Windows

Note: LilyPond is a text-based music engraver; it is more similar to a programming language than a graphical score editing program. Before downloading LilyPond, please read about our Text input. Once you have downloaded LilyPond, read the start of the Learning Manual for a gentle introduction on how to install it and use it.

Packages

Download

Install

  1. Locate the downloaded file and double-click on it to start the installer. Follow the instructions given to you by the installer; we recommend that you leave all the install options checked and use the default installation location. Click the ‘Finish’ button when the installer has completed. LilyPond is now installed.

Uninstall

To uninstall LilyPond either:

  1. Locate the LilyPond folder from the ‘Start’ menu and click on the ‘Uninstall’ icon. Click the ‘Finish’ button when the uninstaller has completed.
  2. Or from within the Control Panel, locate and select LilyPond and then choose the option to uninstall/remove the software. Click the ‘Finish’ button when the uninstaller has completed.

Running on the command-line

Note: If you are happy with the GUI instructions in the Learning Manual, then please ignore these instructions.

Windows on the command line

The most convenient way to run LilyPond is by adding the folder which contains LilyPond executable files to the environmental variable “Path”.

  1. Open your “System” on the Control Panel, select Advanced tab and click Environmental Variables button.
  2. Select the Variable “Path” from Environmental variables list and click the Edit button. You will be presented a window titled “Edit System Variable”; append to “Variable value” the name of the folder which contains LilyPond executable files like this:
    [pre-set paths];DIR\LilyPond\usr\bin
    

    Note: DIR will generally be C:\Program Files (x86) for 64 bit or C:\Program Files for 32 bit systems.

    and click “OK” button to close the window.

Invoking individual executable files

LilyPond executable files – such as lilypond, lilypond-book, convert-ly, and so on – can be run from the command-line by invoking them:

lilypond test.ly

Legalese


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