Sheet Music Review

Online sheet music makes learning to play new songs more accessible than ever. As few as ten years ago, the only option for ordering sheet music was to go to a physical store or obtain a catalog and place your order, either online or by phone and wait patiently by the door for it to arrive via snail-mail. Fast-forward to today and not only can you peruse sheet music catalogs and order online, you can often download your selection directly to your computer and print it off for immediate use.

We’ve reviewed a wide range of offerings for purchasing and downloading sheet music for many instruments in many different genres. There are a variety of options for buying the sheet music – most services offer a limited selection of free downloads to whet your whistle. Some charge by the purchase, others operate on a membership basis.

Downloading and printing sheet music is a fantastically easy way to obtain sheet music. If you are shopping for standard classical repertoire you will be able to find a fairly good selection, though you will have to look to some of the more traditional sheet music sellers to find the publishers and editions that have been trusted for hundreds of years. Not all online sheet music stores offer solely downloadable music, but with the advances in shipping, biting fingernails waiting for the mailman is no longer an issue. If you need the music next day and you’re willing to pay the cost, it will be shipped to you the next day. Also be sure to read our article related to sheet music.

What to Look for When Buying Sheet Music Online

Inventory Selection
This category reflects another easy way to decide at a glance which online sheet music site has what you need: whether you’re seeking the Beatles’ greatest hits or a beautiful Chopin sonata, our side-by-side matrix shows you which genre each store carries. Searching for a voice duet? Our matrix will narrow down your search. The best stores we researched have a nice mix of contemporary and classical works. They have scores and arrangements for marching bands, string quartets, piano solos and more. Basically, our favorite stores like Sheet Music Plus and Sheet Music Direct have every kind of music you could possibly imagine.

Website Features
Because their website is their storefront, most online sheet music stores have aesthetically pleasing homepages and accompanying content pages that are very user friendly. Our top reviewed sites divided their content by artist, composer and instrument making it easy to browse. Other awesome features include free downloads or free trials, order tracking, memberships, music lists, level guidelines, MIDI and/or MP3 previews, digital folios and preview or downloads facilitated by Sibelius Scorch. Some of these sites even offer rebates for music teachers, which we think is a great idea.

Ease of Use
When buying online sheet music, it’s all about being able to find exactly what you need and gain access to it immediately – otherwise you would be content to sludge through your local music store. Look for sites that have easy search functions or are organized by artist, skill level and instrument. The more organized the site, the easier it is to find your music. Also, choose an online sheet music store that doesn’t make you jump through hoops to make a purchase or to download an arrangement. We liked those sites where you simply log in, choose the music you like, checkout, download and print. No jumping required.

Help & Support
Online shopping can be scary if you don’t trust the store’s security. Look for online sheet music stores that have SSL protection on all transactions and allow their previous customers to rate their performance. These two features point to the most secure, most customer service-oriented sites. Also, give preference to the stores that have toll free numbers you can call with any questions or specific help email addresses. Just because you’re stocking a virtual shopping cart doesn’t mean you don’t deserve top-notch customer service.

If you are still driving, parking, looking, ordering and waiting for your sheet music, you are wasting time. Purchasing sheet music online skips all of the tediousness and takes you straight to playing beautiful melodies. Don’t believe us? See for yourself by checking out our individual reviews of several online sheet music stores. At TopTenREVIEWS We Do the Research So You Don’t Have To.™