Extract text from LilyPond scores (LY)
To convert LY scores to another format, you need GNU LilyPond or other Text software.
To convert other file formats to the "Music Notation Source" file type, you need software like GNU LilyPond or a similar tool.
A .ly file is a plain text source document used to generate high-quality sheet music. Instead of dragging and dropping notes on a staff, users type music notation rules and formatting commands using the LilyPond markup language. This code is then compiled by GNU LilyPond to produce a final graphical score.
Because a .ly file is simply raw source code, it cannot be read as sheet music by standard document viewers or played by audio players. It requires specialized compilation. Installing LilyPond locally can be a technical hurdle for non-developers, and the raw text files are completely unreadable to musicians or collaborators who do not know the specific markup syntax. Furthermore, industry-standard graphic notation editors like MuseScore or Sibelius cannot open .ly files directly.
To make the music usable and shareable, you must convert the source file. For printing, publishing, or reading sheet music, convert to PDF. For audio playback, analyzing harmony, or importing into a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), convert to MIDI. If you need to edit the score visually in a WYSIWYG editor, convert to MusicXML.
Convert.Guru analyzes your LY file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted LILY, TXT, LY ONLINE DEMO, MUSICXML, PDF, ILY, LYS, RTF, JPG, HTML, ZIP, XML and ACSM files.
If you want to convert LY file to LF, KM, AU, SF, LM, PC, MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG or WMA, you can use GNU LilyPond or similar software from the "Music Engraving Source Code" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MIDI, AAC, TTA, AU, WV, DTS, MID, FLAC, RA, MP3, PCM or WAV files to LY, try GNU LilyPond or another comparable tool in the "Music Engraving Source Code" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our LY converter.