What is a BAK file?

A BAK file in the context of MakeMusic Finale, a music notation application, is essentially a backup copy of a musical score. These files are automatically generated and serve as a safeguard for your work. The BAK file contains the same musical data as its associated .MUS file but is saved with the “.bak.mus” file extension. If you ever need to recover or revert to a previous version of your musical score in Finale, you can use the BAK file to do so. It’s a valuable feature to prevent data loss and maintain the integrity of your music compositions.

You can also stop Finale from creating BAK files using the following steps

  1. Open Finale.
  2. Access the program’s Preferences or Settings menu.
  3. In the Preferences menu, select the “Save” section from the left-hand sidebar.
  4. Look for an option that says “Make Backups When Saving Files” or something similar.
  5. Uncheck or clear the checkbox next to this option.

MakeMusic Finale

MakeMusic Finale is a music notation software program developed by MakeMusic, Inc. It is widely used by composers, arrangers, music educators, and musicians to create, edit, and print sheet music and musical scores. MakeMusic Finale provides a comprehensive set of tools and features for notating music, including:

  • Music Entry: Finale offers various methods for inputting musical notes and symbols, including a mouse, MIDI keyboard, computer keyboard, and scanning printed sheet music.

  • Score Layout: Users can control the layout and formatting of their musical scores, including page sizes, margins, fonts, and spacing.

  • Playback: Finale includes playback functionality, allowing users to hear how their compositions sound. It supports MIDI playback and virtual instrument integration.

  • Music Symbols and Notation: The software provides a vast library of musical symbols, including notes, rests, dynamics, articulations, and more. Users can customize and create their own symbols.

  • Engraving Tools: Finale offers precise control over the appearance of musical notation, allowing users to fine-tune every aspect of their scores.

  • MusicXML Support: It supports the MusicXML format, making it easy to share and exchange musical scores with other notation software and musicians.

  • Collaboration: Finale includes features for collaboration and sharing scores with others, making it suitable for ensemble work and music education.

  • Printing and Publishing: Users can print high-quality sheet music directly from the software, and Finale also supports PDF export for digital distribution and printing.

How to open a BAK file?

To open a BAK file:

  1. Use MakeMusic Finale (available on both Windows and Mac).
  2. In the program’s menu bar, select “File” and then choose “Open…”
  3. Locate your BAK file in the file dialog and select it to open.

Once you’ve opened the BAK file in MakeMusic Finale:

  1. Go to “File” again.
  2. This time, select “Save As…”
  3. You can now save the file in its original format, typically as a normal MUS or .MUSX file.

This process allows you to access and work with the contents of the BAK file using MakeMusic Finale.

How to convert a BAK file?

MakeMusic Finale provides a range of export options, allowing you to convert your musical scores into different file formats. e.g.

  • .MXL - Compressed MusicXML
  • .WAV - WAVE Audio
  • .EPUB - Open eBook
  • .AIFF - Audio Interchange File Format
  • .MIDI - MIDI Music Data

Other BAK files

Here are other file types that use the .bak file extension.

Database

Game

Misc

Settings

References

See Also