Keyboard or piano software makes it easier to compose music through a computer workstation instead of transcription by hand, which can take a long time. Notes can be played on the computer and then read by the software, which subsequently transfers them to a computerized staff notation program in the software. Various parts such as guitar, bass, brass, woodwinds and percussion can be written through the keyboard and translated by the program.
The software features include a MIDI or USB interface to record notes from the keyboard into the software. Songs can be created as a project, which means that one project folder can have various instrument parts under the same title. There is a playback feature that can play back the notes through a computer sound card or an external MIDI interface.
The interfacing of keyboard and piano software with external keyboards or instruments can save users time composing and arranging a composition. Software is also configured to play in conjunction with a band in a live performance. Mastering this type of software can lead to lucrative opportunities in the job market as a music copyist.