Drum Machine and Sequencer
Publisher’s description
What is Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux)?
Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux) by Hydrogen Developers is open-source Windows software in the music players category. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.2.7, released on October 2, 2026. The version history goes back to July 25, 2023: 7 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2.2 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (hydrogen-music/hydrogen) has 1,342 stars. Similar programs include Spotify, iTunes and Mixxx.
Project description on GitHub: “The advanced drum machine for Linux, macOS, and Windows”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
- Also runs on Linux
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux) is an open-source music player tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Key features
- First-class MIDI support
- Highly customizable
- Stable and performant
- Loads of drumkits to choose from
- In-depth control of instrument, sample, and note properties
- High quality time-stretching and pitch shifting
- Automate it using MIDI or OSC API
AppStream · Flathub
Is Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux) safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
AE3B9D31B5E65DDF127C7AABB56A6F39CC85CB714729A74CE65ACFE97623220C· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the hydrogen-music/hydrogen repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Actively maintained6
- Code review1
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Pinned dependencies0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 7 versions ›7 versions over 3 years · about 2.2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2.7Latest | October 2, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.2.6 | July 29, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.2.5 | July 17, 2025 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.2.4 | December 7, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.2.3 | January 12, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.2.2 | September 29, 2023 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.2.1 | July 25, 2023 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Hydrogen-Music.Hydrogen -escoop install extras/hydrogenHydrogen-1.2.7-win64.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub org.hydrogenmusic.HydrogenInformation
- Publisher
- Hydrogen Developers
- Category
- Music players
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/hydrogen-music/hydrogen
- Written in
- C++
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 1.2.7
- Released
- October 2, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- July 25, 2023
- Versions listed
- 7
- Updates / year
- 2.2
- GitHub stars
- 1,342
- GitHub forks
- 184
- Website
- hydrogen-music.org
- winget ID
- Hydrogen-Music.Hydrogen
- Scoop package
- extras/hydrogen
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux) free?
Yes. Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux) is open-source software under the GPL-2.0 licence.
Is Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux) safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux) with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux) be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux) run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux)?
The versions page lists all 7 versions with links to their official installer files, back to July 25, 2023.
What are alternatives to Hydrogen (Advanced drum machine for GNU/Linux)?
Spotify, iTunes, Mixxx, FLAC and Sonic Pi. The alternatives page compares them.
