Avid Sibelius 6 ($499)

Although there are other competitors, the notation software market, for the most part, is dominated by its two 800-pound gorillas: Avid Sibelius and MakeMusic Finale. These programs are perpetually locked in a never-ending arms race to be the most feature-rich notation application. In our humble opinion, Sibelius edged out ahead this year with the release of Version 6. The most significant new feature is the Magnetic Layout tool, which intelligently moves dynamics marks, chord symbols, lyrics and so forth as you add to the score, so you don't have to go back and reposition them countless times. Another key addition is ReWire support, meaning Sibelius can work in tandem with your DAW.

Product Page