The beta release of MusicXML has been announced by Recordare, an Internet music publishing company.
MusicXML is an XML language, defined by DTDs, that allows the
representation of Western musical notation as used in printed sheet music.
Michael Good, Recordare's CEO, stated the motivation behind MusicXML:
The market for downloadable sheet music has been stunted
by its reliance on proprietary binary formats. Consumers want the
flexibility to use their sheet music purchase with their favorite
PC programs. The MusicXML beta release is a milestone in this
direction.
Various software packages support MusicXML, including: