Alternatives to Rosegarden
A Linux MIDI sequencer and music notation editor with basic digital audio support. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Rosegarden
A Linux MIDI sequencer and music notation editor with basic digital audio support.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Rosegarden.
MuseScore Studio
Free sheet music notation software that plays back what you write and prints it properly.
MuseScore Studio focuses on notation with playback and printing, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and imports and exports MusicXML and MIDI, but it is not a sequencer.
Qtractor
An open-source audio and MIDI multitrack sequencer for Linux built on Qt, JACK and ALSA.
Qtractor is also a free Linux sequencer, but it puts audio and MIDI multitrack recording first and has no notation editor like Rosegarden's.
Ardour
A full digital audio workstation for recording, editing and mixing, with no subscription and no dongle.
Ardour is a full open-source DAW for Windows, macOS and Linux with much stronger audio recording and mixing, but it has no notation editor and official binaries are paid.
LMMS
A free digital audio workstation with a piano roll, beat sequencer and a pile of built-in synths.
LMMS offers a free piano roll, beat sequencer and built-in synths on Windows, macOS and Linux, but it cannot record audio and has no notation view.
Zrythm
An open-source digital audio workstation with extensive automation, chord tools and broad plugin support.
Zrythm is an open-source cross-platform DAW with chord tools and broad plugin support, though version 2 is still in alpha and it lacks Rosegarden's notation editor.
REAPER
Full digital audio workstation for multitrack recording, editing, mixing and MIDI.
REAPER is a paid commercial DAW for Windows, macOS and Linux with full audio and MIDI recording, replacing Rosegarden's basic audio support but not its notation focus.
Bitwig Studio
A commercial digital audio workstation with a clip launcher, timeline and modular sound design tools.
Bitwig Studio is a paid DAW with a native Linux build, a clip launcher and modular sound design, trading Rosegarden's notation focus for production and performance tools.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Hydrogen
Program drum patterns with a desktop sequencer and drum machine.
TuxGuitar
An open-source multitrack tablature editor and player for desktop and Android.
Guitar Pro
A tablature and score editor for guitar, bass and other instruments, with audio playback.
JACK Audio Connection Kit
Connect audio and MIDI applications through an audio server.
Carla
A modular audio plugin host that loads LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, LADSPA and DSSI plugins.
Audiveris
Convert scanned sheet music into editable notation data.
