Ivory

Ivory uses AI to turn piano audio into editable sheet music and MIDI. Its model is trained for polyphonic piano solos. The web app accepts MP3, WAV, MP4, and standard MIDI files up to 15MB, as well as YouTube links. Users can edit notes by dragging, dropping, resizing, or deleting them, then apply smart quantization. Synchronized sheet-music and piano-roll views, chord detection, hand separation, tempo control, and looping support transcription review. Exports include PDF, MusicXML, and MIDI, and notation files can be imported into Sibelius, Finale, and MuseScore. Ivory lists workflows for Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Cubase, and Reaper; its audio-to-MIDI DAW plugin integration is described as coming soon. The free plan includes unlimited transcriptions, but Performance MIDI previews are limited to 30 seconds. Monthly costs €8.99 per month, while Yearly costs €59 per year; both include full-length Performance MIDI and up to 100 full-song transcriptions per month. The iOS app requires iOS 16 or later and can export vertical piano videos; videos made without a subscription have an Ivory watermark. Ivory says uploads are not used to train its models.

Ivory offers transcription, editing, and several export formats for piano solos. The free plan limits Performance MIDI previews to 30 seconds; paid plans start at €59 per year.

Ivory suits musicians, educators, and enthusiasts who want to convert piano solos into editable notation or MIDI. The free plan supports unlimited transcriptions, while full-length Performance MIDI is included with paid plans.

Overview

Ivory turns piano audio into editable sheet music and MIDI, with a toolkit for correcting and examining the result. It is best suited to pianists, teachers and other musicians working with solo piano; anyone needing transcription across instruments should look elsewhere.

Its strongest case is the combination of unlimited free transcriptions, note editing and notation exports. The main trade-off is that the free plan limits Performance MIDI previews to 30 seconds, while the full-length version and premium model require a subscription.

Key features

Ivory’s AI is trained for polyphonic piano solos, giving it a clear focus rather than broad instrument coverage. The web app takes MP3, WAV, MP4 and standard MIDI files up to 15MB, and also accepts YouTube links. Users can drag, drop, resize or delete MIDI notes and apply smart quantization, so the transcription can be adjusted instead of accepted as-is.

Synchronized sheet-music and piano-roll views, chord detection, hand separation, tempo control and looping make it easier to inspect a passage and work through its parts. PDF, MusicXML and MIDI exports can move the result into notation programs such as Sibelius, Finale and MuseScore. That makes Ivory useful as a starting point for score work, though it is still specifically aimed at piano solos.

The iPhone and iPad app requires iOS 16 or later and exports vertical 1080×1920 piano videos. Without a subscription, those videos carry a translucent Ivory watermark; subscribers can remove it. Ivory describes an audio-to-MIDI DAW plugin as coming soon and lists workflows for Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, Cubase and Reaper, so users who need a current plugin should not count on that integration.

Ivory says uploads are never used to train its AI models. Its privacy policy commits to GDPR compliance, and Stripe processes payment data. Support includes email, with Ivory aiming to respond within 24 hours, as well as a Discord community.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing, billed forever. It includes unlimited transcriptions, a 30-second Performance MIDI preview, quantized MIDI, MusicXML and PDF, and the basic AI score model. That is a useful way to produce and export scores without a recurring fee, but the preview cap and basic model constrain users who need full-length performance MIDI or advanced editing.

Extra credits cost €3.99, paid once, billed per credit. Buyers can purchase 1–50 credits, which never expire and can be used with or without a subscription. This suits occasional extra use better than a monthly commitment, though it does not replace the subscription’s full-length Performance MIDI or premium model.

Monthly costs €8.99 a month, billed monthly; Yearly costs €59 a year, billed per year (save 45%). Both include full-length Performance MIDI, 100 full song transcriptions/month, advanced score editing and the premium AI model. Monthly suits a shorter-term need; Yearly costs less over a year for regular users willing to commit annually. The 100-song monthly quota is the key ceiling on either plan.

Enterprise & Education has custom pricing, billed through Contact Sales. It adds volume licensing, team collaboration tools, audio-to-MIDI API access, dedicated technical support and custom DAW integrations, making it the plan for organizations rather than individual musicians.

Platforms

Ivory supports web and iOS, with the iPhone and iPad app requiring iOS 16 or later. The web app handles the stated audio, video and MIDI uploads; the iOS app adds vertical piano-video export. Ivory also identifies API support, though the audio-to-MIDI API is included with Enterprise & Education.

Who it's for

Ivory is a good fit for pianists refining solo recordings into notation or MIDI, educators preparing piano material, and enthusiasts who want to examine chords, hands or timing. Its free tier is especially useful for trying unlimited transcriptions and exporting quantized scores. It is a weaker fit for other instruments, users who need full-length Performance MIDI at no cost, or anyone depending on a present-day DAW plugin.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Unlimited free transcriptions and PDF, MusicXML and MIDI exports let users work with scores without subscribing.
• Pros: Note editing, smart quantization and synchronized score and piano-roll views give users ways to refine and inspect the output.
• Pros: The piano-solo focus, chord detection and hand separation suit targeted piano transcription work.
• Cons: Free Performance MIDI previews stop at 30 seconds, so full-length performance output requires a paid plan.
• Cons: Subscription plans cap full song transcriptions at 100 per month, which may constrain heavier use.
• Cons: The DAW plugin is described as coming soon, not as an integration to rely on now.
• Cons: Free iOS video exports retain a translucent watermark.

Alternatives

Klangio Transcription Studio is worth considering for users who want Android alongside iOS and web, or who are satisfied with free demo transcriptions capped at 20 seconds and a PDF download.

Melody Scanner may suit users who want to compose with AI, record up to a minute, or work with free YouTube imports and sheets limited to 40 bars.

Piano2Notes is another piano-transcription option for users who want unlimited free demos, each limited to the first 20 seconds, with PDF, MIDI and MusicXML previews.

Chord ai is a potential alternative for users focused on chord tools, with Android and iOS support and unlimited free use of its basic features.

Drum2Notes is an alternative for users seeking drum transcription.

Guitar2Tabs is an alternative for users seeking guitar transcription, with free demo transcriptions capped at 20 seconds.

ScoreCloud offers a different free-plan shape: 10 online songs, watermarked printing and notation from singing.

Violin2Notes is an alternative for users seeking violin transcription, with free demos covering the first 20 seconds and a PDF preview.

For more options, browse Music Transcription Software or AI Music Transcription Software.

Verdict

Choose Ivory if you work with solo piano and want editable transcriptions, useful score exports and a no-cost way to run unlimited transcriptions. Its focused editing and analysis tools are the reason to choose it; the 30-second free Performance MIDI cap and piano-only scope are the reasons to look elsewhere.