In the wake of a series of recent press releases regarding corporate restructuring and other news for both Avid (Sibelius) and MakeMusic (Finale), Avid has just announced a 25% discount for upgrading to Sibelius 7, while MakeMusic is offering a cross-grade to Finale from Sibelius for $139.
SIBELIUS UPGRADE PROMOTION (VIA SIBELIUS BLOG)
“If you’ve been thinking about upgrading to Sibelius 7, but haven’t yet taken the plunge, now’s a great time to get your feet wet: for a limited time, Avid has cut the price of the single-user Sibelius 7 upgrade by 25%. If you’re currently running a single-user copy of Sibelius 6 or earlier, whether you originally bought a professional, academic or competitive crossgrade license, you’re eligible for the discounted Sibelius 7 upgrade.
The discount also extends to the bundles with PhotoScore Ultimate 7 and AudioScore Ultimate 7 (or both), so if you’ve been thinking about adding music scanning or audio transcription tools to your arsenal, there’s never been a better time.”
Daniel Spreadbury’s post on the Sibelius Blog makes an excellent case for upgrading to Sibelius 7 if you haven’t already done so.
FINALE PROMOTION (EMAIL TO SIBELIUS USERS)
Note that this offer is for Sibelius users who do not currently also own Finale.
“Switch from any version of Sibelius to Finale today for only $139.
- Award-winning Garritan sounds—and Human Playback—for breath-taking realism
- Creative inspiration from features like BiaB Auto-Harmonizing, Drum Groove, and Explode Music
- The exclusive ability to create SmartMusic accompaniments
- Free tech support, from knowledgeable musicians in our Minnesota office
Note that this Finale crossgrade offer applies to *any* competing notation software product: Cubase Score, Encore, Freestyle, Mosaic, Music Printer Plus, Musicator, Nightengale, Notion, Overture, Rhapsody, Score or Sibelius.
So, what to do? As a starting point, I recommend you read up on the current events surrounding both Finale and Sibelius before upgrading or cross-grading in order to be able to make the best informed decision.
~ robert