Choose Songscription if
- You want sheet music, not falling notes.
- You are transcribing instruments other than piano.
- You want it in the browser on any device.
- You do not mind uploading your recordings.
LumaKeys vs Songscription
Songscription transcribes in the cloud. LumaKeys transcribes on your Mac, and then the piece is yours to play.
Songscription is a web service that turns audio into sheet music and MIDI using AI: upload a recording, get a score back. LumaKeys does the piano transcription on your Mac, offline, and then keeps going: the result is a piece in your repertoire you can learn from falling notes, edit in a piano roll, record your own version of, and export as a video.
Short version: if you want sheet music from a recording of any instrument and do not mind uploading it, Songscription does that. If you want piano audio turned into notes you can actually play and keep, on your Mac, pick LumaKeys.
Which one fits you?
Choose LumaKeys if
- You want the transcription to stay on your Mac. Nothing uploaded.
- You want to play the result from falling notes, loop it, and slow it down.
- You want to fix the notes it missed in a piano roll.
- You want to record your own version and export a video.
- You want to pay once.
Side by side.
| Feature | Songscription | LumaKeys |
|---|---|---|
| The basics | ||
| Price | Free tier, paid plans | $69 for a limited time, then $99 |
| Subscription | Yes, for paid plans | None, pay once |
| Platforms | Web | macOS, Apple Silicon and Intel |
| Where it runs | In the cloud | On your Mac, offline |
| Transcribe | ||
| Audio to MIDI | Yes | 5 on Free, unlimited on Pro |
| Sheet-music output | — | |
| Instruments | Several | Piano |
| Edit the result | Score editor | Full piano roll |
| Then what | ||
| Learn from falling notes | — | |
| Record your playing | — | MIDI or computer keys, per hand |
| Video export | — | 4K, 60 fps, 16:9, 9:16, 4:5 |
| Repertoire library | — | |
Songscription here is the transcription web service at songscription.ai. Checked 2 September 2026: Songscription LumaKeys pricing
Where LumaKeys goes further.
Audio to MIDI, on your Mac
Drop in a piano recording and it becomes editable notes, on your Mac. Nothing leaves your machine.
Edit every note
Fix what the transcription missed in a piano roll, then it is your piece.
Learn any piece
Play the result from falling notes. Loop the hard bar, slow it down, split the hands.
The long version.
What Songscription does well
Songscription is a transcription service, and a capable one: upload a recording of almost any instrument and get sheet music and MIDI back. It runs in the browser, so it works on anything, and the free tier lets you try it.
If the goal is a score, it is a real option.
Where it stops
The result is a file. Songscription does not help you learn the piece, play it, record your own version, or share it, and the recording goes to a server to be transcribed.
For a pianist, the transcription is the beginning, not the end.
What LumaKeys is built for
LumaKeys transcribes piano audio on your Mac and treats the result as a piece. Learn it from falling notes, fix what the transcription missed in the piano roll, record your own version, keep it in your repertoire, and export a video in your colours.
It is Mac only, piano only, and it does not produce sheet music. Free includes transcriptions with a cap, Pro has no cap.
Why I built it
I learned piano the self-taught way: falling-note videos on YouTube, no sheet music, no teacher. Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, one bar at a time.
Most of the pieces I wanted to learn only existed as recordings. Getting from a recording to notes I could play was the wall, and I did not want to upload my audio to get past it.
LumaKeys is the app I wished for back then: learn a piece, record it, fix it, keep it, and turn it into a video, all in one place, paid for once.
Questions & answers.
Weighing more options? See every alternative or talk to me.
Is LumaKeys a Songscription alternative?
For piano, yes. LumaKeys transcribes piano audio to MIDI on your Mac and lets you play, edit, record, and export the result. Songscription is the pick for sheet music or for other instruments.
Does LumaKeys upload my audio?
No. Transcription runs on your Mac, offline. There is no account and nothing leaves your machine.
How accurate is LumaKeys transcription?
Strongest on solo piano, weaker on dense mixes. Whatever it misses you fix in the piano roll.
Does LumaKeys produce sheet music?
No. LumaKeys works in falling notes and the piano roll.
Your whole piano life in one app.
macOS 12 or later · On an Intel version?
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