Recordare has released a W3C XML Schema Definition (XSD) version of
its MusicXML 2.0 format for digital sheet music. Recordare has also
released version 4.5 of its Dolet 4 for Finale plug-in, including
support for validating MusicXML files against the new XSD version of
the format.

The XSD version of MusicXML 2.0 defines the format more precisely
than did the original Document Type Definition (DTD) version. This
will improve the quality of digital sheet music distribution by
making it easier for software developers to test how they write
MusicXML files, according to the folks at Recordare. Validating
MusicXML 2.0 files against the MusicXML XSD catches many more
MusicXML file errors than validating against the DTD, they add.

An XSD version of the MusicXML format also purportedly makes MusicXML
easier to use with the latest XML technologie, says Michael Good, CEO
of Recordare LLC and the inventor of MusicXML.

The MusicXML 2.0 XSD is available as a free download here:
http://www.recordare.com/xsd/

The Dolet 4.5 for Finale plug-in, including MusicXML 2.0 XSD
validation, is available for US$149.95. Version 4.5 is a free upgrade
for current Dolet 4 for Finale users. Upgrades from Dolet 3 for
Finale cost $99.95.

Michael Good will demonstrate the MusicXML 2.0 XSD and Dolet 4.5 for
Finale plug-in at the Ninth International Conference on Music
Information Retrieval in Philadelphia. The demonstration is scheduled
for Thursday, Sept. 18 between 11 am and 1 pm at Drexel University's
Bossone Research Center. The demonstration also includes the Dolet 4
for Sibelius plug-in and version 1.1 of Myriad Software's PDFtoMusic
Pro application. The new releases of these programs add support for
the MusicXML 2.0 XSD format.