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Comparison of free software for audio
List article

This comparison of free software for audio lists notable free and open source software for use by sound engineers, audio producers, and those involved in sound recording and reproduction.

Audio analysis

See also: Spectrum analyzer

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
BRP-PACUYesYesDual channel FFT tool for equalization of sound systems using the transfer function.GPL-2.0-or-later
PraatPaul Boersma and David Weenink of the University of AmsterdamYesYesYesA program for the analysis of speech in phonetics.GPL-2.0-or-later
Sonic VisualiserCentre for Digital Music at Queen Mary, University of LondonYesYesYesGPL-2.0-or-later
WaveSurferYesYesYesBSD-like

Converters

See also: List of audio conversion software

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
FFmpegFabrice BellardYesYesYesYesAudio & video.LGPL-2.1-or-later, GPL-2.0-or-later
fre:acRobert KauschYesYesYesYesformerly BonkEncGPL-2.0-or-later
LibavLibav teamYesYesYesYesAudio & video.LGPL-2.1-or-later, GPL-2.0-or-later
MPlayerYesYesYesYesAudio & video.GPL-2.0-or-later

DJ software

See also: Category:Audio mixing software

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
MixxxMixxx Development TeamYesYesYesYesGPL-2.0-or-later
XwaxMark HillsYesNoNoNoGPL-2.0-only

Distributions and other platforms

Various projects have formed to integrate the existing free software audio packages.

NameCreatorDescriptionNoteLicense
AVLinuxLinux distributionvarious
dyne:bolicLinux distributionvarious
Musix GNU+LinuxLinux distributionvarious
Planet CCRMAset of packages (in RPM format)
Ubuntu StudioLinux distributionvarious

Modular systems

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
Integra LiveBirmingham ConservatoireNoYesNoYesGPL-2.0-or-later
LibvisualYesYesYesYesLGPL-2.1-or-later
VisualApYesYesYesGPL

Notation

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
LilyPondHan-Wen Nienhuys and Jan NieuwenhuizenYesYesYesYesa music engraving programGPL-3.0-or-later
MuseScoreWerner SchweerYesYesYes Various BSDs1Yesa WYSIWYG scorewriter with midi playback and audio exportv4: GPL-3.0-onlyv0-3: GPL-2.0-onlywith font exception, Proprietary (mobile app and online service)
Impro-VisorBob KellerYesYesYesYeslead sheet notation, jazz improvisation, auto-accompanimentGPL-2.0-or-later

Players

See also: Comparison of audio player software

NameGUIProgramming languageDatabaseLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NotesLicense
AmarokQtC++MySQLYesYesUnstableInactive since 2018GPL-2.0-or-later
aTunesSwingJavaYesYesYesYesGPL-2.0-or-later
AudaciousGTK / QtCYesYesBSD 2-Clause
BansheeGTK+C#SQLiteYesYesYesInactive since 2014MIT
ClementineQtC++SQLite3YesYesYesGPL-3.0-or-later
DeaDBeeFGTK+C, C++, Objective-C, AssemblyYesYesYesGPLv2, zlib
ExaileGTKPythonPickleYesYesYesGPL-2.0-or-later
GuayadequewxWidgetsC++, CSQLite3YesDevelopment ceased as of September 29, 2023GPL-3.0-or-later
JuKQtC++YesYesYesLinux (KDE)GPL-2.0-or-later
MiroWebKit in GTK/CocoaPythonYesYesYesDiscontinued in 2013GPL-2.0-or-later
MuineGTK#C#YesCan use GStreamer and xineGPL-2.0-or-later
NightingaleXULRunnerC++SQLite?YesYesYesFork of Songbird; inactive since 2014GPL v2, MPL, BSD
Quod LibetGTKPythonPickleYesYesYesGPL-2.0-or-later
qmmpQtC++YesYesYesGPL-2.0-or-later
RhythmboxGTKCYesYesNot GNU Data AccessGPL-2.0-or-later
Sayonara PlayerQtC++YesYesGPL-3.0-or-later
SongbirdXULRunnerC++SQLite?UnofficialYesUnofficialYesAbandoned, final release on February 4, 2013GPL v2 with exceptions, Android client closed source
TomahawkQtC++SQLiteYesYesYesAbandoned, final release on April 15, 2015GPL-3.0-or-later
XMMSGTK+C++YesYesDiscontinued in 2007GPL-2.0-or-later

Programming languages

Many computer music programming languages are implemented in free software. See also the comparison of audio synthesis environments.

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
CsoundCsound community, Barry VercoeYesYesNo?YesLGPL-2.1-or-later
ChucKGe Wang, Perry CookYesYesNo?YesGPL-2.0-or-later (Mac, Linux, Windows versions)

Proprietary (iOS version)

NyquistComputer Music Project at Carnegie Mellon University, Roger B. DannenbergYesYesYesYes
Pure DataPd Community, Miller PucketteYesYesYesYesBSD-3-Clause
Sonic PiSam AaronYesYes?YesMIIT
SuperColliderSuperCollider community, James McCartneyYesYesYes?YesGPL-3.0-or-later
TidalCyclesAlex McLean et alYesYesYesYesGPL-3.0-or-later

Radio broadcasting

See also streaming below.

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
Airtime (software)SourcefabricYesNo?NoSuccessor to CampcasterFrom 2.5.2: AGPL-3.0-only1.6 to 2.5.1: GPL-3.0-only
CampcasterSourcefabricYesNo?NoGPL-2.0-or-later
OpenBroadcasterOpenBroadcasterYesNoYesNoAGPL-3.0-or-later
SDRangelYesYesYesYesGPL-3.0-or-later

Recording and editing

The following packages are digital audio editors.

