LMMS
A free digital audio workstation with a piano roll, beat sequencer and a pile of built-in synths.
These buttons open the developer's own site, repository or store listing in a new tab. wares.gg does not host downloads.
4 more ways to get LMMS
Other download sites
Run by third parties, not by LMMS Developers. Prefer the official page above when it works.
Package managers
- Chocolatey
choco install lmms - Homebrew
brew install --cask lmms - Flathub
flatpak install flathub io.lmms.LMMS
About LMMS
LMMS gives you the pieces of a music production suite without a licence: a song editor for arranging, a pattern editor for beats, a piano roll for melodies, and a mixer with unlimited channels and effects. More than fifteen synthesiser plugins ship in the box.
It loads VST2 instruments and effects, SoundFont2 banks, LADSPA and LV2 plugins, and imports and exports MIDI files. Audio recording is the notable gap: LMMS is for programming parts, not for tracking a live vocal.
Strengths
- Piano roll, beat sequencer, song editor and mixer in one free program
- Over fifteen instrument plugins included before you add anything
- VST2, SoundFont2, LADSPA and LV2 support
- Windows, macOS and Linux from the same project
Limitations
- No audio recording, so live instruments and vocals need another program
- Stable releases are infrequent; 1.2.2 dates from 2020
- VST hosting on macOS and Linux is less reliable than on Windows
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source under the GPL 2.0.
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Developer
- LMMS Developers
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Programming beats and melodies without paying for a workstation
- Categories
- Audio tools
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Selected from the TechWalrus downloads catalog (Audio); facts checked against the developer's own pages, 2 sources on file.
Alternatives to LMMS
Compare allSoftware that can replace LMMS for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
FL Studio
Beat-making focused DAW known for its lifetime free update policy.
FL Studio is a paid, closed-source beat-making DAW for Windows and macOS with lifetime free updates, a similar pattern workflow and audio recording that LMMS lacks.
REAPER
Full digital audio workstation for multitrack recording, editing, mixing and MIDI.
REAPER is paid commercial software with an unlimited evaluation period, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and adds multitrack audio recording and deep scripting customisation.
Ardour
A full digital audio workstation for recording, editing and mixing, with no subscription and no dongle.
Ardour stays open source on Windows, macOS and Linux and adds audio recording and a flexible mixer, though official binaries are paid and bundled instruments are fewer.
Ableton Live
Performance-oriented DAW built around clip launching for electronic music.
Ableton Live is paid, closed-source and limited to Windows and macOS, built around Session View clip launching for electronic music and live performance.
Tracktion Waveform Free
Free full-featured DAW with no track limit for music production.
Tracktion Waveform Free is a free but closed-source DAW with no track limit and native Linux support, adding audio recording that LMMS cannot do.
GarageBand
Apple's free music creation studio for recording, playing and mixing songs and podcasts on a Mac.
GarageBand is free but only runs on macOS and iOS, offering a large loop library, virtual drummers and audio recording in a beginner-friendly interface.
Cakewalk Sonar
Windows DAW with a free tier, successor to the discontinued Cakewalk by BandLab.
Cakewalk Sonar is a Windows-only, closed-source DAW with a free tier, while the full feature set requires a paid membership.
Reason
Modular rack-style DAW with classic virtual synths and samplers.
Reason is a paid rack-style DAW for Windows and macOS with a large library of built-in instruments and visual cable routing, and it is not open source.
LMMS as an alternative
Listings that name LMMS as an alternative.
Hydrogen
Program drum patterns with a desktop sequencer and drum machine.
LMMS is also free and open source on Windows, macOS and Linux, adding a piano roll, song editor, mixer and over fifteen instruments beyond drum pattern sequencing.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
Audacity
A multi-track audio editor and recorder that has been the free default for twenty-five years.
MuseScore Studio
Free sheet music notation software that plays back what you write and prints it properly.
JACK Audio Connection Kit
Connect audio and MIDI applications through an audio server.
