Properties of MUS Files and How to Open a File with .mus Extension

MUS files exist as 4 different types. Please find information about each of them below.

Type 1: Finale Notation File (Legacy)

A MUS file contains musical scores created by Finale, a music notation program. It has measures, notes, tempos, signatures, and clefs. MUS files also contain MIDI data to play back the score. Finale is used to create, edit, listen to musical scores. Composers might create a song, add lyrics, then play it back to hear it. Finale 2012 and earlier save scores as MUS files. MUS files typically contain title, composer, copyright information besides the score and playback data.

A .MUS file corresponds to a musical score generated by Finale, a music notation program. The .MUS files contain time signatures, tempos, notes, measures and MIDI data used by Finale to play the score. Finale is a powerful score-writing tool composers use to create, edit, and listen to new scores. Finale 2012 and earlier versions store composers’ scores as .MUS files.

Finale creates several file types with different extensions and icons. Each file type serves a specific purpose when working with Finale. When installing Finale the file extensions are associated with that Finale version. The most recently installed Finale version is associated with the file types, not the latest version.

MUS files save data in MIDI format making them similar to MID files. However, MUS files have additional Finale-specific information. Below are software programs that support opening MUS files, divided by operating system. Like other formats, MUS files can transfer between devices. But not all systems properly handle MUS files.

The .mus extension is associated with Finale, music notation software. A .mus file contains notation information but no audio data. Finale opens .mus files, or view them in a text editor. There is no conversion from .mus format.

MUS files contain musical notation data, not audio. After Finale 2014, the program uses .MUSX instead of .Mus. The free online MUS apps allow viewing, editing MUS files without installing anything.

General Information

Title	.MUS File Extension
Extension	.mus
Full Form	Finale Notation File (Legacy)
File Type	Music Notation File
Developer	MakeMusic
MIME Type	application/x-finale

File Function

Primary Function	Store music scores
Additional Functions	Playback notation, Print sheet music
Features	Notation elements, Musical symbols

File Characteristics

Quality	High fidelity
Supports Layers	Yes
Supports Transparency	No
Editable	Yes

Use Cases

Music Composition	Yes
Education	Yes
Publishing	Yes

Security and Practices

Security Risks	Low risk
Best Practices	Regular updates, Backup files

Historical/Version Information

Initial Release	1988
Latest Version	Finale v27 (2021)

Associated Types

Similar Extensions

.mid, .xml, .mxl, .sib

Software Compatibility

Software	Usage Policy	OS Compatibility
Finale	Paid	Windows, Mac
Finale Notepad	Free	Windows, Mac
Other Music Software	Varies	Varies

Type 2: Minecraft Music File

A MUS file contains musical score data created by MakeMusic Finale. It includes measures, notes, tempos, time signatures, clefs, and MIDI data to play back the score. Finale is used by composers to cr...

General Information

Title	.MUS File Extension
Extension	.mus
Full Form	Minecraft Music File
File Type	Game Audio File
Developer	Mojang Studios
MIME Type	application/octet-stream

File Function

Primary Function	Store music
Additional Functions	In-game playback
Features	Compressed, Looping support

File Characteristics

Quality	Low to medium
Supports Layers	N/A
Supports Transparency	N/A
Editable	With tools

Use Cases

Game Soundtracks	Yes
Custom Audio	Yes
Note Block Songs	Yes

Security and Practices

Security Risks	Low risk
Best Practices	Verify sources

Historical/Version Information

Initial Release	2011
Latest Version	Depends on game version

Associated Types

Similar Extensions

.ogg, .midi, .nbs

Software Compatibility

Software	Usage Policy	OS Compatibility
Minecraft	Paid	Windows, Mac, Linux, Console, Mobile
Minecraft Note Block Studio	Free	Windows

Type 3: Electronic Arts Game Music File

This music format was used by Electronic Arts from 1989 to 1992 for games. It contains technical specifications so programmers can write a player. A .mus file contains musical scores created by Fina...

General Information

Title	MUS File Extension
Extension	.mus
Full Form	Electronic Arts Game Music File
File Type	Audio File
Developer	Electronic Arts
MIME Type	application/octet-stream

File Function

Primary Function	Store game music
Additional Functions	Playback in games
Features	Looping, Timing control

File Characteristics

Quality	Game-dependent
Supports Layers	No
Supports Transparency	No
Editable	With tools

Use Cases

Video Games	Yes
Sound Editing	Limited
Media Players	With support

Security and Practices

Security Risks	Low risk
Best Practices	Verify source

Historical/Version Information

Initial Release	1990s
Latest Version	Varies by game

Associated Types

Similar Extensions

.mid, .mp3, .wav

Software Compatibility

Software	Usage Policy	OS Compatibility
EALayer3	Free	Windows
Game Extractor	Free, Paid version	Windows, Mac, Linux
Audio Overload	Free	Windows, Mac, Linux

Type 4: Doom Music File

General Information

Title	MUS File Extension
Extension	.mus
Full Form	Doom Music File
File Type	Audio File
Developer	id Software
MIME Type	audio/mus

File Function

Primary Function	Store music
Additional Functions	Game audio playback
Features	Looping support, Compact size

File Characteristics

Quality	Low by modern standards
Supports Layers	No
Supports Transparency	N/A
Editable	With specific tools

Use Cases

Video Games	Yes
Music Editing	Limited
Retro Gaming	Yes

Security and Practices

Security Risks	Low
Best Practices	Verify source

Historical/Version Information

Initial Release	1993
Latest Version	N/A

Associated Types

Similar Extensions

.mid, .midi, .it, .mod

Software Compatibility

Software	Usage Policy	OS Compatibility
Doom Game Engine	Part of game	Various platforms
SLADE	Free	Windows, Mac, Linux
Doomsday Engine	Free	Windows, Mac, Linux