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?GUI toolkitNoteLicense
ArdourPaul DavisYesYesYesYesGTK+multi-track audio recorder and editorGPL-2.0-or-later
AudacityDominic MazzoniYesYesYesYeswxWidgetsmulti-track audio recorder and editorGPL-2.0-or-later, CC BY 3.0 (documentation)
EcasoundYesYesYesYes limited support through Cygwincommand lineaudio recorderGPL-2.0-or-later
Gnome Wave CleanerJeff WeltyYesNoNoGTK+audio editorGPL-2.0-or-later
JokosherJokosher communityYesNoYesGTK+GPL-2.0-only with exception
LMMSTobias DoerffelYesYes as of 0.4.0 with Qt4YesQtmulti-track audio editor intended as a replacement for Cubase-like software (DAW)GPL-2.0-or-later
MusEYesNoNoQtMIDI sequencerGPL-2.0-or-later
QtractorYesNoNoQtA non-destructive multi-track audio and MIDI Workstation (DAW)GPL-2.0-or-later
RosegardenChris CannamYesNoNoQtMIDI sequencer and multi-track recorderGPL-2.0-or-later
SoXYesYesYesYescommand-linemulti-track audio editor/processorLGPL-2.1-or-later,

GPL-2.0-or-later

SweepConrad ParkerYesNoYesNoGPL-2.0-or-later
Traverso DAWRemon SijrierYesYesYesmulti-track audio recorder and editorGPL
WaveSurferCentre for Speech Technology at KTHYesYesYesYesTkBSD-like
Stargate DAWStargate DAWYesYesYesYesmulti-track audio recorder and MIDI Workstation (DAW)GPL-3.0-or-later

Softsynths

See also: Software synthesizer

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
FluidSynthYesYesYesYesSoundFont player/rendererLGPL-2.1-or-later
TiMidity++YesYesYesYesGPL-2.0-or-later
YoshimiAlan CalvertYesNoYes Various BSDsNoForked from ZynAddSubFX in 2009GPL-2.0-or-later
ZynAddSubFXPaul NascaYesYesYesYesGPL-2.0-or-later
WildMIDIYes???Some alternative to TiMidityPlayer: GPL-3.0-or-laterLibrary: LGPL-3.0-or-later

Streaming

These programs are for use with streaming audio.

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
Firefly Media ServerYesYesYesstreams music to DAAP clients like iTunes and RhythmboxGPL-2.0-or-later
IcecastYesYesYesa broadcast server, serves audio signals to clients over the HTTP protocolGPL-2.0-only
VLC media playerYesYesYesYesmedia and server programs for video and audio streamingVLC: GPL-2.0-or-laterlibVLC: LGPL-2.1-or-later

Technologies

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA)Yesthe sound card driver and management system in the Linux kernelGPL-2.0-or-laterLGPL-2.1-or-later
aRtsYesan audio programming API and sound server for general desktop, no longer in developmentGPL
DSSIYesa plugin architecture for software synthesizersLGPL-2.1-or-later
GStreamerYesYesYesYesa graph-based multimedia frameworkLGPL-2.1-or-later
JACK Audio Connection Kit (JACK)JACK Team, Paul DavisYesYes (JACK OS X)Yes (jackdmp)a sound server for integration of general and low-latency pro audio applications, including timebase transportGPL-2.0-or-laterLGPL-2.1-or-later
Linux Audio Developers Simple Plugin API (LADSPA)Yesa plugin architecture for digital signal processingLGPL-2.1-or-later
Open Sound SystemYesYesa sound card management and driver system for Unix operating systemsBSD-2-ClauseCDDL-1.0GPL-2.0-onlyProprietary (formerly)
PipeWireWim TaymansYesYes (FreeBSD)a media daemon, unifying JACK Audio Connection Kit, PulseAudio, and GStreamerMIT License
PortAudio & PortMidiRoss BencinaYesYesYesa cross-platform, open-source C language library for real-time audio & midi I/OMIT License
PulseAudioYesYesYes (Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD)Yesa sound server for general desktop and multihost LAN applicationsLGPL-2.1-or-later
sndioYesNoYes (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD)Nosound and MIDI serverISC

Trackers

These music sequencer programs allow users to arrange notes (pitch-shifted sound samples) on a timeline: see tracker (music software).

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
MilkyTrackerYesYesYesYesAlso runs on various other platforms including Windows Mobile, PlayStation and AmigaOS 4.GPL-3.0-or-laterMilkyPlay: BSD-3-Clause
OpenMPTOlivier LapicqueNoNoNoYesReleased as free software in 2004BSD-3-Clause (since OpenMPT 1.17.02.53) / GPL-2.0-or-later, partly public domain
SoundTrackerYesNoYesNoFast Tracker cloneGPL-2.0-or-later
SunVoxAlexander ZolotovYesYesYesYesAlso runs on Windows CE.Proprietary (Music Creation Studio)BSD-3-Clause (Engine)
Noise StationMark SheekyNoNoNoYesCC BY-SA 4.0

Other

NameCreatorLinux?macOS?Unix?Windows?NoteLicense
GnauralYesYesYesYesBinaural beat and pink noise generatorGPL-2.0-or-later
HydrogenYesYesPartialPartialan advanced drum machineGPL-2.0-or-later
libsndfileYesYesYesYeslibrary for reading and writing many sound formatsLGPL-2.1-or-later
EasyEffectsWellington WallaceYesNoYesNoEffects processing for applications using PipeWire sound serverGPL-3.0-or-later

See also

  • Free and open-source software portal

References

  1. "Download". MuseScore.org. Retrieved 2021-10-05. https://musescore.org/en/download ↩