Supported file formats, how to get files into Riffwork, and every export option available.
| Format | Import | Export | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| .gp3 / .gp4 / .gp5 | ✓ | ✓ | Guitar Pro 3–5; most widely distributed format |
| .gp6 / .gpx | ✓ | ✓ | Guitar Pro 6 |
| .gp7 | ✓ | ✓ | Guitar Pro 7/8; default export format |
| .musicxml / .mxl | ✓ | - | MuseScore, Sibelius, Finale exports |
| MIDI (.mid) | - | ✓ | Export only; MIDI import lacks fret-position data |
| AlphaTex (.txt) | ✓ | ✓ | AlphaTab's text format; readable, editable in any text editor |
| .tg (TuxGuitar) | - | - | Export .gp from TuxGuitar first (File → Export) |
| .ptb (PowerTab) | - | - | Export .gp from PowerTab first |
Drag a file from your desktop or file manager onto the Riffwork window. Works with any supported format. The score loads immediately, no intermediate dialog.
Open the library panel (folder icon), paste a direct URL to a .gp file, and press Enter. Riffwork fetches the file and loads it. The server hosting the file must allow cross-origin requests (CORS). Works for files hosted on your own CDN, GitHub releases, or similar direct-link URLs.
All previously opened files are stored in the library. Click the folder icon and select any entry to reopen it. Files are stored in your browser - they persist across sessions but stay on this device unless cloud sync is enabled.
Share links open automatically - just navigate to the URL and the file loads. Hash-based links (free) embed the file in the URL itself. Cloud share links Pro load from Riffwork's servers via a short URL.
Click Save§ in the editor toolbar, or press Ctrl+S. Downloads the full score as a .gp7 file compatible with Guitar Pro 7 and 8. Guitar Pro 7 files open in most other tab readers.
Set an A-B loop around the bars you want. Then click Save§ - Riffwork detects the active loop and offers to export just that range. The exported file is named filename_barsX-Y.gp.
Useful for extracting a chorus, a solo, or any subset of bars as a standalone file.
In the export menu, choose Export MIDI. Downloads a standard .mid file with all tracks. MIDI export preserves timing, dynamics, and pitch but not fret positions, techniques, or slide/bend notation.
Use MIDI export to import a Riffwork score into a DAW, or to use it with a MIDI instrument.
Choose Export AlphaTex. Downloads a .txt file in AlphaTab's plain-text score format. AlphaTex is human-readable and can be re-imported - useful for archiving, scripting, or version-controlling a score in a text format.
In the Chord Chart tab, click Export as HTML. Downloads a printable standalone HTML file - a lead sheet with chord names laid out in a 4-column grid with section headers. Capo-aware if a capo is set. Open in any browser and print to PDF from there.
In the library panel footer, click ⬇ Export all. Downloads a riffwork-library.zip containing all songs saved in your local library. Filenames are deduplicated automatically. Good for taking a local backup or migrating to another device.
Click Share in the header. The current score is encoded into the URL itself as a compressed hash. The resulting URL is long but fully self-contained - anyone with the link can open the score without signing in.
Limitation: very large files may produce URLs too long for some browsers or link shorteners. For large files, use a cloud share link instead.
Pro accounts get short share links: the file is uploaded to Riffwork's servers (Supabase Storage, 10MB limit) and a short ?s= URL is returned. Anyone who receives the link can open the score - no sign-in required on their end.
Cloud share links persist until you delete them from your account.
MusicXML files from MuseScore, Sibelius, and Finale import cleanly. Some features may not map perfectly - standard notation (pitch, duration, dynamics) imports reliably; guitar-specific features (string assignments, slides, bends) may need manual correction after import.
To export from MuseScore: File → Export → MusicXML. For Sibelius or Finale, look for Export → MusicXML in their respective menus.
Riffwork doesn't read .tg or .ptb natively. Both apps can export Guitar Pro files:
Open the exported .gp file in Riffwork. All guitar-specific notation survives the round-trip.