Notable software MIDI editors and sequencers are listed in the following table.
Software | Platform | License | Developer | Editing interface | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aegis Sonix | Amiga | Proprietary | Aegis Development | Score, keyboard, and an instrument editor | Music sequencer and a score editor. |
Anvil Studio | Windows | Freemium | Willow Software | Score, piano roll, tablature, event list | Full-featured MIDI editor & sequencer with staff, piano roll, percussion, event list, and audio editors. |
Ardour | FreeBSD, Linux, macOS, Windows | GPL-2.0-or-later | Paul Davis, and The Ardour Community | Piano roll, event list | MIDI support began with version 3. |
Aria Maestosa | Linux, macOS, Windows | GPL-2.0-or-later | MIDI sequencer/editor with score, keyboard, guitar, drum and controller views. | ||
B-Step Sequencer | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS (iPad), Android, Raspberry Pi | Proprietary | Monoplugs | A step sequencer to create arpeggios, chord progressions, basslines or percussions. Available as VST, Audio Units or standalone program. | |
Band-in-a-Box | macOS, Windows (also previously for Atari ST) |
Proprietary | PG Music | Accompaniment sequencer with audio loops and more. | |
Cakewalk by BandLab | Windows | Proprietary | BandLab Technologies | Piano roll, event list | |
Steinberg Cubase | macOS, Windows (also previously for Atari ST) |
Proprietary | Steinberg | Score, piano roll, drum editor, event list | |
Deluxe Music Construction Set | AmigaOS, macOS | Proprietary | Electronic Arts | ||
Digital Performer | macOS, Windows | Proprietary | Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) | ||
DirectMusic Producer | Windows | Freeware | Microsoft | Part of DirectMusic SDK. | |
Finale | macOS, Windows | Proprietary | MakeMusic, Inc. | Score | Composition and sequencing program, with various versions, including freeware (version 2008 and earlier) "NotePad" version (with very limited features). Discontinued. |
FL Studio | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Proprietary | Image-Line | Piano roll, step sequencer | |
GarageBand | macOS, iOS | Proprietary | Apple | Import only, saves to native format. | |
Guitar Pro | Linux, macOS, Windows | Proprietary | Arobas Music | ||
Indaba Music | macOS, Windows | Proprietary | |||
JFugue | Linux, macOS, Windows (Java-based) | 5: Apache-2.0 3-4: LGPL-2.1-or-later |
Programming library (API). | ||
KeyKit | Linux, Windows | Free for non-commercial use, source available | |||
LilyPond | FreeBSD, Linux, macOS, Windows | GPL-3.0-or-later | |||
Live | macOS, Windows | Proprietary | Ableton | Piano roll | |
Logic Pro | macOS (also previously for Windows & Atari ST) |
Proprietary | Apple/Emagic (formerly named C-Lab) | Piano roll, step editor, event list | |
LMMS | Linux, macOS, OpenBSD, Windows | GPL-2.0-or-later | Piano roll, step sequencer | DAW; VST, LADSPA support. MIDI editor displaying notes positions on a virtual keyboard. As of March 30, 2011 no MIDI aftertouch support. | |
MAGIX Samplitude | Windows | Proprietary | MAGIX | ||
Master Tracks Pro | Windows | Proprietary | GVOX (originally Passport Designs) | Full-featured GUI MIDI sequencer with notation screen (requires supplied Anastasia TrueType or Type1 font), event editor, MCI, SMPTE sync., etc. Tested to work under Win 10 1903. | |
MIDI Converter Studio | Windows | Shareware | ManiacTools | MIDI file converter, karaoke converter. | |
MidiEditor | Linux, Windows | GPL-2.0-or-later | Markus Schwenk | Piano roll | Open-sourced on GitHub. |
Mixcraft | Windows | Proprietary | Acoustica | Audio and MIDI sequencer, support for VSTis, MIDI recording, editing, and playback. | |
Mozart | Windows | Proprietary | David Webber | Music notation software for simple tunes to full scores of up to 64 parts. | |
