What Flat does

Flat, operated by UK-incorporated Tutteo Limited and headquartered in London, is a cloud-based music notation platform that enables musicians, composers, students, and educators to create, edit, collaborate, and publish sheet music from any device. The core product is an HTML5 notation editor available on web, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android, with real-time multi-user collaboration, offline mode, and automatic cross-device sync. Underlying technology includes a proprietary AI-powered Optical Music Recognition (OMR) model trained in-house for converting PDF sheet music into editable notation, a studio-recorded HQ instrument library of 180+ instruments with multiple velocity layers, native Guitar Pro file import with a synchronized tablature editor, and a fully customizable keyboard input system. The platform is complemented by Flat for Education (K-12 classroom management, auto-graded assignments, and LTI-based integrations with Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Canvas, Schoology, and Moodle), Flat Embed (B2B interactive sheet music for third-party websites with per-unique-monthly-user pricing), Music Snippet (notation snippets for Google/Microsoft tools), and Opuscan (Android scanning app).

The business model is primarily a freemium subscription: individuals use a free tier (15 scores, 30 instruments, basic collaboration, branding on exports) and upgrade to Flat Power at $9.99/month or $49.99/year for unlimited scores, 180+ instruments, cloud sync, advanced notation features, and branding-free export; a lifetime one-time-purchase tier is also sold. A separate education go-to-motion converts K-12 schools and districts to institutional subscriptions via a 30-day free trial, supported by 1EdTech, FERPA, COPPA, and WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. Additional revenue streams include usage-based PDF Import credits, Flat Embed B2B SaaS pricing per unique monthly user, and an affiliate program paying 20% commission on first-time consumer purchases or $75 per Flat for Education conversion. Distribution is self-serve across web and app stores, direct to schools and districts for Education, and developer-led via REST and Import APIs.

Name

Flat

Legal name

Tutteo Limited

Website

https://flat.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Notation Software

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Notation & Scoring Software (MPAIAIAE)

Keywords

• Music notation software
• Collaborative sheet music
• Music composition tools
• Music education platform
• Interactive music scores

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Flat Power Subscription (Individual): Monthly ($9.99/month) or annual ($49.99/year) subscription unlocking unlimited scores, 180+ HQ instruments, cloud sync across all devices, advanced notation features, custom layouts and templates, custom keyboard shortcuts, advanced playback (part volume, reverb), YouTube/SoundCloud/MP3 upload, PDF import credits (10/month monthly, 20/month annual), and branding-free exports.
2. Flat for Education Institutional Subscriptions: School and district-level subscriptions for Flat for Education platform. Includes classroom management, auto-graded assignments, LMS integration (Google Classroom, Teams, Canvas, Schoology, Moodle), performance submissions, and district admin controls. 30-day free trial with no obligations.
3. Affiliate Program Commissions: Flat pays 20% commission on first-time Flat or Flat Power plan purchases, or a $75 flat-rate commission on first-time Flat for Education purchases, paid quarterly. Clawback policy applies for refunds or downgrades within 10 days (monthly) or 2 months (yearly/lifetime).
4. Flat Embed (B2B SaaS): B2B pricing for the Flat Embed product based on unique monthly users visiting a customer's website with embedded sheet music. Volume pricing available for startups and high-traffic e-commerce sites. Custom negotiations for e-commerce use cases.
5. PDF Import Credit System: PDF Import uses a credit-based system where users pay only for pages imported. Flat Power subscribers receive monthly page allowances (10/month monthly plan, 20/month annual plan) as part of their subscription. Non-subscribers purchase credits separately.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Flat is a cloud-based music notation platform that enables composers, musicians, and students to write, edit, collaborate on, and publish sheet music across web, desktop (macOS/Windows), iOS, and Android. The offering includes real-time multi-user score collaboration, 180+ studio-recorded instruments, AI-powered PDF-to-notation conversion, offline composing with cloud sync, and purpose-built tools for K-12 music education.

