View source for Comparison of free software for audio

{{Short description|none}}
{{More citations needed|date=April 2024}}
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}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
! License
|-

! BRP-PACU
| 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
| ''Dual channel FFT tool for [[equalization (audio)|equalization]] of sound systems using the transfer function.''
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[Praat]]
| Paul Boersma and David Weenink of the University of Amsterdam
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| A program for the analysis of speech in phonetics.
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-

! [[Sonic Visualiser]]
| Centre for Digital Music at [[Queen Mary, University of London]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[WaveSurfer]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|[[BSD]]-like
|}

==Converters==
{{See also| List of audio conversion software }}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
! License
|-
! [[FFmpeg]]
|[[Fabrice Bellard]]
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
| Audio & video.
| [[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]], [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
!  [[fre:ac]]
| Robert Kausch
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| formerly BonkEnc
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[Libav]]
|Libav team
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
|{{yes}}
| Audio & video.
| [[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]], [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-

! [[MPlayer]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Audio & video.
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
|}

==DJ software==
{{See also| Category:Audio mixing software }}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
! License
|-

! [[Mixxx]]
| Mixxx Development Team
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| 
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-

! [[Xwax]]
| Mark Hills
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| 
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-only]]
|-
|}

== Distributions and other platforms ==
Various projects have formed to integrate the existing free software audio packages.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! Description
! Note
! License
|-
! [[AVLinux]]
|
| [[Linux distribution]]
|
| various
|-

! [[dyne:bolic]]
|
| [[Linux distribution]]
|
| various
|-
! [[Musix GNU+Linux]]
|
| [[Linux distribution]]
|
| various
|-
! [[Planet CCRMA]]
|
| set of packages (in [[RPM Package Manager|RPM]] format)
|
|
|-
! [[Ubuntu Studio]]
|
| [[Linux distribution]]
|
| various
|}

==Modular systems==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
! License
|-
! [[Integra Live]]
| [[Birmingham Conservatoire]]
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! Libvisual
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
! VisualAp
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL]]
|-
|}

== Notation ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
! License
|-
! [[LilyPond]]
| Han-Wen Nienhuys and Jan Nieuwenhuizen
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| a [[music engraving]] program
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[MuseScore]]
| Werner Schweer
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}} Various BSDs<ref>{{Cite web|title=Download|url=https://musescore.org/en/download|access-date=2021-10-05|website=MuseScore.org|language=en}}</ref>
| {{yes}}
| a [[WYSIWYG]] [[scorewriter]] with midi playback and audio export
| v4: [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-only]]<br>v0-3: [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-only]]<br>with [[GPL font exception|font exception]], [[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] (mobile app and online service)
|-
! [[Impro-Visor]]
| Bob Keller
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| [[lead sheet]] notation, jazz improvisation, auto-accompaniment
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[MusiXTeX]]
| Andreas Egler
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| [[Music typesetting]], [[TeX]]-based notation, high-quality [[Sheet music|scores]]
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|}

