Sonic Pi
A free live-coding music synth where you write simple code to compose and perform music.
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3 more ways to get Sonic Pi
Package managers
- Chocolatey
choco install sonicpi - Homebrew
brew install --cask sonic-pi - Flathub
flatpak install flathub net.sonic_pi.SonicPi
About Sonic Pi
Sonic Pi turns a computer into a live-coding music studio. You write short pieces of code to trigger synths, samples and patterns, and change them while they play, which makes it usable both for composition and live performance.
It supports multi-channel audio in and out, well-timed MIDI and OSC, and Ableton Link. A built-in tutorial helps beginners, it is used in computing and music lessons, and it is designed to be accessible for blind and partially sighted people. Version 5.0.0 is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Strengths
- Live coding with changes heard as you type
- MIDI, OSC and Ableton Link for working with other gear
- Friendly built-in tutorial for beginners
- Builds for Windows, macOS and Linux on x64 and ARM
Limitations
- Making music means writing code
- Not a traditional timeline-based music editor
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree to download; optional paid video courses are sold separately.
- License
- MIT
- Developer
- Sam Aaron and the Sonic Pi Core Team
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Learning to code through music or performing live-coded sets
- Categories
- Audio tools, Learning tools
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Sonic Pi
Compare allSoftware that can replace Sonic Pi for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
SuperCollider
A programmable platform for real-time audio synthesis and algorithmic composition.
SuperCollider is a free programmable synthesis platform with a client/server design, more powerful for real-time sound work but with a steeper language to learn than Sonic Pi's beginner tutorial.
Csound
A free and open-source audio programming language for sound synthesis and computer music.
Csound is a free audio programming language with decades of computer music history and a web IDE, oriented more to synthesis and composition than live-coded performance.
Pure Data
Open-source visual programming environment for building interactive audio and multimedia works.
Pure Data replaces text code with visual patching for real-time audio and interactive works, though the patching workflow has its own steep learning curve.
Sonic Pi as an alternative
Listings that name Sonic Pi as an alternative.
Scratch
A free block-based programming language and online community for making interactive stories, games and animations.
Sonic Pi is an open-source desktop app where beginners learn coding by writing code that makes music, rather than building games and animations from blocks.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
VCV Rack
A virtual Eurorack modular synthesizer for Windows, macOS and Linux with a large module library.
Cardinal
Free, self-contained virtual modular synthesizer based on VCV Rack, as a plugin and standalone app.
LMMS
A free digital audio workstation with a piano roll, beat sequencer and a pile of built-in synths.
Ableton Live
Performance-oriented DAW built around clip launching for electronic music.
Surge XT
An open-source hybrid synthesizer available as a plugin and a standalone app.
SunVox
A small modular synthesizer with a pattern-based tracker sequencer for desktop and mobile.
