Product Updates
Every update to MakeMusic Cloud starts with feedback from teachers like you. Here's what's new and how to put it to work with your students.
Teachers can now create assignments that require only an audio or video recording rather than a Music Catalog piece, making it possible to assess technique (embouchure, posture, bow hold), non-catalog repertoire, or beginner skills like buzzing and instrument assembly. This extends assessment beyond the roughly 24,000-title catalog to any skill a teacher wants to evaluate.
MakeMusic revamped Practice app feedback beyond a single percentage score, adding early/late note-timing breakdowns and note-by-note accuracy analysis. The added detail helps students self-correct at home, reducing how much basic correction teachers need to repeat in class.
Advanced Analytics gives teachers a class-wide Engagement Score plus detailed reports on individual practice habits and performance progress over time. The data helps teachers spot struggling students faster and build administrator-ready reports without manually compiling spreadsheets.
MakeMusic gradebook scores now sync automatically to Google Classroom, eliminating manual double entry between the two platforms. The feature cuts grading admin time and gives students and parents instant visibility into updated grades.
MakeMusic added Foundations: Essential Edition, described as the most comprehensive Foundations release yet, featuring arrangements built from popular movie and video game soundtracks. It was highlighted as part of MakeMusic's ongoing investment in Music Catalog content, including for educators transitioning from the discontinued MuseClass platform.
MakeMusic added new concert band, orchestra, and choral works, plus new Solo Foundations titles pairing iconic film solos (including music from The Mandalorian) with coordinated prep exercises for independent learning. A solo from the film Mickey 17 was also added in interactive format.
MakeMusic added new concert band and orchestra works, plus the supplemental method book Sound Performance for Young Musicians by Chris M. Bernotas and Jim Palmer, playable as solos, duets, or trios. New pop and film tracks included music from Batman: Caped Crusader, Green Day, Howard Shore, and Twenty One Pilots.
MakeMusic added new concert band and orchestra works from composers including Brian Balmages, JaRod Hall, and Randall D. Standridge. The update also expanded popular and film music with tracks from The Hobbit, Justin Bieber, and Justin Timberlake.
The new Annotations feature, accessed in Compose, lets teachers add markings, highlights, text notes, and short (30-second) audio recordings directly onto a piece before assigning it through Practice. Annotations are visible only to students who receive the piece as an assignment, giving teachers a way to personalize instruction during at-home practice.
MakeMusic kicked off 2025 with new concert band, orchestra, and percussion titles, including the method book Five Minute Drill for percussion fundamentals. New popular and film tracks included music from The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Sabrina Carpenter, and Luke Combs.
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