LMMS (formerly Linux MultiMedia Studio) is a digital audio workstation application program. It allows music to be produced by arranging samples, synthesizing sounds, entering notes via computer keyboard or mouse (or other pointing device) or by playing on a MIDI keyboard, and combining the features of trackers and sequencers. It is free and open source software, written in Qt and released under GPL-2.0-or-later.
LMMS is available for multiple operating systems, including Linux, OpenBSD, macOS, and Windows. It requires a 1.5 GHz CPU, 1 GB of RAM and a two-channel sound card.
LMMS accepts soundfonts and GUS patches, and it supports the Linux Audio Developer's Simple Plugin API (LADSPA) and LV2 (only master branch, since 24.05.2020). It can use VST plug-ins on Win32, Win64, or Wine32. The nightly versions support LinuxVST. Currently MacOS doesn't support them.
What is LMMS?
LMMS by LMMS Developers is open-source Windows software in the audio editors & daw category. It ranks 3rd by popularity among audio editors & daw in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 2004. It is written in C++ and C. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux and macOS.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit and 32-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 1.2.2, released on July 4, 2020. The version history goes back to October 18, 2022: 5 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2.2 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 21,352 times. The source code on GitHub (LMMS/lmms) has 10,517 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 20 of our languages. On Windows it registers 2 file types, including .mmp and .mmpz. Similar programs include Audacity, MuseScore and Bespoke Synth.
Project description on GitHub: “Cross-platform music production software”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Also runs on Linux and macOS
- Large user base
- Mature project (since 2004)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- Installation needs administrator rights
- No update for more than a year
In short: LMMS is an open-source audio editors & daw tool for 64-bit and 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is LMMS 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:
5F20AF1D782468507417D0785826B1F064FADBA88ED1691E2DEF269922ACE56B· 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
Recent versions
All 5 versions ›5 versions over 2 years · about 2.2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.2.2Latest | July 4, 2020 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.2.1 | March 30, 2021 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.2.0 | October 18, 2022 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.1.3 | October 19, 2022 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 1.0.3 | October 18, 2022 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id LMMS.LMMS -echoco install lmms -yscoop install extras/lmmslmms-1.2.2-win64.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub io.lmms.LMMSInformation
- Publisher
- LMMS Developers
- Category
- Audio editors & DAW
- Licence
- GPL-2.0-or-later
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/LMMS/lmms
- Written in
- C++ and C
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS
- Version
- 1.2.2
- Released
- July 4, 2020
- First release
- 2004
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 5
- Updates / year
- 2.2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 21,352
- GitHub stars
- 10,517
- GitHub forks
- 1,298
- Website
- lmms.io
- winget ID
- LMMS.LMMS
- Chocolatey package
- lmms
- Scoop package
- extras/lmms
File types it opens (2)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to LMMS
See all ›-
Open source2.8M ↓ -
MuseScore4.7.6.261022093Create, play back and print beautiful sheet music with free and easy to use music notation software MuseScore.Open source507.8K ↓ -
Open source2K ↓ -
REAPER7.83REAPER is a digital audio production application, offering full multitrack audio and MIDI recording, processing, editing, mixing and mastering toolset.Proprietary132.5K ↓ -
Proprietary12.9K ↓ -
SoundCraft0.10.0An open-source, clean-room reimplementation of the Avid Pro Tools workflow in pure RustOpen source239 ↓ -
MIDI2LR6.3.1.0MIDI2LR is an application that translates MIDI Control Change commands into Lightroom actions.Open source3.8K ↓ -
Open source1K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is LMMS free?
Yes. LMMS is open-source software under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.
Is LMMS 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 LMMS 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 LMMS be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does LMMS run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit and 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of LMMS?
The versions page lists all 5 versions with links to their official installer files, back to October 18, 2022.
What are alternatives to LMMS?
Audacity, MuseScore, Bespoke Synth, REAPER and Bitwig Studio. The alternatives page compares them.