MuLab | Windows, macOS | Proprietary | Mutools | MIDI and audio full DAW. Support for customizable modular DSP graphs. For electronic music, but not only. | |
MultitrackStudio | Windows, macOS, iOS | Proprietary | Bremmers Audio Design | MIDI and audio full DAW, simple user interface, flexible MIDI editing. | |
MusE | Linux | GPL-2.0-or-later | Piano roll, event list | Open source midi and audio work station with support for VST, DSSI, LADSPA and LV2. | |
MuseScore | Linux, macOS, Windows, iOS (partial) | GPL-2.0-only | Werner Schweer | Score | Music notation software with full MusicXML support. Piano roll editor, unlimited parts. good stability below 300 000 notes, edit multiple files at once, user friendly GUI, portable edition. |
Musink | Windows | Proprietary | Lee Reid | Music notation freeware with MIDI output, loop, and playback functionality. | |
Notation Composer | Windows, with Wine support | Proprietary | Notation Software | Score, piano roll | Full featured notation software program and MIDI sequencer. |
NoteEdit | Linux | GPL-2.0-or-later | Jörg Anders | MIDI based score writer | Defunct; last stable release September 2006. |
NoteWorthy Composer | Windows | Proprietary | Noteworthy Software | Can import and export MIDI data, but only edit and display it as a musical score. Runs correctly in wine. | |
Overture | macOS, Windows | Proprietary | Sonic Scores (formerly called Geniesoft) | Score, piano roll, MIDI sequencer | Notation, tab, piano roll, MIDI/step sequencing, VST/VSTi host, hybrid DAW, video sync. |
Podium | Windows | Proprietary | Zynewave | ||
Pro Tools | macOS, Windows | Proprietary | Avid | Score, piano roll, event list | |
Qtractor | Linux | GPL-2.0-or-later | Audio MIDI multi-track sequencer application written in C++ in the Qt framework. | ||
REAPER | Linux, macOS, Windows | Proprietary | Cockos | Score, piano roll, event list | Supports guitar tabs and MIDI2Tab conversion with TabEditor plug. |
Reason | macOS, Windows | Proprietary | Propellerhead | Piano roll | |
Renoise | Linux, macOS, Windows | Proprietary | Tracker | Demo version available. | |
Rosegarden | Linux | GPL-2.0-or-later | Score, piano roll, event list | Audio, MIDI sequence, record. Win VST support, LADSPA, JACK. | |
Scala | Linux, macOS, Windows | Freeware, noncommercial | Manuel Op de Coul | Specializes in tuning; converts ascii score file to MIDI. | |
Seq24 | Linux, Windows | GPL-2.0-or-later | Piano roll | MIDI loops sequencer. | |
Sibelius | macOS, Windows | Proprietary | Avid (originally Sibelius Software) | Score, piano roll, tablature | Live scoring of sheet music from MIDI input. |
Signal | Web | Open source | Signal | Piano roll, event list | |
Studio One | macOS, Windows | Proprietary | PreSonus | Score, piano roll, drum editor | |
TineFune | Linux, Windows | Proprietary | TineFune, LLC | Piano roll, event list | MIDI sequencer with a Web Browser GUI, no windows or menu clutter. |
TuxGuitar | FreeBSD, Linux, macOS, Windows (Java-based) | LGPL-2.1-only | Tablature | Tablature editor. | |
Z-Maestro | Windows | Proprietary | "Lite" version: limited tracks, I/O. |
See also
- List of scorewriters
- Comparison of free software for audio
- MIDI Show Control
- MIDI Show Control software
- List of music software
- Category:MIDI standards
References
- "MIDI Editors". steinberg.help. Retrieved 2017-11-28.
- "Digital Performer 11 - Downloads | MOTU.com". motu.com. Archived from the original on 2024-06-23. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
- "Finale | Music Notation Software That Lets You Create Your Way". Finale. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
Electronic and electroacoustic music | ||
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Techniques | ||
By country | ||
Active organizations | ||
Inactive organizations |