== Players ==
{{See also|Comparison of audio player software}}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left; width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
! Name
! GUI 
! Programming language
! Database
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Notes
! License
|-
! '''[[Amarok (software)|Amarok]]'''  
| [[Qt (software)|Qt]]
| [[C++]]
| [[MySQL]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{maybe|Unstable}}
| Inactive since 2018
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''aTunes'''
| [[Swing (Java)|Swing]]
| [[Java (programming language)|Java]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[Audacious (software)|Audacious]]'''  
| [[GTK]] / [[Qt (software)|Qt]]
| [[C (programming language)|C]] 
| 
| {{yes}}
|
|
| {{yes}}
|
| [[BSD 2-Clause]]
|-
! '''[[Banshee (media player)|Banshee]]'''
| [[GTK+]]
| [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]]
| [[SQLite]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| Inactive since 2014
| [[MIT License|MIT]]
|-
! '''[[Clementine (software)|Clementine]]'''  
| [[Qt (software)|Qt]]
| [[C++]]
| [[SQLite3]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[DeaDBeeF]]'''  
| [[GTK+]]
| [[C (programming language)|C]], [[C++]], [[Objective-C]], [[Assembly language|Assembly]]
| 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| 
| [[GPLv2]], [[zlib license|zlib]]
|-
! '''[[Exaile]]''' 
| [[GTK]]
| [[Python (programming language)|Python]]
| [[Pickle (Python)|Pickle]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[Guayadeque Music Player|Guayadeque]]''' 
| [[wxWidgets]]
| [[C++]], [[C (programming language)|C]]
| [[SQLite3]]
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| Development ceased as of {{date|2023-09-29|mdy}}
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[JuK]]'''
| [[Qt (software)|Qt]]
| [[C++]]
|
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| [[KDE|Linux (KDE)]]
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[Miro (software)|Miro]]'''
| [[WebKit]] in [[GTK]]/[[Cocoa (API)|Cocoa]]
| [[Python (programming language)|Python]]
| 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| Discontinued in 2013
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[Muine]]'''
| [[GTK Sharp|GTK#]]
| [[C Sharp (programming language)|C#]]
| 
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| Can use [[GStreamer]] and [[xine]]
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[Nightingale (software)|Nightingale]]'''
| [[XULRunner]]
| [[C++]]
| [[SQLite]]?
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| Fork of Songbird; inactive since 2014
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL v2]], [[Mozilla Public License|MPL]], [[BSD License|BSD]]
|-
! '''[[Quod Libet (software)|Quod Libet]]'''
| [[GTK]]
| [[Python (programming language)|Python]]
| [[Pickle (Python)|Pickle]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[qmmp]]''' 
| [[Qt (software)|Qt]]
| [[C++]] 
|
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[Rhythmbox]]''' 
| [[GTK]]
| [[C (programming language)|C]]
|
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
| Not [[GNU Data Access]]
| [[GNU General Public License version 2|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[Sayonara Player]]''' 
| [[Qt (software)|Qt]]
| [[C++]]
|
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[Songbird (software)|Songbird]]''' 
| [[XULRunner]]
| [[C++]]
| [[SQLite]]?
| {{Unofficial}}
| {{yes}}
| {{Unofficial}}
| {{yes}}
| Abandoned, final release on {{date|2013-02-04|mdy}}
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL v2]] with exceptions, [[Android (operating system)|Android]] client closed source
|-
! '''[[Tomahawk (software)|Tomahawk]]'''
| [[Qt (software)|Qt]]
| [[C++]]
| [[SQLite]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| Abandoned, final release on {{date|2015-04-15|mdy}}
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|-
! '''[[XMMS]]'''
| [[GTK+]]
| [[C++]]
|
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
| Discontinued in 2007
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|}

==Programming languages==

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

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
! License
|-
! [[Csound]]
| Csound community, [[Barry Vercoe]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}?
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
! [[ChucK]]
| Ge Wang, Perry Cook
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}?
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]] (Mac, Linux, Windows versions)
[[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] (iOS version)
|-
! [[Nyquist (programming language)|Nyquist]]
| Computer Music Project at Carnegie Mellon University, Roger B. Dannenberg
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|
|-
! [[Pure Data]]
| Pd Community, [[Miller Puckette]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| [[BSD licenses|BSD-3-Clause]]
|-
![[Sonic Pi]]
|Sam Aaron
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{dunno}}
| {{yes}}
|
|MIIT
|-
! [[SuperCollider]]
| SuperCollider community, James McCartney
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}?
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|-
![[TidalCycles]]
|[[Alex McLean]] et al
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|}

==Radio broadcasting==

See also [[#Streaming|streaming]] below.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
!License
|-
! [[Airtime (software)]]
| [[Sourcefabric]]
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{dunno}}
| {{no}}
| Successor to Campcaster<br />
| From 2.5.2: [[GNU Affero General Public License|AGPL-3.0-only]]<br>1.6 to 2.5.1: [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-only]]
|-
! [[Campcaster]]
| [[Sourcefabric]]
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{dunno}}
| {{no}}
| 
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[OpenBroadcaster]]
| [[OpenBroadcaster]]
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
|[[GNU Affero General Public License|AGPL-3.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[SDRangel]]
| 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|}

