What is the GP5 file format?
.gp5 is a tablature and music notation file associated with Guitar Pro 5 by Arobas Music. Unlike typical audio files, it stores no recorded audio - it encodes notation (tablature and standard notation), tempo, effects, and instrument assignments as a flat proprietary binary document. It is a multichannel format that can store multiple instrument tracks.
Guitar Pro is a well-known music editor, especially popular among guitar players. It supports tablature notation and can simulate various instruments to fill the missing tracks using built-in soundbanks. .gp5 files can typically be found on websites with guitar tabs.
Guitar Pro 6 moved to the .gpx format, and Guitar Pro 7/8 uses the ZIP-based .gp format - but Guitar Pro 8 still opens .gp5 files. Free cross-platform tools such as TuxGuitar and MuseScore 4 also read the format, making .gp5 one of the most widely supported tab file types.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA .gp5 is passive notation data - it contains no executable code, so opening one in Guitar Pro, TuxGuitar or MuseScore is safe. The only practical cautions: download tabs from reputable sources, and beware files with a double extension (song.gp5.exe), which would be a disguised executable, not a tab. A corrupt or truncated .gp5 may simply fail to open.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEGuitar Pro 5 Tablature Fileaka Guitar Pro 5 file, GP5 tab file
DEVELOPERArobas Musicsince 2005 (Guitar Pro 5)
CATEGORYAudio Files
MIME TYPEapplication/octet-stream
TYPEProprietary binary tablature/score document (not a ZIP, unlike modern .gp)
MAGIC BYTES · FILE SIGNATURE
OFFSET
000102030405060708090a0b
HEX
1846494348494C452050524F
ASCII
·FICHILE PRO
A .gp5 begins with a Pascal-style length-prefixed version string. The first byte is the string length (0x18 = 24), followed by ASCII "FICHIER GUITAR PRO v5.00" (or v5.10). This version block is how parsers (TuxGuitar, MuseScore, alphaTab) detect a GP5 file. It is a flat proprietary binary format - NOT a ZIP archive (the modern .gp IS a ZIP; .gpx is a different BCFZ container).
Programs that open GP5 files
Windows3 apps
TuxGuitar
Open-source File > Open the .gp5 to view the tab and play it back - free, lightweight, built specifically for Guitar Pro-style tablature. 
Guitar Pro 8
Paid Open the .gp5 directly - Guitar Pro 8 is the current native editor/player and opens all legacy .gp3/.gp4/.gp5/.gpx files.
MuseScore 4
Open-source File > Open and pick the .gp5 - MuseScore imports Guitar Pro scores for free viewing, playback and export to PDF/MIDI/MusicXML. 
macOS3 apps
Linux2 apps
TuxGuitar
Open-source Open the .gp5 - TuxGuitar is the go-to free Guitar Pro reader/player on Linux. 
Android1 app
Guitar Pro (mobile)
Paid Open the .gp5 in Arobas Music's official mobile player to view and play tabs.
iOS1 app
Guitar Pro (mobile)
Paid Open the .gp5 in the official iOS Guitar Pro app to view and play tablature. Technical details
deep spec| Developer | Arobas Music |
| Format type | Proprietary flat binary tablature and score document |
| File encoding | Binary, little-endian byte order |
| File signature | Pascal-style length-prefixed version string at byte 0: 0x18 followed by ASCII "FICHIER GUITAR PRO v5.00" or "v5.10" |
| Internal subversions | v5.00 and v5.10; v5.10 adds extra per-note and effect fields; readers must branch on the version string to parse correctly |
| Container structure | Flat sequential binary records; not a ZIP archive and not the BCFZ container used by .gpx |
| MIME type | application/x-gtp (registered alias); application/octet-stream (generic fallback) |
| Notation support | Standard notation, tablature, chord diagrams, lyrics, and per-note effects (bends, vibrato, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs) |
| Multi-track support | Multiple instrument tracks, each with its own MIDI channel, instrument patch, string tuning, and capo setting |
| Stored content | Notation only; no recorded audio - playback synthesized at runtime via RSE soundbanks or MIDI output |
| File structure layout | Version header → song info (title/artist/tempo/key) → lyrics → MIDI channel table → measure headers → track headers → per-beat note and effect data |
| Typical file size | 5 KB - 500 KB; one complete song per file |
| Format succession | Followed by .gpx (Guitar Pro 6) and the ZIP-based .gp format (Guitar Pro 7/8); Guitar Pro 8 retains full .gp5 import |
| Third-party support | TuxGuitar (open-source), MuseScore 4, alphaTab (browser JavaScript library), Guitar Pro mobile (Android/iOS) |
| Platform availability | Windows, macOS, Linux (via TuxGuitar), Android, iOS |
| Released | 2005 (Guitar Pro 5) |
| Latest version | GP5 format frozen at Guitar Pro 5.x; superseded by .gpx (GP6, 2010) and .gp (GP7/8, 2017) |
| Specification | www.guitar-pro.com |
GP5 conversions
Possible
.GP5 .MIDIGUIDE
Yes -- open the .gp5 in Guitar Pro, MuseScore 4, or TuxGuitar and use File > Export > MIDI; all three are…
How to convert
.GP5 .PDFGUIDE
Yes -- open the .gp5 in MuseScore 4 (free) or Guitar Pro and use File > Export > PDF to get printable sheet…
How to convert
.GP5 .ASCIIGUIDE
Yes, Guitar Pro 5 files export to ASCII tab -- the fastest way is File > Export > ASCII Tab in Guitar Pro 8…
How to convert
.GP5 .MUSICXMLGUIDE
Yes, GP5 converts to MusicXML -- the fastest free method is to open the .gp5 in MuseScore 4 and use File >…
How to convert
.GP5 .MP3GUIDE
Yes - open the GP5 file in Guitar Pro 8 or MuseScore 4 and use File > Export to produce an MP3 in a few…
How to convert
.GP5 .GPGUIDE
Yes - open the .gp5 in Guitar Pro 8 and use Save As to write a .gp file.
How to convert
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about GP5 files.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open a .gp5 file for free?
Use TuxGuitar or MuseScore 4 - both are free and open source and import Guitar Pro 5 .gp5 scores for viewing and playback. Guitar Pro 8 itself is the paid native editor and also opens .gp5.
Is a .gp5 file audio?
No. It stores the tablature/score (notes, tempo, tracks). The program generates the sound from that notation. To get an actual audio file, export the .gp5 to MP3 or WAV.
What's the difference between .gp5, .gpx and .gp?
.gp5 is the Guitar Pro 5 format (a flat binary file). .gpx is the Guitar Pro 6 format, and .gp is the Guitar Pro 7/8 format (a ZIP archive). Guitar Pro 8 opens all of them; older programs may not open newer files.
Can MuseScore open Guitar Pro 5 files?
Yes - MuseScore 4 imports .gp5 (and .gp3/.gp4/.gpx/.gp) via File > Open, then lets you play, edit and export to PDF/MIDI/MusicXML for free.
How do I convert a .gp5 to PDF?
Open it in Guitar Pro, MuseScore or TuxGuitar and use File > Export (or Print) > PDF to get printable sheet music/tab.
Can I open a .gp5 file in newer Guitar Pro?
Yes. Guitar Pro 6, 7 and 8 all open .gp5 files. In Guitar Pro 8 you can also Save As the modern .gp format to upgrade the file.
References
1Guitar Pro - official site (Arobas Music)www.guitar-pro.com
2Guitar Pro Support - opening older files in GP8support.guitar-pro.com
