Finale License System?

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ethandale
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2017 1:02 am
Finale Version: 25.6.0.92
Operating System: Windows

Post by ethandale » Fri Oct 13, 2017 3:01 am

So I'm currently a Sibelius user, and I have loved the program forever, because of how insanely easy it is to use. However, due to their licensing system (which is absolute garbage), combined with their useless customer support and the endless glitches that seem to keep happening, I'm considering switching over to Finale. I want to know before I do this, however. How does the licensing system work? Is it account based? Is it "license code" based like Sibelius? Or is it something else? Also, does Finale seem to work with 4K displays? My Dell XPS 15 has a 4K display that I have scaled down to 2K, which causes some programs to FINALLY play nicely with it. But does anyone know how Finale performs with it? Thanks!


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michelp
Posts: 2045
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 3:35 pm
Finale Version: 27.4.1,26.3.1, Mont.
Operating System: Mac

Post by michelp » Fri Oct 13, 2017 12:33 pm

About the licensing system of Finale :
As a registered customer, you have 2 authorizations. You authorize Finale via the Help menu.
You also have to open a user account on www.finalemusic.com, on which your purchased products are listed as well as the history of your support questions. You can re-download your software if needed.
Minor updates are free.
There is a discount price for registered customers for major updates.
Customer support is via their site -> Support.
Michel
MacOsX 12.7.4, Finale 27.4.1 & 26.3.1, Mac Mini Intel Dual Core i7 3Ghz, 16 Go Ram. Azerty kb. MOTU Midi Express XT USB, Roland Sound Canvas SC-88vl, MOTU Audio Express. 2 monitors (27"' pivot, 24'"), JW Lua, RGP Lua

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motet
Posts: 8225
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 8:33 pm
Finale Version: 2014.5,2011,2005,27
Operating System: Windows

Post by motet » Fri Oct 13, 2017 4:43 pm

Sibelius is now subscription based, no? I think you'll find Finale harder to use but ultimately more powerful.

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MikeHalloran
Posts: 706
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 2:56 am
Finale Version: 27
Operating System: Mac

Post by MikeHalloran » Wed Oct 25, 2017 2:30 am

Let’s get some current info.

The main site is https://www.makemusic.com

Tech Support and the official User Forum are here. Many of us make appearances:
https://makemusic.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/ ... t_activity
Tech Support is begun through the Submit a request link at the top of the page.

Don’t worry about creating a MakeMusic User Account till ready to buy — then you will have to. You can purchase the Sibelius crossgrade directly from MM or through your favorite reseller. (Guitarcenter.com has it for $119). Either way, do not use the Chrome browser for upgrades/crossgrades — other browsers are ok. Likewise, firewalls, antivirus software and VPNs can interfere with the process. After purchase, normal login and downloads are not an issue with any of the above — only upgrade/crossgrade has the issue.

If buying from a reseller, you’ll be emailed a link and an upgrade code after purchase. Use those with your Sibelius serial number to log into MM, create your User Account, download and authorize Finale.

After you’re done, you will have two Authorizations. If you need to move one, log into your User Account and click on Manage Authorizations to delete an old one and free it for re-use.
Mike Halloran

Finale 27.3, SmartScore X2 Pro, GPO5 & World Instruments
MacOS Ventura 13.2.1; 2017 iMac Pro 18 Core, 128G RAM, 4TB; 2021 MBAir M1
NotePerformer3, Dorico 4, Overture, Notion 6, DP 11, Logic Pro

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