# Import files and folders

Add PDF, MusicXML, MEI, MIDI, image, folder, or ZIP sources to your library through the system Files picker.

> Type: How-to · Status: Stable · Platforms: iPadOS 17+, iPadOS 17+ · Last reviewed: 2026-07-18

Import one score or a whole folder into `My Library` in a single operation. Page Turner imports a copy; the files you select stay where they are, unchanged.

1. Open `My Library`.
2. Select `Add score`, then `Import files…`. The system Files picker opens directly; there is no separate source screen.
3. Select a file, several files, a folder, or a ZIP archive from any location available in Files.
4. Confirm the selection. The import sheet appears once your selection is accepted.

The picker accepts PDF, MusicXML (`.musicxml`, `.mxl`, `.xml`), MEI, MIDI (`.mid`, `.midi`), page images and photos (PNG, JPEG, HEIC, TIFF, and other common image formats), folders, and ZIP archives. A ZIP is unpacked on the device, whether it is a Page Turner backup archive or an ordinary archive of scores. For per-format behaviour, see the [format reference](/docs/reference/formats).

## What happens during the import

A progress sheet reports each phase: `Copying your files` while your selection is copied in, then `Loading your scores` with a running count. When every file is in, the sheet confirms how many scores were added to `My Library` and closes on its own — there is no summary to confirm.

Titles and composers are detected from the filenames, on the device, with no internet connection. Descriptive names such as `Chopin - Ballade No. 1.pdf` import with usable metadata; names like `scan001.pdf` import with none and need editing afterward.

To stop a running import, select `Cancel import`. The `Stop this import?` dialog offers `Keep what's already imported`, `Remove everything` (removes only the files from this import), or `Continue importing`.

## After the import

What you see next depends on what you imported:

- **One file, new to your library** — no prompt. The score's `Properties` panel opens so you can check or correct the detected title and composer immediately.
- **One file that matches a score you already have** — a confirmation starting with `Looks like a new version of` lets you attach it as a version instead of creating a duplicate. Matching tolerates spelling differences in the title, so a near-identical name can trigger it.
- **Several files, up to 40** — a review sheet lists every score with its detected title and composer already applied. Browse the list and correct entries before closing it; see [Bulk import and review](/docs/import/bulk-review).
- **More than 40 files** — the batch imports as-is with filename-based metadata and no review sheet. Correct entries afterward with [Score metadata](/docs/library/metadata).
- **Scores left without a composer** — Page Turner offers an organization review once the import finishes, limited to the affected scores.

## Other ways to add scores

The same `Add score` menu holds every other way in:

- `Scan a score` — capture a paper score with the camera; see [Scan a score](/docs/import/scan). The entry appears only on devices whose camera supports document scanning.
- `Browse IMSLP (web)…`, `Browse MuseScore (web)…`, `Browse Mutopia (web)…` — a built-in browser for the three public score libraries, with a download tray that imports what you pick. Checking a downloaded score's copyright status in your country remains your responsibility, as on the sites themselves.
- `Import guide` — a short in-app recap of the supported file types and import paths.

To send a single score from Mail, a browser, or another app instead, see [Import from another app](/docs/import/other-apps).

## Files stored in cloud providers

The picker can show iCloud Drive and third-party providers enabled in Files. Download status and authentication for those locations are managed by iOS and the provider. If a file has not downloaded, open it once in Files before retrying the import.

> **Note** Importing a file and converting it to a Smart Score are different operations. A PDF remains a PDF until you choose `Convert to Smart Score` in the reader.

> **Limit** MusicXML, MEI, and MIDI files are checked and prepared on the Page Turner server during import, so they need an internet connection. Each of these files is limited to 50 MB, MIDI is converted to notation as part of the import, and a file that cannot be read as a usable score is rejected rather than added. Password-protected or damaged files can also fail; see [Import troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting/import-conversion).