How to play back your score in Flat
Last updated November 9, 2026
Playback in Flat interprets the sheet music you write and plays it back directly in your web browser, without any plugins. Flat plays the full score or resumes from where you stopped, and gives you control over the volume, the instruments' reverb, the playback speed, swing, and the metronome.
How do I play back my score?
To play your composition, click the play button at the top of the editor, or press Space. Playback starts at the beginning of the measure where your cursor is. While the score plays, the same button turns into a stop button.
| Control | What it does | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Play / Stop | Plays from the start of the measure where the cursor is, or stops the playback | Space |
| Resume | Continues from the exact point where the playback stopped | Shift + Space |
| Go to start | Moves the cursor back to the beginning of the score | Ctrl + Space (also Ctrl on Mac) |
| Loop | Replays the selected passage over and over | L |
How do I start playback from a specific spot?
Flat starts playback at the beginning of the measure that holds your cursor. Click a note in the measure you want to hear, or move there with the arrow keys, then press Space or the play button. To repeat a passage, select it and turn on loop playback with L or the loop button in the top bar.
Stopping the playback doesn't move your cursor, so pressing play again restarts from the cursor's measure. Press Shift + Space to continue from the exact point where the music stopped.
How do I go back to the beginning of the score?
Click Go to start, the button on the left of the play button, or press Ctrl + Space. The cursor jumps to the first measure, and the next Space plays the score from the top.
Which notations does the playback interpret?
Our goal is to provide a good trade-off between performance and interpretation quality, so the playback works well even with a low amount of memory. You might not have the best experience with a large number of instruments.
At this time, most of the notations are interpreted, except:
- Bowing Directions
- Nested repeat barlines
- Text
How do I change the volume and reverb?
Flat stores a volume and a reverb level for every instrument in the score, and both are edited from the audio settings in the top bar. You can find how to change the volume and reverb for a score on our dedicated help page. To play the score in a studio, a concert hall or a cathedral instead, see rooms and the stage.
How do I change the playback speed?
The playback speed is a global multiplier applied on top of the tempo markings written in the score, so changing it never alters the notation. You can find how to change the global playback speed on our dedicated help page.
How do I enable the swing?
The swing includes the notation and the playback interpretation, so the written rhythm and the way Flat plays it stay in agreement. Discover how to use it in our dedicated help page.
I have an issue with the playback
Playback problems are usually caused by the device or the browser rather than by the score itself — a phone left in silent mode, or a stuck Web Audio API timer. Please see our playback troubleshooting page for the fixes.
Does the Crescendo and Diminuendo affect both parts of a piano score?
Like all the dynamics on Flat, they only affect the stave where they are added. To hear a crescendo in both hands of a piano score, add one to each stave.
How do I play back my score?
Tap the play button in the top bar. Playback starts at the beginning of the measure where your cursor is, and the play button turns into a stop button while the score plays. The button on its left takes the cursor back to the start of the score.
Which notations does the playback interpret?
Our goal is to provide a good trade-off between performance and interpretation quality, so the playback works well even with a low amount of memory. You might not have the best experience with a large number of instruments.
At this time, most of the notations are interpreted, except:
- Bowing Directions
- Nested repeat barlines
- Text
How do I change the volume and reverb?
Flat stores a volume and a reverb level for every instrument in the score, and the mix is saved with the score itself, so it is the same on every device. You can find how to change the volume and reverb on our dedicated help page.
How do I change the playback speed?
The playback speed is a global multiplier applied on top of the tempo markings written in the score, so changing it never alters the notation. You can find how to change the global playback speed on our dedicated help page.
How do I enable the swing?
The swing includes the notation and the playback interpretation, so the written rhythm and the way Flat plays it stay in agreement. Discover how to use it in our dedicated help page.
I have an issue with the playback
Playback problems are usually caused by the device rather than by the score itself — a phone left in silent mode is the most common one. Please see our playback troubleshooting page for the fixes.
Does the Crescendo and Diminuendo affect both parts of a piano score?
Like all the dynamics on Flat, they only affect the stave where they are added. To hear a crescendo in both hands of a piano score, add one to each stave.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a plugin to hear my score?
No. Flat interprets your sheet music and plays it directly in your web browser, with no plugin and nothing to install. The same playback engine is used in the editor and in the public sheet music viewer.
Why does playback start again from the beginning after I stop it?
Because Flat always plays from the start of the measure that holds your cursor, and stopping the playback doesn't move the cursor. On the website and desktop app, press Shift + Space to resume from the exact point where the music stopped. In the mobile app, tap a note in the measure where you want to start again, then tap play.
How do I replay just one passage?
Select the passage, then turn on loop playback with the loop button in the top bar, or press L on a keyboard. Flat then plays the selection over and over until you stop it, so you can practise or check a few measures without going back each time.
Why does playback sound rough on a score with many instruments?
The playback is tuned as a trade-off between performance and interpretation quality so that it runs on devices with a low amount of memory. A score with a large number of instruments pushes that budget, so you might not get the best experience on it.
Why is one of my markings not played back?
Most notations are interpreted, but a few are not yet: bowing directions, nested repeat barlines, and text. If a marking in one of those categories is silent, it is a known limit rather than an error in your score.
Can everyone who opens my score hear the same mix?
Yes. The volume and reverb you set are stored in the score data and synchronized to every device with access to the score, so everyone visiting it gets the audio mix you saved. See the audio settings for the details.