Harmony Assistant
Myriad SARL in Toulouse sells Harmony Assistant with lifetime licences and no trial limit
Key data
| Company | Myriad SARL |
|---|---|
| Category | Music Notation Software |
| Headquarters | Toulouse, France |
| Founded | Not stated |
| EU Presence | Yes - France (RCS Toulouse) |
| Data Location | not stated on the pages we read; the website host named is SARL Planet-Service, Paris |
| Open Source | No |
| GDPR Compliant | Yes |
| Self-Hosting | Desktop download; runs locally |
| Main Features | Full page edit and engraver modes, harmonizing, input by mouse, keyboard or MIDI keyboard, built-in SoftSynth, MIDI/WAV/AIFF/MP3/OGG/TAB/ABC/XML files, MyrScript programming language |
| Pricing | lifetime licence per platform, prices in euros and US dollars listed in a table that is not in the text we read |
| Best For | Composers and teachers who want a one-time licence and wide file format support |
| Replaces | Sibelius, Finale |
Review in detail
Harmony Assistant is made by Myriad SARL. The legal page gives the head office as 26 rue Michel de Montaigne, 31200 Toulouse, France, a share capital of 8,000 euros, RCS Toulouse and VAT number FR39 344 511 514. The publishing editor named is Olivier Guillion.
The team page says the programmers have worked in music, graphics and multimedia since 1982 and moved to internet distribution in 1996.
What does Harmony Assistant do?
Myriad describes Harmony Assistant as software for computer-assisted music composition and editing, with harmonizing capabilities that build tunes with accompaniment, several instruments and drum patterns. A page mode and an engraver mode handle score layout.
Input works through the mouse, the computer keyboard or an external MIDI keyboard.
Which file formats and extras does it support?
Harmony Assistant loads and saves MIDI, WAV, AIFF, MP3, OGG, TAB, ABC and XML. The embedded SoftSynth provides hundreds of instruments without external MIDI hardware.
MyrScript is an embedded programming language that lets users add their own features.
Harmony Assistant as a European alternative to Sibelius
Harmony Assistant uses a lifetime licence per platform, valid for all future versions, where Sibelius is a product of Avid. The sales terms state that licences and downloaded files are non-refundable.
The prices are in a table we could not read as text, so no amount is quoted here.
Where it falls short
The licence is valid for one platform, so switching between Mac OS and Windows needs another licence according to the order FAQ. Prices could not be read as text, and the site uses an older page design. Newer cloud features such as real-time collaboration are better covered by Flat.
Is Harmony Assistant right for you?
Individual composers, teachers and choir leaders who want a one-time purchase and broad import and export formats.
What works, what does not
Pros
- French SARL with register and VAT numbers published
- Lifetime licence valid for future versions
- Download and try without time limit
- Windows, Mac OS and Linux versions
- Scripting with MyrScript
Cons
- Licence is tied to one platform
- Licences are non-refundable
- Prices not readable in the text we fetched
- Interface and site design appear dated
Pros and Cons
Pros
- French SARL with register and VAT numbers published
- One purchase per platform, valid for later versions
- Can be downloaded and used without a time limit
- Versions for Windows, Mac OS and Linux
- MyrScript scripting language for adding features
Cons
- A licence covers one platform only
- Sales terms make licences non-refundable
- Prices could not be read from the fetched text
- Site and interface look dated
Alternatives to Harmony Assistant
Alternatives from Europe in the music notation software group:
See all European music notation software or compare them directly against Sibelius on our alternatives page.
Common questions
Yes. Harmony Assistant is made by Myriad SARL of Toulouse and offers score editing, an engraver mode and input from a MIDI keyboard.
Myriad says the program can be downloaded and tried with no time limit. A registration code turns it into the full version.
The order page says licences are valid for Windows, Mac OS or Linux, and a licence is valid for one of those platforms.