale to better handle the selection area for font characters and collision avoidance in Engraver slurs. | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/Font Annotation/[various].FAN | |
If you have specified one or more non-default locations for Finale to find virtual instrument plug-ins, you must do so again for a new version of Finale. | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/Audio Units Support/[various] | |
| Garritan sound library support files | Sound maps* An internal file that contains the list of sound samples available for a particular sound library and matches those samples with an instrument from Finale's internal instrument database. | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/Data/GIFF.soundmap |
| Sound map priority* A list determining which sound library is used first when playing back in Finale. | ||
| Percussion MIDI maps* A list that matches each percussion instrument in a sound library with a particular MIDI note number. | /Library/Application Support/MakeMusic/Finale [version]/MIDI Device Annotation/[various] | |
| Help files | ||
| Finale Quick Reference GuideThe Quick Reference Guide is a helpful resource to learn how to accomplish basic tasks and reference keyboard shortcuts within Finale. You can access this guide from the Help menu. |
Tip: To easily access support files located in
Installing multiple versions of Finale
Because major versions of Finale are installed to different directories on your computer, you can have multiple versions installed concurrently on the same computer. Note that the most recently installed version of Finale on your computer—not necessarily the latest version—will automatically be associated with Finale file types.
Finale Version 25
When you install a new version of Finale on your computer, your settings and customized support files are not copied from the old version to the new version. If you have made changes to these files that you would like to use in your new version of Finale, use the file paths above and following steps below to ensure that everything you need is in place for a similar configuration between versions.
- In the
For example, if you need to migrate your document styles from Finale 2012 to Finale 2014, navigate to
- Select the file(s) you want to migrate and choose Edit > Copy.
- Navigate to the same location for the new version.
For example, if you need to migrate your document styles from Finale 2012 to Finale 2014, navigate to
- Choose Edit > Paste. The
Finale Version 25 For Sale
See also: