This is a list of software for creating, performing, learning, analyzing, researching, broadcasting and editing music. This article only includes software, not services.
For streaming services such as iHeartRadio, Pandora, Prime Music, and Spotify, see Comparison of on-demand streaming music services.
For storage, uploading, downloading and streaming of music via the cloud, see Comparison of online music lockers.
This list does not include discontinued historic or legacy software, with the exception of trackers that are still supported.[1][2]
If a program fits several categories, such as a comprehensive digital audio workstation or a foundation programming language (e.g. Pure Data), listing is limited to its top three categories.
Types of music software
editCD ripping software
editChoir and learn-to-sing software
edit- This section includes both choir software and learn-to-sing software. For music learning software, see music education software.
DJ software
editDigital audio workstation (DAW) software
edit- Ableton Live
- ACID Pro
- Ardour
- Audacity
- Audiotool
- BandLab
- Bitwig Studio
- Cakewalk by BandLab
- Cubase
- Digital Performer
- FL Studio
- GarageBand
- HighC
- LMMS
- Logic Pro
- Magix Music Maker
- Maschine
- MetaSynth
- Mixcraft
- MultitrackStudio
- Nuendo
- Mixbus
- MuLab
- Orion Studio
- Pro Tools
- Pyramix
- Qtractor
- REAPER
- Reason Studio
- Renoise
- Rosegarden
- Samplitude
- SADiE
- Sonic Pi
- Sonoma
- Soundtrap
- Studio One
- Waveform
- Zynewave Podium
Computer music software
editInternet, RSS, broadcast music software
editThis section only includes software, not services. For services programs like Spotify, Pandora, Prime Music, etc. see Comparison of on-demand streaming music services. Likewise, list includes music RSS apps, widgets and software, but for a list of actual feeds, see Comparison of feed aggregators. For music broadcast software lists in the cloud, see Content delivery network and Comparison of online music lockers.
- Airtime
- Audicom (First radio automation software—see Radio software)
- Campcaster
- Clickradio
- Juice (aggregator)
- Jamulus (Internet jamming software)
- Moodagent (AI based emotion keyed playlist generator and app)
- Ninjam (Internet jamming software)
- OpenBroadcaster
- Panopto
Lyrics and vocals
edit- Cantor (music software)
- Rhyme Genie (Algorithms and software for rhyming lyrics)
- SingingCoach
- Fast Rhymes (All-in-one tool for lyrics, rhyme search, syllable counter, etc.)
- Blackhole, H3000 Factory, SplitEQ (Eventide, Inc.)
- Stutter Edit, Ozone, RX Audio Editor (iZotope)
- Jamstix (Rayzoon Technologies)
- Liquid Rhythm (WaveDNA)
- PCM Native, MPX Native (Lexicon (company))
- NI Massive, Kontakt (software), B4, Electrik Piano, Guitar Rig 2 (Native Instruments)
- OrangeVocoder (Prosoniq)
- SoundFont (Integrates synthesized/sampled MIDI files with recorded music)
- MachFive, Symphonic Instrument (Mark of the Unicorn)
Music analysis software
edit- BeatRoot
- BRP-PACU
- ChucK
- Kyma (sound design language)
- Pure Data
- Platinum Blue Music Intelligence (from Music Xray company)
- Sonic Visualiser
- WaveSurfer
Music circuit software
edit- Arduinome (software circuit platform)
- CPU Sim
- Electric VLSI Design System
- gLogic
- GNU Circuit Analysis Package
- KTechLab
- Linear Technology (a/d, circuit software, and others.)
- List of free electronics circuit simulators
- LTspice
- Micro-Cap
- MIDIbox (software circuit platform)
- Monome (software circuit platform)
- Ngspice
- Oregano (software)
- Quite Universal Circuit Simulator
- SapWin
- SPICE
- Tenori-on (software circuit platform)
Music composing software
edit- Antescofo
- Director Musices
- Hyperscore
- JFugue
- Keykit
- Kyma (sound design language)
- Max
- Music Mouse (Algorithmic synth and composer)
- Nodal
- Ocarina
- OpenMusic
- PetSynth
- Progression
- Reaktor
- Rubato Composer
Music conversion software
editMusic education software
editMusic gaming software
editMusic mathematics software
editMusic notation software
edit- Aegis Sonix
- Canorus
- Capella
- Deluxe Music Construction Set
- Denemo
- Dorico
- Encore
- ENT (for typeset mensural notation)
- Finale
- Flat
- Forte
- Frescobaldi
- Gregorio (for Neumes)
- Guitar Pro
- Igor Engraver
- Impro-Visor
- jEdit plugin
- LilyPond
- MagicScore
- Mozart
- Mus2
- MusEdit
- MuseScore
- Music Write
- MusiCAD
- MusicEase
- Musink
- MusiXTeX
- NoteEdit
- Noteflight
- Notation Composer
- NoteWorthy Composer
- NOTION
- Overture
- Philip's Music Writer (PMW)
- Power Tab Editor
- Progression
- Rosegarden
- SCORE
- ScoreCloud
- Sibelius (Division of Avid Technology since 8/2006. Avid also sells the Pro Tools DAW)
- SmartScore (Focus on Music OCR)
- TuxGuitar
Music player software
editMusic research software
edit- ScoreCloud (Notation research)
Music technology, synthesis and o/s software
edit- Category:Music software plugin architectures
- Comparison of audio synthesis environments
- DirectMusic
- Moodagent (AI based emotion keyed playlist generator and app)
- Music information retrieval
- Software effect processor
- Sound Recorder (Windows)
- Impromptu (programming environment)
- Keykit
- Max (software)[3]
- SynthFont (a MIDI to WAV converter-- Virtual Studio Technology instruments can be used instead of source files)
Music visualization software
edit- Advanced Visualization Studio (Justin Frankel) (platform: Windows)
- Cthugha (1993, Kevin "Zaph" Burfitt) (platform: DOS)
- Magic Music Visuals (since 2012, Color & Music, LLC) (platforms: Windows, OS X)
- MilkDrop (2001-2012, Ryan Geiss) reimplemented as projectM (platforms: Windows, Linux, Android)
- Neon (2004, Jeff Minter and Ivan Zorzin) (platform: Xbox 360)
- Psychedelia
- Pure Data
- Virtual Light Machine (1990, Jeff Minter) (platform: Atari Jaguar)
- Visual Music Tone Painter (1992–2004)[4]
Orchestration software
editDrums and percussion
editGuitar
editPiano
editPipe organ
edit- Hauptwerk produces audio in response to MIDI signal from attached keyboard or from a MIDI sequencer[5]
Automatic composition software
editSamplers and sequencers
editSoundtrack creation software
editWikimedia Commons has media related to Soundtrack creation software.
Trackers
editHistorical tracker software:
- Ultimate Soundtracker (Amiga, 1987)
- NoiseTracker (Amiga, 1989)
- OctaMED (Amiga, 1989)
- Protracker (Amiga, 1990)
- ScreamTracker (PC, 1994)
- FastTracker 2 (PC, 1994)
- Impulse Tracker (PC, 1995)
| Name | Latest update | License | OS versions | File format support | VST support |
ASIO output | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | OS X | Linux | MID | MOD | XM | IT | S3M | |||||
| Renoise | 7 May 2024 | Proprietary | Yes | Yes | Yes | Load | Load | Load | Load | No | Yes | Yes |
| OpenMPT | 22 September 2024 | BSD | Yes | Yes-Wine | Yes-Wine | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SoundTracker | 1 October 2023 | GPL | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| MilkyTracker | 5 July 2023 | GPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Load | Load | No | Yes |
| Buzztrax | 30 December 2015 | LGPL | Yes | Yes | Yes | Load | Load | Load | Load | No | Yes | Yes |
Virtual Studio Technology hosting software
edit- Ableton Live
- ACID Pro
- Adobe Audition
- Adobe Premiere Elements
- Adobe Premiere Pro
- Acoustica Mixcraft
- Ardour (open source)
- Audacity (open source, Windows, Linux and Mac platforms only[6])
- AudioMulch
- Band-in-a-Box
- Bidule
- Cakewalk by BandLab
- Deckadance
- Digital Performer (version 8 or higher)
- FL Studio
- GoldWave
- Jeskola Buzz
- LMMS (open source)
- Logic Pro
- Magix Music Maker
- Max MSP
- ModPlug Tracker
- MultitrackStudio
- n-Track Studio
- NOTION
- REAPER
- Reason
- Renoise
- Samplitude
- Sony Acid Pro
- Sony Sound Forge
- Sony Vegas
- Soundtrap
- Steinberg Cubase
- Steinberg Nuendo
- Studio One
- Steinberg Wavelab
- Traktor
- Vocaloid
- WavePad Audio Editor
- Podium
Virtual synthesizer and studio software
edit- Amsynth
- Minimoog
- Reaktor (software creation of instrument)
- Reason (DAW and virtual recording studio, integrated with Record)
- ZynAddSubFX
- Spire
Wave editors
editSee also
edit- Audio editing software
- Comparison of audio synthesis environments
- Comparison of digital audio editors
- Comparison of free software for audio
- Comparison of MIDI editors and sequencers
- Comparison of scorewriters
- List of audio conversion software
- List of audio programming languages
- List of guitar tablature software
- List of Linux audio software
- List of scorewriters
- Music technology
References
edit- ^ "Short History of Computer Music". UCSC.edu. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- ^ Twells, John. "The 14 pieces of software that shaped modern music". Fact Mag. Archived from the original on Apr 23, 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- ^ "Music & Math". Retrieved 5 January 2017.
- ^ Intelligence, new visions of artificial intelligence in practice. Vol. 11. Association for Computing Machinery. 2000.
- ^ Thomas Wichmann, The Hauptwerk Computer Program, Review in The American Organist, July 2004
- ^ "VST plug-ins". Audacity Wiki.