You need to install Sibelius Player and Sounds Essentials separately from Sibelius (they’re not included in the default installation) if you want to hear better playback sounds in Sibelius.

Make sure that you’ve updated to Sibelius 6.2 or later by going to Help > Check for Updates.

Playback doesn’t have to be complicated: Just use Sibelius Sounds, let Sibelius make all the decisions for you, and press Play.

You can load VST or AU virtual instruments and effects in Sibelius for playback, but don’t expect them to work without telling Sibelius about where the sounds are loaded (either by using a sound set file or by telling Sibelius about each sound individually in a manual sound set).

In addition to virtual instruments, you can load audio effects into Sibelius, such as reverb and equalization, for a high degree of control over your sounds.

Sibelius is not a sequencer. If you’re used to other sequencers and how they interact with virtual instrument plug-ins, you will find Sibelius very different.

Sibelius will best choose what sounds your score needs.

You cannot alter the default Playback Configurations. You can, however, create your own.

The Playback Dictionary defines what Sibelius does when technique text and other symbols are placed into the score.

If you’re using words from the Playback Dictionary in your score and they don’t have an effect on playback, make sure you’re using the correct kind of text styles (technique text for playing techniques, tempo text for tempo changes, and so on).

No matter how densely packed your score is with instruments and regardless of whether the computer can play them back in real time, Sibelius will always export to audio cleanly. (It just might take a bit of extra time.)

If your score has too many instruments, it might stutter on playback. Go to Play > Playback Devices and then click Audio Engine Options and increase the buffer size to a higher value—this usually stops it.