Avid Pro Tools vs. Sibelius

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Pro Tools
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
Avid offers Pro Tools, the company's flagship music and audio editing and recording suite.
$29.99
Per User / Per Month
Sibelius
Score 7.0 out of 10
N/A
Avid offers Sibelius, a musical notation, creation, and publishing application.N/A
Pricing
Avid Pro ToolsSibelius
Editions & Modules
Pro Tools
$29.99
Per User / Per Month
Pro Tools - Ultimate
$79.99
Per User / Per Month
Pro Tools - First
Free
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Pro ToolsSibelius
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details——
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Avid Pro ToolsSibelius
Best Alternatives
Avid Pro ToolsSibelius
Small Businesses
Descript
Descript
Score 8.5 out of 10
Descript
Descript
Score 8.5 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition
Score 8.6 out of 10
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition
Score 8.6 out of 10
Enterprises
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition
Score 8.6 out of 10
Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition
Score 8.6 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Avid Pro ToolsSibelius
Likelihood to Recommend
9.7
(10 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Usability
9.3
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.1
(4 ratings)
7.2
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
Avid Pro ToolsSibelius
Likelihood to Recommend
Avid Technology
Again, Avid Pro Tools is considered the "industry standard" for a reason. The ability to record, mix and edit with such ease is something that I don't find in other DAWs. That may be because I'm a longtime user and so I may be partial. Still, I do use Logic and I'm very familiar with many of the processes in that DAW as well. Avid Pro Tools just does so many of them better and more intuitively. Editing audio in particular is one where Avid Pro Tools has every other DAW beat.
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Avid Technology
It is simply easy to use and serves the function that it needs to serve. Once you get the hang of the basic functionality and a few of the keyboard shortcuts, it will be extremely easy and quick to write out music. The option to go back and transpose to another key without writing the whole thing out again is crucial.
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Pros
Avid Technology
  • Variety of plug-ins and the ability to buy 3rd party plug ins and use them well.
  • Recording to multiple tracks, live monitoring while recording, live inserts/sends while recording audio.
  • Pro Tools always creates a backup of your audio file that you can restore at any point in time.
  • Built in metronome, timeline indicators for beat/time.
  • Midi controls/ virtual instruments are fantastic.
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Avid Technology
  • User Friendly
  • Compatible with other software/music programs
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Cons
Avid Technology
  • Virtual instrument interfaces are clunky and non-intuitive.
  • Rename/Move session functions should programmatically update subfolder labels.
  • Better, more targeted in-app access/help to the myriad of shortcuts, and scripts already present in PT.
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Avid Technology
  • Barrier to entry could be a bit lower.
  • Options for types of arrangements are somewhat limited and the interface is a bit convoluted.
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Usability
Avid Technology
It’s very easy to use it on a basic level. There is a learning curve for advanced stuff, but if you have a need to learn the advanced features and shortcuts then it’s not too hard. Plus, you’re probably using it to make money then anyway, so it all works out
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Avid Technology
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Avid Technology
I've never contacted Avid for support issues, but Pro Tools is so widely used that its user community can help you solve virtually any issue you encounter, if the issue isn't solved already by a simple Google search. The fact that Pro Tools is such an industry standard means that you can rest assured hardware manufacturers of audio interfaces test their interfaces with Pro Tools to ensure compatibility.
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Avid Technology
Once Sibelius is purchased, the user is given one year of unlimited free customer service to help in using the product. After that first year, users can either pay to utilize customer service with questions or use online helps, which are very helpful. One of the bigger issues I had was getting the sounds to work properly because my Internet connection wasn't consistently working well enough to accommodate the large files, which were taking up to 10 hours to download. The download would fail, and then I'd have to start over. I wanted to get a CD sent to me but was told this would be very costly, and so I declined. I wasn't happy with the lack of customer service in that situation but was eventually able to get the files to download and the software working properly.
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Alternatives Considered
Avid Technology
As discussed above, these other products are likely better suited for home audio production, especially based on their integration of software instruments and their surface-level interface and tools. Pro Tools excels as a tool for professionals, who need to move audio along efficiently towards a polished form, especially in the context of vocal production
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Avid Technology
I have not used Finale exclusively, but I know friends/colleagues who have. In the past, it was complicated to transfer and edit any of the music they created for me because it would not transfer to Sibelius. As a result, I would have to request the edits I wanted and ask them to make the changes themselves. If I wanted to make any changes later, it was extremely inconvenient to do so, and I often chose not to, as I did not want to bother anyone other than myself to do any edits after-the-fact. Though it is now possible to transfer Finale files to Sibelius through creating .xml files and then importing as .sib files, the files still do not entirely retain all of the integrity of the original composition (as completed in Finale). Sometimes text and markings are missing, microscopic, or shifted once opened in Sibelius. Text fonts must often be edited. When working with other major music publishers, it has been extremely convenient and helpful to have the same software.
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Return on Investment
Avid Technology
  • Low cost of entry
  • Being able to network with employers is vital, and saves time and money
  • Add-ons to the main software can be a bit overpriced compared to other DAWs.
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Avid Technology
  • Digital files are easily distributed to customers/no shipping costs.
  • Collaboration with other sheet music retailers has been established and maintained.
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