Musical symbols, not just a highlighter
Most PDF annotators give you a pen, a highlighter and sticky notes. Fine for a contract, not enough for a score: nobody wants to hand-draw a sharp sign across thirty bars. This tool adds the symbols musicians actually use, clean and correctly sized, in one click.
Bowings
Down-bow and up-bow, for the whole string section.
Fingerings
Digits 0 to 4, placed above the note.
Accidentals
Sharp, flat, natural and double accidentals, to flag the note that always catches you out.
Dynamics
From pp to ff, for when the conductor's dynamic differs from the edition.
Hairpins
Crescendo and decrescendo, stretched to the length you need.
Slurs
Phrasing arcs, oriented and sized with the mouse or your finger.
Pen and highlighter
Six colours, adjustable thickness, pressure sensitivity with a stylus.
Eraser and undo
Wipe a whole stroke, or step back up to 50 times.
How to annotate a PDF score in 3 steps
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Drop your score
Drag the PDF onto the zone above, or click to pick it. The editor opens full screen straight away: nothing to upload, nothing to wait for.
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Mark it up with the musical tools
Pick a tool from the top bar, set size and colour, then click the score to place a symbol or draw to trace a line. Zoom in to target an exact note.
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Export the annotated PDF
The download icon produces a new PDF with your annotations baked in: printable, emailable, readable anywhere. Your original file stays untouched.
All your scores online, not just this one
Annotating a single file solves a one-off problem. For an ensemble the real issue is elsewhere: finding the right part the night before the concert, knowing who has the corrected version, redoing the bowings because the section changed. That is what Sostenutoo does, the ensemble management platform this editor comes from.
You upload your scores once, the rest follows.
| This tool, no account | With a Sostenutoo account | |
|---|---|---|
| Annotate a PDF with musical symbols | Yes | Yes |
| Export the annotated PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Find your annotations on another device | No | Yes |
| Share bowings with the whole section | No | Yes |
| The ensemble's sheet music library online | No | Yes |
| Automatic distribution of the right part by instrument | No | Yes |
| iOS and Android apps on the stand | No | Yes |
| Schedules, attendance, concert programmes | No | Yes |
| Price | Free | Free to start |
Create your ensemble, upload your PDFs, invite your musicians. Two minutes, no card details.
Who is it for?
Conductors and band directors
Prepare bowings and dynamics before the rehearsal, then send the marked-up part to your section leader.
Orchestral musicians
Transfer the notes you took in rehearsal onto your part, without scribbling on paper or rewriting everything each programme.
Music teachers
Annotate a student's score between lessons, fingerings included, and send it back as a PDF.
Choirs and ensembles
Mark breaths, entries and repeats on each section's score.
The other free tools for your scores
This annotator is part of a set of PDF tools built for sheet music. They chain together nicely: straighten a scan, split it by instrument, rename the files, then annotate.
Frequently asked questions
Is the sheet music PDF annotator really free?
Yes. A Sostenutoo account is only needed if you want to sync and share your annotations.
Are my scores uploaded to a server?
No. Unlike most online PDF tools, there is no upload: your browser opens the file locally and the export happens on your machine. Your annotations are kept in the browser's local storage, on this device only. Once the page has loaded you can even work offline.
Can I annotate sheet music on a tablet with a stylus?
Yes. The tool handles touch and stylus input, with pressure sensitivity on the pen, and works on iPad, Android tablets and Windows touchscreens with nothing to install. For regular use on the stand, the Sostenutoo iOS and Android apps are more comfortable.
Are my annotations kept when I close the page?
Yes, in this browser and on this device: reopen the same file from the same computer and they are still there. They will not follow you to another device, though, and private browsing or clearing your browser data wipes them. Export the annotated PDF to keep a durable copy.
Can I annotate a scanned sheet music PDF?
Yes, scanned scores open just like native PDFs. If your scan is skewed or badly cropped, run it through the sheet music straightener first: you will be annotating a straight, readable page.
Can the exported PDF be edited afterwards?
The export bakes the annotations into the document, as if they had been printed on it: the PDF reads anywhere, but the strokes are no longer editable. To carry on working, reopen the original file in this tool and your annotations will still be there.