Product overview

Flat is a music notation software platform offering tools for web, desktop, and mobile. The core product Flat (flat.io) provides cloud-based notation creation with real-time collaboration across a 5M+ user community. The portfolio includes specialized offerings: Flat for Education (K-12 classroom management with LMS integrations), Embed (interactive sheet music for websites), Music Snippet (notation snippets for Google/Microsoft tools), Opuscan (sheet music scanning app), and Flat Desktop (native Mac/Windows app). Key feature modules include Guitar Tabs Editor, PDF Import with AI-powered OMR, High-Quality Instruments library (180+ instruments with 90+ HQ studio recordings), Complete History version control, and real-time collaboration. Flat Power subscription unlocks unlimited scores, advanced features, and cross-device sync. The platform offers REST and Import APIs for developer integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flat for Education: Dedicated music learning environment for K-12 schools and districts with classroom management, auto-graded assignments, LMS integration, and district admin controls.
• Music Snippet
• Opuscan
• Embed

Products and services

• Flat Core cloud-based music notation platform for individuals (musicians, composers, hobbyists) available via web, desktop, iOS, and Android. Provides note input, real-time multi-user collaboration, 180+ instruments, offline mode with sync, export to PDF/MusicXML/MIDI/MP3/WAV, and access to a 5M+ community of score creators.
• Flat for Education

Quantifiable outcome

• 5M+ users on the platform
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability2 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Google for EducationcoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with Google Classroom: automatic roster sync, assignment push to students, and grade return to the Google Classroom gradebook. Optimized for Google Workspace for Education environments. No IT deployment required.
• Microsoft Education (Teams)coreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with Microsoft Teams: roster sync, assignment distribution, and grade passback to the Teams gradebook. Available via LTI 1.1 and 1.3.
• Canvas LMScoreTechnology or IntegrationNative LTI integration with Canvas: SSO, assignments, grade sync, and embedded score viewing. Implemented via LTI 1.1 and 1.3 standards.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MuseScore: MuseScore is the leading free and open-source music notation software with a large online community. It directly competes with Flat on the same core activity (creating, editing, and sharing sheet music) and on the same SMB/student/amateur composer audience, with a freemium model similar to Flat's.
• Dorico (Steinberg): Dorico is Steinberg's professional desktop notation software competing head-to-head with Flat and other notation tools in the composer/arranger/professional engraver segment. It is a direct peer in the music notation category, though distributed as a desktop product rather than web-first.
• Sibelius (Avid): Sibelius is Avid's flagship notation software, one of the most established names in the category alongside Finale. It directly competes with Flat for professional composers, students, and educators, and is the kind of legacy desktop tool Flat's positioning contrasts against with collaboration and accessibility.
• Finale (MakeMusic): Finale is MakeMusic's long-standing music notation software and a direct peer to Flat across consumer, professional, and education segments. Like Sibelius and Dorico, it is a premium desktop notation tool that Flat positions against on collaboration, web/mobile, and price.
• Noteflight (now Hal Leonard): Noteflight is a web-based music notation platform with a strong focus on music education, similar in functionality and audience to Flat. It overlaps directly with Flat for Education and Flat's consumer notation offering, and is one of the closest direct comparables on web-first notation plus education.
• SmartMusic (MakeMusic): SmartMusic is MakeMusic's music education practice and assessment platform, used widely in K-12 and ensemble programs. It directly overlaps with Flat for Education in serving music teachers and students with notation, assessment, and practice tools.
• LilyPond: LilyPond is an open-source music engraving program producing high-quality sheet music from text input. It is a direct competitor in notation/engraving, primarily appealing to technically inclined composers and a potential alternative path for some of Flat's professional users.

Emerging players

• BandLab for Education: BandLab offers a collaborative, cloud-based music creation platform with an education edition. It overlaps with Flat on collaboration, cross-device music making, and the K-12 audience, though it leans more toward loops/MIDI production than notation.
• Soundtrap (Spotify): Soundtrap is a collaborative, cloud-based DAW owned by Spotify with a dedicated education tier. It competes partially with Flat in collaborative music creation for schools and students, but focuses on audio/MIDI production rather than notation.

Broad incumbents

• MakeMusic, Inc. MakeMusic is the established parent of Finale, SmartMusic, and other music education/notation products. As a multi-product incumbent, it broadly competes with Flat across professional notation and K-12 music education, but with a heavier desktop and assessment footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flat_io
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCY-W4FvxaNRoZ8N5b-KzRZg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/flat-io
• Instagraminstagram.com/flathq

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flat