==Recording and editing==

The following packages are [[digital audio editor]]s.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! GUI toolkit
! Note
! License
|-
! [[Ardour (software)|Ardour]]
| [[Paul Davis (programmer)|Paul Davis]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| GTK+
| multi-track audio recorder and editor
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[Audacity (audio editor)|Audacity]]
| Dominic Mazzoni
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| wxWidgets
| multi-track audio recorder and editor
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]], [[Creative Commons license|CC BY 3.0]] (documentation)
|-
![[Ecasound]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}} limited support through [[Cygwin]]
| command line
|audio recorder
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
![[Gnome Wave Cleaner]]
|Jeff Welty
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
| {{no}}
| GTK+
|audio editor
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[Jokosher]]
| Jokosher community
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
| {{yes}}
| GTK+
| 
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-only]] with exception
|-
![[LMMS]]
| Tobias Doerffel
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}} as of 0.4.0 with Qt4
|
| {{yes}}
| Qt
| multi-track audio editor intended as a replacement for [[Cubase]]-like software ([[Digital audio workstation|DAW]])
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
![[MusE]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
| {{no}}
| Qt
|[[Musical Instrument Digital Interface|MIDI]] sequencer
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
![[Qtractor]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
| {{no}}
| Qt
|A non-destructive multi-track audio and MIDI Workstation ([[Digital audio workstation|DAW]])
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
![[Rosegarden]]
| Chris Cannam
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
|
| {{no}}
| Qt
|MIDI sequencer and multi-track recorder
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
![[SoX]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| command-line 
|multi-track audio editor/processor
|[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]], 
[[GNU General Public License#Version 2|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[Sweep (software)|Sweep]]
| Conrad Parker
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| 
|
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[Traverso DAW]]
| Remon Sijrier
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
| multi-track audio recorder and editor
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL]]
|-
! [[WaveSurfer]]
| Centre for Speech Technology at [[Royal Institute of Technology|KTH]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Tk
|
|[[BSD]]-like
|-
! [[Stargate DAW]]
| Stargate DAW
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| multi-track audio recorder and MIDI Workstation ([[Digital audio workstation|DAW]])
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|}

==Softsynths==
{{see also|Software synthesizer}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
! License
|-

! [[FluidSynth]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| [[SoundFont]] player/renderer
| [[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-

! [[TiMidity++]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-

! [[Yoshimi (Synthesizer)|Yoshimi]]
| Alan Calvert
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}} Various BSDs
| {{no}}
| Forked from ZynAddSubFX in 2009
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-

! [[ZynAddSubFX]]
| Paul Nasca
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-

! [[WildMIDI]]
|  
| {{yes}}
| ?
| ?
| ?
| Some alternative to TiMidity
| Player: [[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]<br />Library: [[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-3.0-or-later]]
|-
![[Surge]]
| Surge Synth Team
| ?
| {{yes}}
| ?
| {{yes}}
| 
|}

==Streaming==
These programs are for use with [[streaming audio]].

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
!License
|-
![[Firefly Media Server]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|streams music to [[Digital Audio Access Protocol|DAAP]] clients like [[iTunes]] and [[Rhythmbox]]
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[Icecast]]
|
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|a broadcast server, serves audio signals to clients over the [[HTTP]] protocol
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-only]]
|-
! [[VLC media player]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| media and server programs for video and audio streaming
| VLC: [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]<br />libVLC: [[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
|}

==Technologies==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
!License
|-
! [[Advanced Linux Sound Architecture]] (ALSA)
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| the [[sound card]] driver and management system in the [[Linux kernel]]
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]<br />[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
! [[aRts]]
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| an audio programming API and [[sound server]] for general desktop, no longer in development
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL]]
|-
! [[Disposable Soft Synth Interface|DSSI]]
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| a plugin architecture for [[software synthesizer]]s
|[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
! [[GStreamer]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| a graph-based multimedia framework
|[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
! [[JACK Audio Connection Kit]] (JACK)
| JACK Team, [[Paul Davis (programmer)|Paul Davis]]
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}} (JACK OS X)
|
| {{yes}} (jackdmp)
| a [[sound server]] for integration of general and low-latency pro audio applications, including [[timebase]] transport
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]<br />[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
! [[LADSPA|Linux Audio Developers Simple Plugin API]] (LADSPA)
|
| {{yes}}
|
|
|
| a plugin architecture for [[digital signal processor|digital signal processing]]
|[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
! [[Open Sound System]]
|
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|
| a [[sound card]] management and driver system for [[Unix]] [[operating systems]]
|[[BSD License|BSD-2-Clause]]<br />[[Common Development and Distribution License|CDDL-1.0]]<br />[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-only]]<br />[[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] (formerly)
|-
![[PipeWire]]
|Wim Taymans
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}} (FreeBSD)
|
| a media daemon, unifying [[JACK Audio Connection Kit]], [[PulseAudio]], and [[GStreamer]]
|[[MIT License]]
|-
![[PortAudio]] & [[PortMidi]]
|Ross Bencina
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
|
| {{yes}}
|a cross-platform, open-source C language library for real-time audio & midi I/O
|[[MIT License]]
|-
! [[PulseAudio]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}} (Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD)
| {{yes}}
| a [[sound server]] for general desktop and multihost LAN applications
|[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
! [[sndio]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}} (FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD)
| {{no}}
| [[sound server|sound]]  and [[MIDI]] server
|[[ISC license|ISC]]
|}

==Trackers==
These music sequencer programs allow users to arrange notes (pitch-shifted sound samples) on a timeline: see [[tracker (music software)]].
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
!License
|-
! [[MilkyTracker]]
| 
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Also runs on various other platforms including [[Windows Mobile]], [[PlayStation]] and [[AmigaOS 4]].
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]<br />MilkyPlay: [[BSD licenses|BSD-3-Clause]]
|-
! [[OpenMPT]]
| Olivier Lapicque
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| Released as free software in 2004
|[[BSD licenses|BSD-3-Clause]] (since OpenMPT 1.17.02.53) / [[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]], partly [[Public domain software|public domain]]
|-
! [[SoundTracker (Unix)|SoundTracker]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| [[Fast Tracker]] clone
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[SunVox]]
| Alexander Zolotov
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| Also runs on [[Windows CE]].
|[[Proprietary software|Proprietary]] (Music Creation Studio)<br />[[BSD licenses|BSD-3-Clause]] (Engine)
|-
! [[Noise Station]]
| Mark Sheeky
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
|
|[[Creative_Commons_license|CC BY-SA 4.0]]
|}

==Other==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; font-size: smaller; text-align: center;"
|- style="background: #ececec"
! style="width:12em" | Name
! Creator
! [[Linux]]?
! [[macOS]]?
! [[Unix]]?
! [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]]?
! Note
!License
|-
! [[Gnaural]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| [[Binaural beats|Binaural beat]] and pink noise generator
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[Hydrogen (software)|Hydrogen]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{partial}}
| {{partial}}
| an advanced drum machine
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-2.0-or-later]]
|-
! [[libsndfile]]
|
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| {{yes}}
| library for reading and writing many sound formats
|[[GNU Lesser General Public License|LGPL-2.1-or-later]]
|-
! [[EasyEffects]]
| Wellington Wallace
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| {{yes}}
| {{no}}
| Effects processing for applications using [[PipeWire]] [[sound server]]
|[[GNU General Public License|GPL-3.0-or-later]]
|-
|}

==See also==
{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}
* [[ABC notation]]
* [[Comparison of 3D computer graphics software]]
* [[Comparison of computer-aided design software]]
* [[List of 3D animation software]]
* [[List of 3D modeling software]]
* [[List of 3D rendering software]]
* [[List of free and open-source software packages]]
* [[List of Linux audio software]]
* [[List of video editing software]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Media player (application software)|free}}

[[Category:Free software lists and comparisons|Audio software]]
[[Category:Free audio software| ]]